McCallie left-hander Chase Brookshire has signed a baseball scholarship with Belmont University.
Brookshire had earlier decided on signing with NCAA Division III Birmingham Southern. When the offer from Division I Belmont came through, however, Brookshire changed his mind.
Brookshire made the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II all-state team. He was 7-2 with an 0.87 ERA, 105 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 71 innings. He hits the high 80s with his fastball.
"Chase had one of the best years an individual has ever had at McCallie, maybe the best,'' McCallie coach Chris Richardson said. "He had great pitching stats and led our team in hitting with a .445 average. He has a very bright future''
Said Belmont coacha Dave Jarvis, "Chase is an outstanding left-handed pitcher that will make an immediate impact on our program. At Belmont, we are committed to signing the best players in Tennessee and Chase fits that mold. Futhermore, Chase's academic record and strong family support will make the transition to Belmont natural.''
Brookshire plays summer ball with the Chattanooga Baseball Club.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)