CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears have added eight new signees to the baseball squad for the 2015 season.

    They include: Dillon Drabble from Texarkana; Chris Durham from Memphis; Corey Herndon from Memphis; Travis Hull from Danville, Calif.; Jacob Richardson from Rison; Josh Russell from Memphis; Levi Skinner from Cowley County Community College; and Ty Tice from Prairie Grove.

    Drabble is a 6-foot, 180-pound right handed pitcher from Genoa Central High School who played under head coach Jonaathan Gosdin.  Drabble helped lead the Dragons to a state championship in 2012.  Equipped with one of the best arms in the state of Arkansas, Dillon pitches in the upper 80's with good command.

    "We are extremely excited about the opportunity to coach Dillon,' said fourth-year UCA head coach Allen Gum. "He is a gifted player with a live arm and we feel he will make an impact in our program.'   

    Durham is a 5-9, 170-pound left handed pitcher Christian Brothers High School.  Playing under Buster Kelso, Durham developed good command and was a very integral part of the team's success. Chris also played for the Memphis Tigers under Head Coach Kerry Sweeney and showed his ability to pitch at a high level.  

    "Chris has a bulldog mentality with great poise on the mound,' said Gum. "He can command three pitches to both sides of the plate and has a great idea of how to pitch.  We are excited about his decision to become a Bear.' 
    
    Herndon is a 6-3, 200-pound right handed pitcher/infielder also from Christian Brothers. Herndon developed into one of the best two way players in the state of Tennessee.  Herndon has a power arm that works in the upper 80's and touches low 90's.  While playing the Memphis Tigers, Herndon showed that he can become an impact guy at UCA.

    "Corey is very physical at the plate and on the mound,' said Gum. "Our staff is excited about the opportunity to coach an extremely talented young man.'

    Hull is a 6-3, 215-pound switch-hitting catcher from California.  While playing under legendary coach Steve Friend at Chabot College in Hayward, CA, Hull developed into one of the premier catchers in California junior college baseball.  Hull is a strong defender with the ability to drive the ball to all fields.  
    
    "We are thrilled that Travis decided to bring his hard-nosed approach and skill set to the University of Central Arkansas,' Gum said. "We expect Travis to quickly become a strong leader on and off the field.'

    Richardson is a 6-1, 205-pound corner infielder from Woodlawn High School.  While playing under five-time state champion coach Tommy Richardson, Jacob evolved into one of the best hitters in the state of Arkansas.  In 2012, Jacob helped lead his team to a state championship at Woodlawn.

    "With Jacob's gap-to-gap approach at the plate, he has a chance to become a great hitter at the collegiate level,' said Gum. "I look forward to working with him on a daily basis.'

    Russell is a 6-1, 155-pound catcher from Christian Brothers High School, where he also played under Buster Kelso and also played under summer ball with the Memphis Tigers.  As one of the best catch and throw guys in Tennessee, Russell has all the tools needed to make an impact early on in his career at UCA.    

    "We love Josh's abilities behind the plate.  He has all the tools we look for in a catcher and we are excited to coach him,' he said.

    Skinner is a 6-4, 210-pound right handed pitcher from Cowley County CC in Arkansas City, Kan., where he played under legendary head coach Dave Burroughs.  He went 8-2 as a freshman with an earned run average of 1.56. He pitched the second most innings on the team and struck out 68 batters over 63 innings.  Skinner has great tempo on the mound, commands three pitches, and has a plus breaking ball.

    "We are excited about signing Levi and look forward to the impact he will make in our program,' said Gum. "We love his ability to command three pitches and throw them in any count.' 

    Tice is a 5-9, 150-pound  second baseman/pitcher from Prairie Grove High School where he played for head coach and former UCA Bears Mitch Cameron.  Ty is a left-handed hitting middle infielder, and relief pitcher with an upper 80's fastball.  His versatility will be a great asset for the University of Central Arkansas.

    "Ty is a positive addition to our program,' said Gum. "We are excited about his ability to pitch and play the infield. I look forward to watching him develop in our program.'

    These new Bears will be joining a UCA program that won a school-record 42 games last season, won the Southland Conference Tournament and reached the championship game of the NCAA Starkville Regional, losing to eventual national runnerup and host Mississippi State.