Former Hawks starting pitcher Payden Bravenec, now a closer at North Central Texas College, has committed to continue his college baseball career at Angelo State University in San Angelo.

Payden's story is a great one. He entered NCTC in the Fall of 2007 has a walk-on, but quickly established himself as a ground-ball pitcher able to throw strikes and coax double-plays. Coaches also had him begin to throw sidearm and he became very effective against lefties as well as righties. It's not uncommon to see righthanded batters bail out against him, only to have the pitch catch the inside corner for a strike.

By the second semester last year, Bravenec had earned a baseball scholarship from NCTC and finished the season as the Lions' set-up man in the bullpen. This fall, he became the team's closer and will be in that role in the spring.

Payden will play at Angelo State under an athletic scholarship, and is expected to get plenty of work when he begins play with the Rams in the Fall of 2009. Angelo State is just two years removed from playing in the NCAA Division II World Series, and last year finished 38-19 on the season under head coach Kevin Brooks. The team is a member of the Lone Star Conference.

Two players off the 2008 Rams team were drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in June and signed with the National League club.

________________________________________________________

Former Hebron shortstop Jesse Payne, a member of the Hawks' Class of 2007, has verbally committed to continue his collegitate baseball career at the University of Texas - Arlington.

Payne, in his second year at North Central Texas College, a two-year JUCO, committed to the Mavericks last month. He will sign with the school during the NCAA early signing period later this month.

UTA is a NCAA Division I program that competes in the Southland Conference. Former Hebron catcher Mitch Putman is in his final year at UTA - his third at the school - and is the starting catcher for the Mavs. Last spring, UTA defeated Alabama and Texas A&M, and beat Oklahoma State at home and University of Texas on the road in Austin on back-to-back days in April.

Payne batted .319 in 144 at-bats with NCTC last year as a freshman. He also found his way into the school record book, becoming just the second Lions player ever to hit for the cycle in a game.

_______________________________________________________

Righthanded pitcher Jon Bartlotti, an All-District player from the Class of 2007 who is now at the University of New Mexico, underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his right elbow two weeks ago.

Bartlotti, who broke his leg while playing at Seward County JC in Kansas last spring, had logged some innings out of the bullpen for the Lobos this Fall. When arm discomfort popped up in early October, tests showed ligament damage in the right elbow. Jon's surgery was conducted in Irving, and according to his father, the surgery went very well. He will go through rehabilitation at the school.

Barring any setbacks, Bartlotti should be ready to pitch again in game action next Fall. He has received redshirt clearance for the 2009 spring season.

_______________________________________________________

Sam Freeman is no longer a "sleeper" draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals - at least not according to Baseball America.

Last week the national publication released its annual 2008 Draft Report Cards for each major league team. The report cards identify an organization's top performers from the June draft.

Former Hebron pitcher Sam Freeman was ID'd as the pick in four different categories:

* Fastest Runner

* Best Fastball

* Best Athlete

* Best Late-Round Pick.

For Best Late-Round Pick, BA wrote: "The Cardinals have high hopes for Freeman (who finished the year in the Florida State League playoffs."

_________________________________________________________

   Sam Freeman, a 2005 graduate of Hebron who pitched for the University of Kansas this season, has become the first former Hebron Hawks player to sign a professional baseball contract when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals last week.

   It took two years, but the Cardinals finally got their man. Sam had been drafted by the Cardinals in the 24^th round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of North Central Texas College, but opted to attend Marshall University after graduating from NCTC. He was at Marshall just two semesters before transferring to Kansas, where he worked as a starter and out of the bullpen for the Jayhawks. He went 4-1, with one of the victories a 6-2 decision at Texas on March 16.

   In the 2008 MLB Draft, the Cardinals again called Freeman’s number – this time in the 32^nd round, and this time he chose to sign. One of the first calls he made after deciding to sign with St. Louis was to Hawks Coach Steve Stone.

   “I just figured it was time” to sign, Freeman said this weekend via phone. “I was ready.”

   In his first professional inning with the Cardinals minor leaguers earlier this week, Freeman pitched one inning against a group of Florida Marlins minor leaguers, striking out two, walking one and allowing one hit, a double. Sam will be sent to rookie-league Johnson City (Tenn.) Cardinals in the Appalachian League. Their season opens June 17.

   At Hebron, Freeman was a pitcher and centerfielder. In 2005, the year the Hawks reached the Class 4A regional semifinals, he won eight games and struck out 92 batters – second-most in a single-season by a Hawks pitcher. He posted a 1.82 ERA that season.

   All-District players Ryan Angus, Patrick Kocher and Dustin Tarpley have each signed to play college baseball in the Fall.

   According to Hawks Coach Steve Stone, Angus and Kocher have signed with Weatherford College while Tarpley will play at Northlake College in Irving. Angus will pitch for the Coyotes while Kocher will work at catcher and first base. Tarpley will work at first base and log some at-bats at DH. He’s the second former Hawk to play for North Lake in the last two years. Former first baseman/DH Patrick Timmerman – a senior on the 2005 Hebron team – played at North Lake in 2007.

   The Blazers compete in the Metro Athletic Conference, and are coached by Corey Mercer.

   Weatherford, a Division I JUCO program playing in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Association (NTJCAA), finished the 2008 season with an overall record of 37-19 and reached the Region V tournament in May. Angus and Kocher join three other former Hawks in the NTJCAA: 2008 pitcher Troy Padmore at Cisco, and 2007 pitcher Payden Bravenec and 2007 shortstop Jesse Payne, both at North Central Texas College.

   Weatherford is coached by Jeff Lightfoot.

   Hebron senior second baseman Matt McManemin has signed with Tyler Junior College to continue his baseball career with the defending national champion Apaches.

   McManemin, who first reached the varsity at Hebron midway through his sophomore year, has been an outstanding player for the Hawks and was named a second-team All-District player last season.

   Tyler Junior College won the 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association D-III National Championship last season when it posted 46 wins, and the team currently is ranked No. 5 in the NJCAA Division III national poll. Joliet (Ill.) JC is ranked No. 1 this week.

   The Apaches play in the Metro Athletic Conference.

_________________________________________________________

   Hebron righthanded pitcher Troy Padmore has confirmed that he has signed with Cisco Junior College to continue pitching at the collegiate level next Fall.

   Padmore, who has given the Hawks a boost with his effective pitching this season, worked out for the Cisco coaching staff on a recent trip to the school. The Wranglers, a D-1 junior college team, are currently in the hunt for a berth in the National Junior College Athletic Association regional tournament.

   Cisco is just in its fourth year as a baseball program, but already the school has developed into a contender in the NJCAA Region 5. Last year, the Wranglers won 36 games.

   Padmore was the winning pitcher in Hebron's win over Marcus April 22, which clined a playoff spot for the Hawks.

___________________________________________________

   The lefthander, a 2005 graduate of Hebron, was drafted as a pitcher by the Cardinals in the 24^th round of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. After initially planning to sign, Freeman opted to remain in school and attended Marshall. In May, he finished an outstanding two-year career at NCTC in Gainesville, helping the Lions reach the JUCO Regional final in Lubbock before losing to New Mexico.

   Rubalcava is listed as a first baseman and righthanded pitcher on the Falcons’ roster. UTPB opens its season Feb. 1 when it hosts Howard Payne University in the opener of the UTPB Classic.

   Pitcher Ethan Patton will be taking the mound for LeTourneau University in Longview next season, while catcher/outfielder Jon Velez will be playing at Brookhaven College when the season opens.

   LeTourneau is a member of the American Southwest Conference. The Yellow Jackets are coached by former Texas Tech standout and one-time Cleveland Indians farmhand Robin Harriss.

   Brookhaven is a part of the Metro Athletic Conference. The Bears are coached by Corey Thornton.

_______________________________________________

   Former Hawks Kegan Stephens and Travis Griffith are at Ouachita Baptist University and will be playing baseball with the Tigers next spring.

   Kegan, a first-team All-District outfielder last spring with the Hawks, is also playing football at the school, and is listed on the roster as wearing uniform #39. Travis, a lefthanded pitcher, has been told by Ouachita Baptist coaches that he will have a chance to earn a spot in the Tigers' bullpen and is beginning workouts with the baseball team this Fall.

   Ouachita, located in Arkadelphia, Ark., is coming off one of the most successful baseball seasons in school history, having gone 50-10 last season and having reached as high as No. 2 overall in the national NCAA Division II poll. The Tigers' season ended with a loss in the NCAA Division II Baseball South Central Regional Tournament.