CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Queens University of Charlotte head baseball coach Jack McDowell has announced the addition of 18 athletes to the inaugural baseball roster.
 
"I'm very excited to get this first recruiting class on the field together in September," said McDowell. "This group is definitely not fillers but the cornerstones of future championships at Queens. Winners from top to bottom."
 
Bryant Baucom, a left-handed pitcher, is a transfer from Brevard College after sitting out his first season. Baucom played prep baseball at Highland School of Technology in Gastonia, N.C. and also played for the Carolina Stingrays at the club level.
 
Another left-hander, Jack Bergren, joins Queens from the University of Cincinnati after spending two seasons at the NCAA Division I level. The 6-4 native of Chicago, Ill. appeared in eight career games out of the bullpen for the Bearcats and struck out three batters over 3.2 innings on the mound. During his prep career at Lane Tech, Bergren was a two-year letter winner and received all-conference recognition.
 
Wes Boling, a right-handed pitcher and first baseman, comes to Charlotte after graduating from Gulf Coast High School in Naples, Fla. Boling was a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-Region honoree and played for FADC 18U, where he was 1-0 on the mound over six innings of work and turned in a .412 batting average with three doubles, one triple and three RBI over a seven-game span to earn all-tournament team accolades in the 2017 18U BCS National Championship.
 
Austin Campell is an outfielder from King's Ridge High School in Alpharetta, Ga. The rising freshman was a two-time state champion and two-time all-region performer with the Tigers after compiling a .333 average with 27 hits, including nine doubles. Campbell also totaled 24 RBI and scored 21 runs of his own.
 
Jojo Castronovo is listed as a utility player for the Royals and has the ability to play the outfield, infield and pitch on occasion. Castronovo played baseball, basketball and football at Pine Lake Prep in Mooresville, N.C. and hit .339 with four doubles and 16 runs scored during his senior season on the diamond. In nine games on the mound, the right-hander was 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA over 22.1 total innings.
 
A switch-hitting catcher/infielder, Aaron Douglas played his high school baseball at Arabia Mountain High School. The Lithonia, Ga. native was a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-Region honoree and Perfect Game ranked him as a Top 25 player in the state of Georgia. As a senior, Douglas hit .310 with a .488 on-base percentage to go along with 10 RBI in 24 games.
 
Ryan Dudney is a junior transfer from Southeastern Community College in Whitevile, N.C. where he played in 70 total games. A 6-0, 205-pound catcher, Dudney totaled 38 hits including six doubles, one triple and two home runs to go along with 24 RBI and 33 runs scored.
 
Max Fries is a right-hander pitcher who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Brunswick Community College in Bolivia, N.C. The junior transfer appeared in 27 games out of the bullpen for the Dolphins and compiled a 2-2 record with 11 strikeouts and a 5.69 ERA over 27 total innings.
 
Dom Ford joins Queens after spending his freshman season at Brunswick where he helped lead the Dolphins to a 40-14 overall record and an appearance in the Region X/Southeast District D-II Tournament. The outfielder turned in a .351 batting average and a .430 on-base percentage over 33 games with 33 hits, including 11 doubles, one triple and three home runs. He also totaled 28 runs scored, 19 RBI and eight stolen bases while only being caught stealing twice.
 
Chase Hager joins the Royals baseball team after two seasons at Iowa Western Community College where he played in 54 total games in the outfield and helped lead the Reivers to 96 wins and an appearance in the 2016 NJCAA World Series. Hager totaled 28 hits, including six doubles, for a .361 batting average as well as scoring 32 runs and registering 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
 
Greyson Haller is a rising freshman from Piedmont High School in Monroe, N.C. He was an all-conference outfielder for the Panthers and tallied 17 hits, including five home runs, in addition to 17 RBI and 21 runs scored as a senior.
 
C.J. Hammonds is the second transfer from Southeastern to join the Royals after spending two seasons on the Rams roster. The 6-3 outfielder appeared in 64 games and tallied 55 total hits, among them 14 doubles and three triples. Hammonds also scored 27 runs and drove in 24 RBI of his own.
 
A 6-2 right-handed pitcher, Adam Hartle played his high school baseball at Reagan High School in Rural Hall, N.C. Hartle was an all-conference performer for the Raiders after appearing in 22 games over his final two seasons and totaling five wins with a 3.00 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 32.2 innings.
 
Drew Meschede is a 6-6, 245-pound pitcher who was a four-year starter at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The right-hander was chosen as a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-Region performer and ranked as a Top 20 prospect at his position by Perfect Game.
 
A transfer from Prairie View A&M, Darreon Mickell is an infielder who sat out his first season of collegiate baseball before coming to Queens. Mickell played at Fort Bend Bush High School where he hit .278 as a senior.
 
Anthony Orta is a freshman from San Juan Puerto Rico where he played for Colegio San Jose. Orta was ranked as a Top 10 catcher in Puerto Rico and earned a spot on the 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-Region Team.
 
Kollin Schrenk is the final transfer to join the Royals roster after spending a year at University of New Orleans. Prior to UNO, the right-hander appeared in 24 career games for State College of Florida where he posted a 3.49 ERA over 54.2 innings with a 3-1 record and 42 strikeouts.
 
Rounding out the inaugural list is freshman Justin Sponseller, who played at nearby Cox Mill High School in Concord, N.C. Sponseller is Cox Mill's all-time leading hitter and registered a .345 career batting average with 77 hits, including 25 of the extra-base variety.
 
The Royals baseball team will arrive on campus this fall and begin preparation to compete as a club sport in the spring before officially opening NCAA Division II competition during the 2019 season.