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Longwood baseball head coach Chad Oxendine announced the signing of eight players in the early signing period from November.

This is Oxendine’s first recruiting class as the head coach at Longwood and features seven signees from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ethan Barnes from Emporia, Wyatt Bunch from Warsaw, Dallas Hairfield from Mechanicsville, Josiah Harrison from Midlothian, Collin Hughes from Moseley, Tanner Thomas from Forest and Ethan Walker from Salem are the seven from the Commonwealth. In addition, the team signed New York native Devin Colón from Staten Island, who rounds out a talented class who will be joining the Lancers in Farmville next fall.

The class as a whole includes two players that were given All-State honors and four that ranked in the top 500 in their class, according to Perfect Game or Prep Baseball Report.

“This recruiting class will always be a special class to me.” Oxendine said, “Not only do I believe they embody what the new era of Longwood Baseball is truly about off the field, they are extremely talented baseball players as well. This class is full of guys with high energy, guys who love to compete, and guys that genuinely love Longwood Baseball and our University. Words can’t express the excitement I have for our first recruiting class. Let’s Ride!”

ETHAN BARNES | OF/MIF |

EMPORIA | RICHMOND BRAVES

Ethan Barnes is rated in Perfect Games top 500 nationally and has been named to four different all tournament teams including the Perfect Game Super 25 three years in a row from 2017- 2019 when he played for the Virginia Breeze. Barnes helped the Richmond Braves win the WWBA world series in 2021. Barnes has a career .400 batting average in high school, which includes 84 hits, 7 home runs, 18 doubles, 10 triples and 68 RBI’s. The future Lancer also was named an All-American in the Homeschool World Series.

WYATT BUNCH | RHP/OF |

WARSAW | RAPPAHANNOCK HS

Wyatt Bunch comes to Longwood as a Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American and boasts a high 80’s fastball. Bunch has been named to six all tournament teams, five of which have come with MPH 101 and one with the Richmond Braves 13u. Bunch has been a part of three all-tournament pitching teams and four all-tournament batting teams. As a junior, the Rappahannock High School product pitched 22 innings with 24 strikeouts. He only allowed 13 hits, having a sub 1.0 WHIP and an impressive 1.20 ERA.

DALLAS HAIRFIELD | OF/RHP, UT |

MECHANISVILLE | MECHANISVILLE HS

Dallas Hairfield has been a two-time Preseason Underclass All American and is also in the Top 500 national rankings for Perfect Game. Hairfield has been a part of seven all tournament teams, six of which came with the Richmond Braves and one with the Canes-VA-Roop. He was also a member of the Richmond Braves club that won the 2021 Perfect Game Upper-class WWBA Coastal Fall Championship, and Hairfield throws a high 80’s fastball.

JOSIAH HARRISON | OF/RHP |

CHESTERFIELD | TRINITY EPISCOPAL

Josiah Harrison joins Barnes in the Perfect Games top 500 rankings nationally and has been named to five all tournament teams as a player for Canes-VA-Roop and Canes North 17u. He also was named to two Showcase Top Prospect Teams. Harrison was ranked in the top 10 at the 2021 Sunshine Northeast showcase in outfield velocity, 60 yard dash and fastball velocity. Harrison also was named to the All-Virginia First Team at Trinity Episcopal as well as being named the Offensive Player of the Year and making the All-Metro team.

COLLIN HUGHES | C/3B |

MOSELEY | COSBY HS

Collin Hughes has been a part of four all tournament teams, including the 2019 Perfect Game Super25 as a player for the RBA Southies 15u and two Perfect Game tournaments in 2018 as a member of the RBA South Hannum. In 2019 as a member of the RBA South Hughes finished the season with a .500 batting average. The Moseley native also picked up All-Metro honors while playing at Cosby.

TANNER THOMAS | 3B/C |

FOREST | LIBERTY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

Tanner Thomas comes to Farmville after having an incredible junior season that saw him bat .525 with two home runs, eight doubles and 16 RBI’s. As a freshman at Liberty Christian, Thomas was named First Team All-Virginia, First Team All-District and First Team All-Region.

ETHAN WALKER | LHP/1B,OF |

SALEM | SALEM HS

Ethan Walker joins Barnes and Harrison in the Top 500 national rankings for Perfect Game. Walker has been a part of eight all-tournament teams, four of which came with the Dirtbags scout team and four with Power Baseball 2022. Walker throws a high 80’s fastball and was ranked in the top 10 for fastball velocity at the 2021 Spring Atlantic Coast Showcase. The Salem native was also a part of the showcases top prospect team, and holds a Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher title while at the 2021 WWBA World Championships with the Dirtbags.

DEVIN COLÓN | SS/MIF,OF |

STATEN ISLAND, NY. | MOORE CATHOLIC

Devin Colón joins the commonwealth commits with three all tournament selections, two with the NY Prospects and one with the TKR Reds 21/22. Colón also was a part of the Staten Island Elite that won the Perfect Game Super25 Championship.

Longwood returns to action on Feb. 18 when the Lancers host the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for a three game series.