[11/19/03]The list of Warren County baseball players in Division I programs keeps on growing.

Former St. Aloysius pitching and catching standout Aaron George signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at South Alabama, the first player ever from St. Aloysius to sign with a Division I-A team.

George will have one more season at Meridian Community College before moving on to Mobile..

“We’re very excited about getting him,” South Alabama coach Steve Kittrell said. “He’s a strong, physical player and we are just happy he chose South Alabama.”

George was a key cog in St. Aloysius’ run to the North State championship game as a senior in 2002. He was the Flashes’ best pitcher, catcher and one of the top hitters on the team.

That performance earned him a scholarship to Meridian, where he starred in his first season there. George hit .321 with 12 home runs, 14 doubles and 44 RBIs.

“Baseball-wise, he can really hit,” Meridian coach Mike Federico said. “He hits for power and came up with a lot of clutch hits for us this year.”

He becomes the seventh Warren County player currently with a Division I school and the first from St. Aloysius, if he gets there.

“I told his parents that I would love to see him get drafted,” said St. Aloysius baseball coach Joe Graves said. “He can flat-out hit, is a catcher and a position player. He is an all-around player.”

At South Alabama, George will battle for a starting spot right off the bat, Kittrell said. Starting catcher Tim Land will graduate after this season leaving a vacancy behind the plate.

“We feel like getting a catcher is the number one priority for us,” Kittrell said. “Finding a catcher with a bat as strong as his is a plus.”

South Alabama finished last season 42-19 and reached the NCAA Regionals with an at-large bid. In the regionals, the Jaguars started the series with two straight wins before falling to Florida State in two-straight games.

George is no stranger to quality baseball, though.

As a senior in high school, the Flashes reached the Class 1A state championship series, and at Meridian, he joins a long list of former players that have gone on to star in four-year colleges and in the pros.

Currently, 13 former Meridian players are with major league affiliates and seven current Meridian players are with four-year schools.

Porters Chapel Academy’s Andrew Embry and Warren Central’s Joey Lieberman also play for Meridian.