Jan. 5, 2007

The following is a list of the 2007 signees for Samford baseball. This is the third recruiting class for Head Coach Casey Dunn's staff and Recruiting Coordinator Tony David. The first two classes for the coaching staff have been nationally ranked and the top classes in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Jonathan Stephens (RHP, 6-8, 220, Alabama Southern CC, Crestview, Fla) is a tall hard throwing right-handed pitcher from Alabama Southern Community College that currently serves as the No. 1 pitcher on a staff that helped lead the Eagles to a No. 17 national ranking last season. Stephens finished the season ranked in 10 separate categories including being the top ranked pitcher in the state in walks allowed per nine innings. Stephens finished his high school career at Crestview High School as the team's MVP and a first team All-Area selection.

After his freshmen year at Alabama Southern, Stephens was selected to the 2006 1st Team All-Region/State, and 1st Team All-Conference Teams. Among the other categories he finished ranked were the fourth-best ERA at 1.89 (15th in the nation), 9th in innings pitched per game, 11th in runs allowed per game, 11th in wins and 12th in earned runs allowed. Overall for the season he gave up 18 earned runs in 85 innings pitched while going 8-2 with two saves on the year with 59 strike outs and only eight walks. Opponents hit just .232 against him on the season.

Stephens is expected to contribute heavily on the weekends next season. The heavily recruited right hander chose Samford over Troy.

Niko Navarro (C, 5-11, 180, Flanagan HS, Pembroke Pines, Fla) is a power switch hitting catcher that helped lead his high school to back-to-back 6A State Championships in Florida as well as leading his summer team, the All American Prospects, to multiple championships as well. Navarro was an extremely highly recruited prospect out of one of the top high school programs in Florida. The premiere program All-American Prospects team is yearly among the top amateur baseball programs in the country. He helped lead them to the 17 and under National Championships in the World Wood Bat tournament. He hits with power from both sides of the plate and is a top level defensive catcher behind the plate.

Navarro will be a four year starting catcher at Flanagan, hitting in the middle of the order for both 6A state championship teams. During the team's run to the title last season, he hit four home runs in one five-game stretch on his way to being selected to the All-County Team. He completed his sophomore season by being named the team's Offensive MVP, named to the All-County Miami Herald team and All-State in Florida while batting .434 on the season. Navarro began his high school career as a starting freshman on the varsity and was voted the Offensive MVP for the first time on varsity.

Among the schools that pursued Navarro were Florida State, Tulane and College of Charleston.

Alex Godshall (MIF, 5-9, 160, Palm Beach Gardens HS, Jupiter, Fla) is a speedy infielder that handles the bat extremely well having displayed that for two of the better baseball programs at Palm Beach Gardens High School and the All-American Prospects. He instantly becomes one of the fastest members of the Bulldog squad with a sixty time of 6.5 seconds. Godshall played shortstop for his high school, hitting .412 in helping lead the team to a 28-4 record, regional semi-finals, and a No. 3 ranking in Florida's 6A classification while being selected as to the All-Conference team as a shortstop.

As a member of the premiere summer program All-American Prospects, he was part of the team that won the 17 and under National Championship in the World Wood Bat tournament while hitting .375 with an on-base percentage of .464, and 17 stolen bases on the season.

Even more impressive is his performance in the classroom as he enters his senior year in high school having not made anything less than an A in every class he has taken. Godshall's speed and athleticism will allow him to battle for time in either the infield or outfield immediately at Samford.

Michael Johnson (MIF, 5-9, 165, Gulf Coast HS, Naples, Fla) is an outstanding defensive infielder and left handed hitter that helped lead Gulf Coast High School in Florida to a 26-1 record last season. During the outstanding run by the team, Johnson helped lead the way by hitting .393, posting an on-base percentage of 485, while only striking out three times in over 100 plate appearances. Along the way he was selected as the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player, All-Conference, All-Southwest Florida, and All-Area Teams. That followed an outstanding sophomore season that had him hit .389 with and on-base percentage of .589 and defensive MVP honors.

To complement his defensive skills and ability with the bat, Johnson is also a speedy runner that will provide the Bulldogs with an added speed element to the lineup. He is considered one of the top defensive infielders in the state. He was also a key member of one of Florida's top summer league programs, the Southwest Florida group that travels the summer and fall playing in wooden bat tournaments.

Bronson McGriff (RHP, 6-2, 210, Oak Mountain HS, Birmingham, Ala) is a hard throwing right-handed pitcher and power hitting first baseman from Oak Mountain High School. He helped lead Oak Mountain on the mound and with his bat to the quarterfinals of last year's state playoffs. He was also listed by Baseball America as one of the top high school players in the state and country in 2007. McGriff was invited to the East Coast Professional Showcase workout and Top Guns Showcase in Orlando, Florida.

Michael Jarry (RHP, 6-0, 165, Seminole Community College, Sanford, Fla) is one of the top right handed pitchers at Seminole Community College in Orlando, Fla., and was selected to the Florida Community College's All-Star team. Jarry completed his sophomore season with a 5-2 record while pitching in 43 innings as both a starter and relief pitcher, striking out 38 and walking fourteen.

He completed his outstanding high school career at Bayside High School in Florida as the team's MVP and his second All-Conference selection and third selection to the Cape Coast Conference team. Coming out of high school, Jarry was also selected as one of Street and Smith's Baseball 2005 top 100 prospects and as an ESPN All-Star. He completed his high school career with an outstanding season, going 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA, 48 strikeouts and five walks in 42 innings pitched while opponents hit only .185 against him.

Robby Scott (LHP, 6-1, 195, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Miami, Fla) is an outstanding left-handed pitcher from St Thomas Aquinas High School that has competed with great success against some of the top competition in high school and summer baseball in the country. He also helped lead the All-American Prospects summer team to a National Championship, getting the save to close out the 2006 National championship game of the World Wood Bat Tournament.

He posted a record of 4-1 in high school on his way to All-County honors. Along the way getting a win against Nova High School in the District Championship game to advance, Nova was the No. 1 ranked team in Florida and the No. 2 team in the country at the time of the game. He was an integral part of the All-American Prospects, one of the premiere amateur programs in the country, as one of their top performers this summer and fall.

Scott will have an opportunity to contribute right away for the Bulldog program.

Andrew Jones (RHP, 6-3, 175, Pope High School, Marietta, Ga) is a tall right-handed pitcher from Pope High School, one of the top baseball programs in Georgia. He went 4-1 as a junior wile competing in a region that would later have the state champion and runner up come from the region. Jones knows how to pitch and has a lean frame with tremendous upside.

Jones participated with the East Cobb Striker Baseball Club out of the national East Cobb organization, helping pitch them to a third place finish in the National Championships of the World Wood Bat Tournament. He went 8-1 with a 2.87 ERA and four saves. Received the East Cobb Baseball MVP award as well.

In addition to his athletic achievements, Jones is an outstanding student and was named the Scholar Athlete Award winner for the last couple of years.

Davis Harrison (6-0, 180, Moody High School, Leeds, Ala.) is an outstanding athlete that has starred at Moody High school as both a quarterback in football and shortstop in baseball, as well as an All-County performer in basketball. He completed his junior year as the baseball team's MVP, All County selection, Super 160 ABCA selection, and a member of the East/West All Star team. He led the team in both batting average and stolen bases. On the football field he was the team's offensive MVP, an All County performer, and an honorable mention for All State.

In addition to his athletic achievements, Davis is an outstanding student and leader in his Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization. He has played mostly middle infield in his high school career and recently at catcher.

"Davis is a very good athlete and is extremely versatile," Dunn said. "We had him at our camp where he worked out at catcher for us. He has potential in a lot of areas and can swing the bat. He is a great student and a strong Christian young man, he will be a great fit for Samford University."

Davis enters Samford as an athlete and utility player and will continue the transition to the catching position.