FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood baseball head coach Ryan Mau announced the signing of five newcomers to National Letters of Intent following National Signing Day.

Hanover left-handed pitcher and first baseman John Gregory, Midlothian third baseman and outfielder Grant Keller, Riverdale Baptist School catcher Joey Mendez, Virginia Massaponax right-handed pitcher Travis Riley, and Bluestone infielder Antwaun Tucker- nephew of former Longwood great and MLB first round pick Michael Tucker- make up Mau's haul. Three of the incoming freshmen are ranked in the top 10 at their position in Virginia, according to Perfect Game.
 
"This recruiting class makes a very strong statement that Longwood baseball is rapidly on the rise," Mau said ahead of his second season at the helm. "All of our signees are from the Commonwealth and are expected to make major impacts when they arrive on campus next fall."
 
"Our assistant coaches Chad Oxendine and Daniel Wood have done a tremendous job of identifying top players in our talent-loaded state and ultimately bringing five of them here to Farmville."
 
Antwaun Tucker | IF/OF | Chase City, Va. | Bluestone High School (Coach Dan Powell)
Tucker is a 5-11, 150-pound senior who has lettered in baseball his first three years. Tucker plays the middle infield and was first-team all-conference as a shortstop as a junior after finishing first-team all-conference at second base as a sophomore and being named second-team all-district that season.

Tucker, who is coached by Dan Powell at Bluestone and Chris Martin with RISE baseball travel team, is expected by his new coach to get off to a fast start at Longwood.
 
"We are a program built around speed, and Antwaun will be one of the fastest players to ever wear the Lancer uniform," Mau said. "Along with his game-changing speed, he is a solid defender in the infield and has the versatility to also play the outfield. We expect to see him sparking our offense at the top of the lineup for four years."
 
The Tucker name may be familiar to longtime Lancer fans. Antwaun's uncle is Lancer legend Michael Tucker, who played with the Lancers from 1989-1992 and was the 10^th overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Michael played 12 seasons in the Majors with the Royals, Cincinnati Reds, among others. Tucker is happy to join his uncle's school and also has a cousin who is currently a student at Longwood.
 
Joey Mendez | C | Leesburg, Va. | Riverdale Baptist School (Coach Ryan Terrill)
Mendez comes to Longwood as the third-ranked catcher in Virginia, according to Perfect Game. A 6-0, 180-pound backstop, Mendez is a Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention selection after hitting .321 with a pair of homers and 34 RBI as a junior. Mendez played in every game as a junior and also played some infield.
 
A Leesburg, Va., native, Mendez lettered his first three years at the Riverdale Baptist School in Maryland for coach Ryan Terrill after transferring to the program from St. Johns College Prep (D.C.). Mendez plays travel ball for the Evo-Shield Seminoles under the tutelage of coach Donnie Phillips.
 
"We are thrilled to have landed the No. 3 catcher in the state," Mau said of Mendez. "Joey is a very physical athlete who possesses several big time tools. His arm strength from behind the plate is electric and offensively we look for him to provide us with a right-handed hitting power threat."
 
John Gregory | LHP/1B | Mechanicsville, Va. | Hanover High School (Coach Charlie Dragum)
Gregory is the seventh-ranked left-handed pitcher in the state, according to Perfect Game. The 6-3, 210-pound pitcher and first baseman pitched 32 innings with a 1.89 ERA as a junior. Gregory also hit .289 playing first and was error-free the entire season. Gregory hit .376 as a freshman and .354 as a sophomore.
 
Gregory plays his high school ball for coach Charlie Dragum at Hanover High School and plays his travel ball for coach Rich Graham of the VA Cardinals.
 
"Left-handed pitching is tough to find and we feel that we landed one of the best in the state in John," Mau said. "His big frame and his uppers 80s fastball project well and it is accompanied by a punch-out breaking ball. His competitive fire separates him and he will make a great addition to our pitching staff."
 
Gregory has experienced success on the field, leading Hanover to VHSL State Championships in 2013 and in 2014. The three-time letter winner comes from a baseball household as his father, Johnny, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 21^st round of the 1981 MLB draft.
 
"I felt like Longwood was the best fit for me because I love that the coaches feel like family and it's close to home," Gregory said. "I like where the baseball program is going and I think I'll get great academic support. Longwood is a great school."
 
Grant Keller | 3B/OF | Midlothian, Va. | Midlothian High School (Coach Lee Latham)
Keller is the eighth-ranked third baseman in Virginia, according to Perfect Game. The 6-0, 180-pound right-handed hitting third baseman hit .360 as a junior and drove in 13 runs after hitting better than .320 and having more than 10 RBI in each of his first two high school seasons.
 
Keller is a three-year letter winner coming off a season that saw him named Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention for the second time and garnering all-district honors. Keller plays under coach Lee Latham at Midlothian High School and is Gregory's teammate in travel ball with Rich Graham's VA Cardinals.
 
"Grant is a very physical corner infielder/outfielder who possesses electric bat speed and power," Mau said. "With his offensive skillset, we are eager to insert him into our lineup and expect a major impact once that occurs."
 
Keller picked up MVP Honors at the CrabFest All-American Game and was named to the all-tournament team in a tournament with the VA Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla. Keller said he chose Longwood because it's "the best school around."
 
Travis Riley | RHP | Fredericksburg, Va. | Massaponax High School (Coach Dave Siegleman)
Riley has been a versatile player for coach Dave Siegleman at Massaponax. Riley was awarded first-team all-conference honors as an outfielder and second-team honors as a pitcher as a junior. He was also honorable mention as a shortstop as a sophomore. The 5-11, 190-pound right-handed multipurpose player holds the single-season school record in strikeouts, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and stolen bases, which were all set as a junior.
 
"Travis is an absolute bulldog on the mound who pounds the strike zone with all three pitches," Mau said. "He is an upper 80s right hander with a plus breaking ball, who also has the poise and mound presence of a seasoned veteran."
 
Riley finished with the third-lowest ERA in Massaponax history as a junior with a 2.57 ERA and struck out 61 batters. He will join Longwood alongside his travel ball teammate, Mendez, after playing for the Evo-Shield Seminoles under Coach Donnie Phillips. Riley says the feel of the Longwood community is perfect for him.
 
"Longwood has the small town, homey feeling that I love," Riley said. "It's a small, but beautiful campus and the student-to-teacher ratio is great. When I was there I had a warm feeling and just loved every second of it and couldn't wait to be back."
 
Longwood begins the 2016 season with a three-game road series at Eastern Carolina on February 19. The Lancers open Buddy Bolding Stadium with a showdown against the Richmond Spiders on February 23.
 
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