Dragons baseball players sign with 4-year schools

Published or Revised November 20, 2012

Paris Junior College's Athletic Hall of Fame hosted a crowd as friends and family watched four Dragons baseball players sign to continue their playing careers after PJC. Those players were Alex Bruu from McKinney, who played for McKinney-Boyd High School; Jared Fielden from Gilmer, who played for Harmony High School; Chase Harvey from Paris, who played for Paris High School; and Matt Johnson from Plano, who played for Plano High School. Bruu is a right-handed pitcher who signed with McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. "This is a fantastic feeling," he said. "It's a dream to go on and play Division I baseball and a great way to conclude my junior college experience. PJC has been awesome. I love my coaches, they know a lot about baseball and teach us well." "The Cowboys of McNeese State have signed an athletic and quick-armed pitcher who will provide versatility, command and aggression to their pitching staff," said PJC Baseball Coach Deron Clark. "Alex has fulfilled many roles for our pitching staff, and we are looking for great things from him this spring." Fielden is a right-handed pitcher who signed with Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark. "This is amazing," he said. "I really like SAU. They've been champions three out of the last four years. I'll step in and do the best I can and hopefully help them win another. PJC was a great experience. Both Coach Clark and Coach Steed helped me fix everything about my mechanics and helped me move on to the four-year university." "Jared's physical presence and arm strength will make him a huge asset to the Mulerider's pitching staff in 2014," said Clark. "Fielden has been a strong competitor for our team and will continue to develop into a potential Major League draft selection." Harvey is a middle infielder and has also signed with SAU. "I'm excited about signing today. I'm ready for the future of playing and moving on to the next step," he said. "It was a good experience here. I've learned a lot from Coach Clark. He made me look at the game in a different way." "Having a local player achieve so many positive goals during their career at PJC is always a proud moment for our program," Clark said. "Chase has been a mainstay to the success this team has had the past two seasons. The leadership and commitment he delivered for the Wildcats of Paris High School has continued during his time with the Dragons." Johnson is a middle infielder who has signed to play for the University of Pittsburg in Pittsburgh, Pa. "It's a great opportunity and I'm very excited about it," he said. "Coach Clark and my teammates deserve a lot of the credit for helping me improve and to get to this point to move to the next level." "Matt has delivered in all areas of the program here at Paris Junior College," said Clark. "His classroom intensity continually bled over into his athletic attitude for the Dragons. He will be a marquee member to the Panthers lineup at Pitt and we are proud to have been a part of his promising success."