Niners sign seven for baseball

The Charlotte 49ers baseball team, which has won the past two Atlantic 10 Conference tournament titles, has signed seven players - five from the Charlotte area - to nation letters of intent during the early signing period.

Those who committed include:

Infielder Shane Basen, a baseball and basketball standout at Marvin Ridge High in Union County, who played in the World Wood Bat Assocation National Championships this year.

Infielder Jim Lyerly of Piedmont High, the younger brother of current 49ers star Rob Lyerly. Jim Lyerly is listed as a Top 50 player in North Carolina by Impact Baseball.

Right-handed pitcher Sean Pope of North Mecklenburg High. Pope is listed as a Top 30 player in N.C. by Impact Baseball and played in the N.C. State Games.

Right-handed pitcher Cory Roberts of Olympic High, who is ranked a Top 45 player in NC by Impact Baseball and a nationally-ranked player by PGCrosschecker. He was also the Queen City Conference's player of the year last season.

Right-handed pitcher Corbin Shive of East Rowan High, who is listed as a Top 25 player in N.C. by Impact Baseball and nationally ranked by PGCrosschecker. Shive, along with Roberts, played for the South Charlotte Panthers last summer. Shive was part of an East Rowan team that advanced to the state championship series last season.

Second baseman Michael Green of Richmond, Va. He was all-region in baseball last season and football this season and played summer ball for former Richmond Spiders coach Ron Atkins.

Outfielder Zachary Semenza will transfer in from Colby Community College in Kansas, who hit .333 and stole eight bases last season as a freshman. Semenza is a native of Great Falls, Mont.

"It's a credit to our assistant coaches, our former players and our current players that we can return, year after year, to the same areas and recruit quality student athletes," said 49ers coach Loren Hibbs. "That community has played a major role in our program's success over the past 17 years."