June 13, 2008

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Three former Southern Miss baseball players have signed their first professional contracts and will begin play next week as the Minor League Baseball short seasons begin.

Josh Billeaud and Brian Leach both opted to turn professional after their junior season and will not be eligible to return to Southern Miss next season.

All-American closer Tyler Conn has also signed a professional contract to pitch in the Detroit Tigers minor league system.

Billeaud has already reported to Great Falls, Montana where he will begin his professional career with the White Sox advance rookie team the Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer League.

Conn will report to Oneonta, New York where he is schedule to be the closer for the Oneonta Tigers of the New York-Penn League, which is a short season Class A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Leach, like Conn, will also be in the New York Penn League as he is slated to be a starting pitcher for the State College Spikes a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburg Pirates in State College, Pennsylvania.

Both leagues will open their seasons on Tuesday, July 17.

Billeaud, Conn and Leach join All-American Barry Bowden who signed earlier this week to play in Burlington, North Carolina for the Burlington Royals at the Class A level as the four Golden Eagle players who have signed professional contracts at this time.

The only other player that was drafted this season from the current Golden Eagles team is Trey Sutton, who did not pass his physical examination preformed by the Giants team doctors. It is unknown at this point if Sutton will be offered a professional contact by the Giants.

Also, none of the three Southern Miss 2009 signees, B.A. Vollmuth, Chad Poe and Kameron Brunty, that were selected in this year's free agent draft have signed at this point and all three look to report as a Golden Eagles at the start of the fall semester.

-southernmiss.com-