FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2007

Two more sign with Southern for baseball

Joplin, Mo. - Missouri Southern head baseball coach Bryce Darnell has announced the signing of Danny Sickles and Alex French to national letters of intent to attend Southern and play baseball in the spring of 2008.

French was a three year starter at catcher for Darnell at Webb City High School, before enrolling and player two years at Labette Community College. At Webb City, French was part of the 2005 baseball state champions, as well as helping the football team to a runner up finish in 2005. An All-State, All-Conference and All-District selection in baseball, French struck out just one time his senior season.

French was also a three-year starter at long snapper for football coach John Roderique.

Sickles is a 6-3 right handed pitcher and comes to Southern after a year at Polk Community College in Florida. Before that, he spent one year at Hillsborough Community College. At PCC, he was 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA last year and went 2-0 with a 3.10 ERA at HCC in his freshman campaign.

Sickles is a 2005 graduate of Freedom High School in Orlando, Florida where he was a two-year starter at pitcher for the Patriots. As a junior, Sickles was 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA, but went 6-2 with a 1.91 ERA in his senior season, while striking out 63 in 70 innings pitched. He was a summer-league teammate of current Lion Juan Hernandez.