Hicks, a 6-3, 207-pound right-hander, is the son of Kent and Sheila Hicks of Watkinsville, Ga. Since his freshman year, he has been a two-way standout as a pitcher/first baseman for the North Oconee Titans and coach Dwayne Sapp. He went 3-4 with a 3.10 ERA and 58 strikeouts and hit .400 with seven home runs and 27 RBI as a junior. He earned All Northeast Georgia honors, played on the national champion Team Georgia squad this past summer and participated in the Underclassmen Top 100 showcase. As a sophomore, he posted a 10-2 record with a 2.39 ERA, fanning 92 in 79 innings while batting .367-11-53. He holds numerous season and career records as a pitcher and hitter for the Titans who have gone 60-29 with a pair of Region 8-AA titles and a state semifinal appearance during his prep career.
“I’m very excited about becoming a Georgia Bulldog, it’s been a dream of mine all my life,” said Hicks.
“Taylor is a local pitcher who is really moving in the right direction as a big, physical, power right-hander with a tremendous upside,” said Perno.
Robinson, a 6-2, 190-pound right-hander, is the son of Edward and Katherine Robinson of Henderson, Nevada. Currently a sophomore at the College of Southern Nevada, he helped the Coyotes to a 35-20 mark in 2009. As a freshman for Tim Chambers’ squad, he posted a team-best 1.99 ERA, going 6-2 with one save in 14 appearances including six starts. He had three complete games and registered 53 strikeouts and 20 walks in 54.1 innings pitched. He earned first team All-Conference and All-Region honors. He enjoyed a solid prep career at Green Valley High School for coach Nick Garritano. As a senior for the Gators, he went 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 53 strikeouts to earn second team All-State honors.
“Joe emerged as the number one pitcher and All-Conference selection as a freshman at Southern Nevada, the same school as former Bulldog Bryce Massanari,” said Perno. “He is an impact guy with a high ceiling and a potential premium draft pick too.”
Wheeler, a 6-3, 185-pound left-handed hitter, is the son of Phillip and Kim Wheeler of Lilburn, Ga. An All-Gwinnett County selection by the Gwinnett Daily Post and Gwinnett Dugout Club, Wheeler batted .409 with seven home runs, 12 doubles and 36 RBI as a junior for the Parkview Panthers and coach Chan Brown. Also, he went 1-0 on the mound with a 2.91 ERA in 12 innings pitched. The Panthers went 15-13 last season and advanced to the first round of the state playoffs. Wheeler was a member of Junior Team Georgia last summer that captured the Sun Belt Classic national title. He earned All-Tournament honors after batting .500-5-15 in helping the squad post a perfect 10-0 record against teams from 10 different states. As a sophomore, he batted .310 in helping Parkview to a 20-8 mark.
“Austin will provide another solid left-handed bat in the lineup, and he is poised for a breakout senior season,” said Perno. “He comes from a great program where their student-athletes have gone on to enjoy successful careers at Georgia.”
The early national signing period runs from Nov. 11-18.























