ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville Head Baseball Coach Scott Friedholm announced that 13 players have signed on to join the Bulldogs for the 2021 season. The new class of Bulldogs consists of 10 high school players and three transfers.

“We are excited about the 13 new student-athletes coming into the program,” said Friedholm. “We feel we gave ourselves some more depth on the mound with the addition of eight new pitchers.  Every single one of these pitchers should be able to push themselves into a spot of pitching meaningful innings this spring.  The five position players will be able to fight for starting positions right away.  The exciting thing about this fall is we have depth which will create competition at every position on the field and on the mound. I can’t give Chris Bresnahan and Kyle Ward enough credit for putting this class of great players, students, and people together.”

Kohl Abrams – Infielder – Cary, N.C. (UNC Wilmington/Green Hope HS)

• Transferred to UNC Asheville from UNC Wilmington
• Hit .280 for his high school career with 78 hits, including 21 doubles
• Also sported a sub-2.00 ERA as a pitcher in high school

Coach’s Take – “Kohl is a transfer infielder that will be eligible to play right away,” Friedholm said. “He is a very boring player, and I mean that as a compliment. Nothing is going to wow you out there, but he just does everything right, and at the end of the day is a very solid player that should be able to help us out right away.”

Jay Allmer – Right-Handed Pitcher – Cary, N.C. (Panther Creek HS)

• In his shortened senior season, Allmer struck out 13 batters in nine innings
• As a high school player, he went 6-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 47 innings with 42 strikeouts
• All-Academic selection all four years in high school

Coach’s Take – “Jay is a strong-bodied right-handed pitcher that has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher in the Big South,” Friedholm stated. “His physicality should allow him to have success early on as a Bulldog.”

Kevin Catrine – Outfielder – Fuquay Varina, N.C. (Wake Forest Technical CC/Fuquay Varina HS)

• As a player at Wake Forest Technical Community College, he hit .288 with .891 OPS
• Did not commit an error during his two years of junior college baseball
• Stole 14 bases as well

Coach’s Take – “Kevin is a junior college outfielder that has been able to produce both offensively and defensively at the collegiate level,” said Friedholm. “He has a good combination of speed and power that will help him be productive while in a Bulldog uniform.”

Caleb Cross – Right-Handed Pitcher – Sanford, N.C. (Southern Lee HS)

• Went 8-3 with a 1.20 ERA in 95 innings pitched during his high school career
• Struck out 93 hitters in high school
• A two-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American selection

Coach’s Take – “Caleb is an extremely athletic right-handed pitcher that we think can help us from the very first day he is on campus,” stated Friedholm. “His ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes will allow him to compete for innings right away.”

Bryce Fisher – Left-Handed Pitcher – Kings Mountain, N.C. (Kings Mountain HS)

• Combined ERA of 2.46 as a high school pitcher
• In his final high school season, went 2-0 with one save
• As a senior, struck out 23 hitters in 13 innings and did not walk a batter

Coach’s Take – “Bryce is a strong left-handed pitcher that uses multiple pitches in the strike zone effectively,” said Friedholm. “Pair that with his mound presence and leadership qualities, he will have a huge impact on the UNC Asheville Baseball program.”

Isaac Gonzales – Left-Handed Pitcher – Fayetteville, N.C. (Pine Forest HS)

• Logged a 4.18 ERA as a high school pitcher
• Struck out 79 hitters in 67 innings
• All-Conference and All-Tournament honoree as a high schooler as well

Coach’s Take – “Isaac is a left-handed pitcher that has a clean arm path and the ability to throw strikes consistently,” said Friedholm. “His pitch ability, paired with his strong lower-half, will benefit him here at Asheville.”

Michael Groves – Catcher/Utility – Holly Springs, N.C. (Holly Springs HS)

• Second Team All-Conference as a junior
• Was a member of a team that won three straight conference championships
• Hit three home runs during his high school career

Coach’s Take – “Michael is a switch-hitting Catcher/Utility player that we believe can hit in the Big South,” said Friedholm. “He has the strength and the approach to be a legitimate switch hitter at our level.”

Justin Honeycutt – Left-Handed Pitcher/Outfield – Fayetteville, N.C. (Pine Forest HS)

• As a high school pitcher, Honeycutt pitched 89 innings, recorded an 8-4 record with a 2.12 ERA with 143 strikeouts and held opponents to a .201 batting average.
• First Team All-Conference selection as a sophomore and junior
• As a junior, was an honorable mention on the 910 Preps All-Region Team

Coach’s Take – “Justin is a left-handed pitcher and outfielder that can throw multiple pitches for strikes and has shown the ability to pitch at a high level,” said Friedholm. “He also has speed and athleticism that will allow him to produce as an outfielder as well.”

Brett Johnson – Right-Handed Pitcher – Mount Airy, N.C. (North Surry HS)

• Struck out 41 hitters in just under 30 innings pitched in high school
• 2.00 Career ERA as a prep pitcher
• Also an accomplished hitter .377 with an OPS at .950

Coach’s Take – “Brett is an athletic right-handed pitcher that can throw effectively from multiple arm slots,” Friedholm said of Johnson. “His arm strength from a lower slow is not something you see every day. He should be able to make a big impact from his first day on campus.”

Cam Johnson – Infielder – Fuquay Varina, N.C. (Fuquay Varina HS)

• Hit .331 with 53 hits and drove in 32 runs in high school
• Academic All-Conference with a 4.0 GPA
• All-Conference player as a junior

Coach’s Take – “Cam is a strong and athletic infielder that can play multiple infield positions,” Friedholm said. “His bat and versatility should allow him to have a lot of opportunities to see the field early in his career. “

Ty Kaufman – Infielder/Utility – McDonough, Ga. (Union Grove HS)

• Four-time All-Region selection
• Hit .418 as a junior with 33 hits, 26 RBI in 25 games played
• In an abbreviated senior campaign, hit .371 in 10 games with 13 hits and 11 runs driven in

Coach’s Take – “Ty is a scrappy INF/Utility player that can play multiple positions at a high level,” Friedholm said. “The energy and passion he plays the game with is unmatched, and we are excited to see what he can do for our program.”

Zeus Ponder – Right-Handed Pitcher – Bakersville, N.C. (Mitchell HS)

• Struck out 22 batters in nine innings and posted a 1.40 ERA in abbreviated senior season
• As a junior, went 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched
• Earned Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2019

Coach’s Take – “Zeus is a local right-handed pitcher that has tremendous upside on the mound,” Friedholm said. “He has the frame and arm strength to be an outstanding pitcher for us during his career.”

Dawson Salter – Right-Handed Pitcher – Mooresville, N.C. (Rockingham CC/Lake Norman HS)

• Transferred to UNC Asheville from Rockingham Community College
• Lone season of collegiate baseball, he went 1-0 with two saves in seven innings pitched with 10 strikeouts
• Had a 3.4 GPA in high school

Coach’s Take – “Dawson is a junior college transfer right-handed pitcher that will have four years of eligibility at UNC Asheville,” Friedholm stated. “He has shown the ability to succeed on the mound at the collegiate level and will have an opportunity to have success here as well.”