FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University baseball coach Art Inabinet has announced that right-handed hitting catcher Nick Richardson of West Chicago, Ill., has transferred to FMU from Elgin Community College.

    Richardson, 5-8 and 170 pounds, played two seasons at Elgin for head coach Bill Angelo.

    As a sophomore, he batted leadoff with a .266 average, 43 runs scored, 12 doubles, four triples, two home runs, and 26 runs batted in. He also stole nine bases, while helping Elgin to a school-record 36 wins.

    He hit .319 as a freshman with 29 runs scored, nine extra-base hits, and 12 RBIs.  In his two seasons, he set a school record for walks in a career with 53.

    Richardson was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks following his prep career at Community High School.

    “Nick has a great throwing arm, and may be the top defensive catcher I have ever recruited,” Inabinet said.  “He has batted leadoff, shown good running speed for a catcher, and also exhibited patience at the plate.”

    Francis Marion finished the 2004 campaign with a 29-17 record, a season-ending six-game winning streak, and a fifth-place finish in the Peach Belt Conference standings.

    FMU previously announced the addition of seven newcomers for the 2005 campaign.

#5/8-3-04