A total of 14 graduating seniors have committed to play for the Lions beginning in August.
"Overall, our freshman class is very solid," said FHU head coach Jonathan Estes, who is entering his second year with the program. "We have put ourselves in position to be very good all four years they will be here. Our emphasis was on recruiting players that strive for success in all phases of life and we feel very happy with the outcome of that effort."
Drew Suttles is a right-handed pitcher from Adairsville, Ga. He threw 26 innings during his senior season with 30 strikeouts to only one walk and a 0.53 ERA.
"Drew is a side-arm guy that goes right after hitters. You can see from his numbers this year that he is aggressive and has great stuff," Estes said. "We expect him to be able to give us quality innings right away in the bullpen. He helped lead his high school team to one of their best seasons ever and we think he will use that experience to be successful here."
Clint Allen and Mark Malone both join the program after prepping at Scotts Hill HS in Scotts Hill, Tenn. Allen is a right-handed pitcher and utility player who hit .401 with five home runs and 40 RBI as a senior while also going 7-1 on the hill with a 1.82 ERA.
"Clint is a potential two-way player that put up monster numbers at Scotts Hill this year," said Estes. "He has the ability to play a corner infield spot and we are looking forward to seeing him on the mound as well this fall."
Malone is a left-handed pitcher and went 5-4 with a 4.23 ERA as a senior.
"Mark has been one of the top pitchers in this area for the last couple of years," Estes said. "He has a good understanding of how to pitch and will be a guy that will continue to develop throughout his career because of a strong desire to improve. He will have the opportunity to throw for us right away."
Outfielder Kyle Day comes to Freed-Hardeman from Nettleton, Ark., where he hit an impressive .494 with 25 RBI and 17 stolen bases as a senior. He was named all-conference and all-state for his performance.
"We are very excited about adding Kyle to our team. He is athletic and has the ability to play all three outfield spots," said Estes. "He likes to run the bases and will fit in well with what we try to do. If he can make a quick adjustment to college pitching, and we think he can, he has the opportunity to get in the line-up right away."
Kyle Dearing is an infielder from Whitewater, Ga., and is coming off a senior season that saw him hit .379 with five home runs and 29 RBI.
"Kyle has a lot of strengths that will translate well to the college game," Estes said. "He has a great work ethic to go with solid physical tools. He runs well, has a good accurate arm, and can really drive the ball. Kyle has the opportunity to crack our line-up very quickly."
C.T. Palmer is another addition to the outfield, coming from Waggener, Ky., where he hit .390 with 10 doubles and 23 stolen bases as a senior on his way to being named team MVP, all-district and all-region.
"C.T. has nice physical tools and we are excited to see what he will be able to do," said Estes. "Sometimes high school athletes are stretched thin because they excel in multiple sports and really take off when they get to a college program. We are expecting C.T. to do that for us."
Stephen Barrett is a left-handed pitcher coming from Rossville Christian in Arlington, Tenn. In his last two seasons with the APAK All-Stars, he went 9-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 67 innings pitched.
"Stephen follows in the footsteps of several other lefty pitchers that we have had the last two years," Estes said. "He works off of his off-speed stuff and goes after hitters. He will greatly benefit working with Dr. Brooks Tiller and our strength and conditioning program. He has great years ahead of him."
Matthew Harrison is an infielder from Central Christian in Alabama, hitting .382 with 37 RBI as a senior.
"Matt has a big, physical frame that has the potential to develop a lot of pop at the plate," said Estes. "He has hit very well at the high school level and is excited to get on campus and adjust to the college game."
Catcher Jake Johnson joins the Lions from Biggersville, Miss., where he hit .320 with four home runs and 20 RBI on his was to being named Division 1-1A Player of the Year.
"Jake had to do a lot of things at the high school level and he did them all well," Estes said. "He has a nice, big frame that we like for our catchers to have. As he focuses on catching, his defensive abilities will improve and we like what we have seen from him at he plate."
Joe Creasy is an outfielder and pitcher from Central HS in Alabama. He hit .431 with 20 doubles and 43 RBI as a senior while also going 6-3 on the mound with a 1.70 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched.
"Joe is another potential two-way guy that put up fantastic numbers this spring," said Estes. "He has good size and a live arm. He comes from a program that won a lot of games and we hope he will carry that experience with him to the collegiate level."
Kent Voorhies is a pitcher and outfielder from Gallatin, Tenn., where he played for Aaron Academy. He posted a career batting average of .485 and had an ERA of 3.07 in his season season.
Also joining the Lions are Tyler Anderson (IF; Nashville, Tenn.), Colin Chatham (OF; Itawamba, Miss.) and Lincoln Lakoff (IF; Nashville, Tenn.).
