News

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team has added a catcher to its roster for the 2004 season with the addition of Ray McFerren.

McFerren, a native of New Concord, Ohio, has decided to further his education and continue his baseball career with the Cougars. The three-year varsity starter at John Glenn High School batted .453 with nine doubles, 21 RBI, and 19 runs scored as a junior in being named to the Muskingum Valley League and Eastern District First Teams. He was also named to the MVL and Eastern District Second Teams as a senior as well as being an Eastern District All-Star selection.

"We are excited that Ray has decided to come play for us," said MVNU head coach Keith Veale. "He comes highly regarded. We are getting an excellent player into our program."

"When you are talking about catching at the college level, you have to have a guy that can catch and throw," Veale added. "You have to contain the other teams' running games. I am confident that Ray can do that. If he can hit, then that is icing on the cake."

In addition to excelling on the baseball field, McFerren is a standout in the classroom with a 3.6 grade point average. He is a member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Student Advisory Board, and the Business Club President. He was also a Senior Class officer on Student Council.

"There are several reasons why I chose MVNU," said McFerren of his college choice. "MVNU has a really good reputation academically and the baseball program is second to none. I felt like the whole package - the academics, the beautiful campus, and the Christian atmosphere - were a perfect fit and was just what I was looking for."

MVNU finished the season with a 27-19 overall record and won the American Mideast Conference North Division title. The Cougars also advanced to the championship game of the NAIA Region IX Tournament for the fourth straight year before finishing as the region runner-up.