The Blinn Buccaneer baseball team announced the signing of 11 players during a brief ceremony on Blinn's Brenham campus today.

The class includes four pitchers, three outfielders, a pair of shortstops, a third baseman and a catcher. They will join the Buccaneers in time for the 2014 season.

"There wasn't just one glaring need," said head coach Harvey McIntyre. "Not only are these kids good players, but they've got some great upside. Assistant coaches Jonathan Ogden and Jordan Kopycinski worked hard identifying good kids who fill our needs, and we couldn't be happier with the kids we're bringing in."

The signing class consisted of the following players:

Seth Ballew LHP Fort Bend Travis

Christian Thames LHP Barbers Hill

Steven McNeil RHP Jacob Hespler Secondary (Cambridge, Ontario)

Ryan Capel RHP/3B Katy Seven Lakes

James Duvall C Dulles

Cullen Jozwiak SS Brenham

Jose Reyes SS Dobie

Tyler Ellison OF Langham Creek

Stephen Stuart OF Cy Falls

Jager Tolfan OF Vauxhall Academy (Regina, Sask)

Malik Collymore 3B/SS Port Credit Secondary School (Mississauga, Ontario)

"Those left-handed pitchers we signed both have plus breaking balls and they're extremely competitive kids," McIntyre said. "McNeil and Capel are both power right-handed arms, and Duvall is a left-handed hitting catcher who gets dirty from the moment he steps on the field, and all three of those outfielders have great upside."

With incumbent shortstop Josh Garza set to graduate after this season, McIntyre said it was important to make certain the team had a couple shortstops who could handle the position from the moment they stepped onto campus.

The Buccaneers would like to add one or two more outfielders and a left-handed pitcher, McIntyre said.

The Buccaneers open their 2013 season Jan. 29 when they host Temple College for a 3 p.m. double-header at Leroy Dreyer Field.