June 17, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Vanderbilt head baseball coach Tim Corbin announced the addition of shortstop Alex McClure to the 2008-09 signing class.
McClure, who played for Walters State Community College in the spring, is already enrolled in summer school at Vanderbilt and will be a sophomore eligibility wise in the fall.
He is no stranger to college baseball in the Middle Tennessee area as his father, Gary, recently completed his 20th year as head coach at Austin Peay.
“Alex is a fine defensive player and has been around the game his whole life,” said Corbin. “He is a player who we believe will continue to develop in his time here and we are glad to have him.”
McClure started in 56 games as a freshman at shortstop for a Walters State team that made the National Junior College Athletic Association College World Series and finished with a 55-9 overall mark. He hit .239 while finishing second on the team with 120 assists.
He was an All-District selection as a senior in 2007 at Rossview High in Clarksville where he was also a three-year starter.
“Alex is the ultimate baseball “rat”,” said Walters State assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Dave Shelton. “It’s been a pleasure having him and watching him progress with us. When I started recruiting Alex, he weighed about 135 pounds, and he’s put on around 30 pounds since then. I had a scout tell me that if he can put on another 20-25 pounds, he’s a big leaguer. So it will be fun to watch him continue to develop in the Vanderbilt program.”
He is third VU addition from the 2008 Walters State squad joining outfielders Adam Milligan and Dylan Pratt who signed in the fall.
“We are extremely excited about Alex, Dylan, and Adam joining Vanderbilt next year,” said Shelton. “Coach Corbin and his staff have done a tremendous job in building the program into a national power, and it’s a dream of all our kids to play for a program like that after leaving us.”
