BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb baseball signed a strong initial wave to National Letters of Intent on Thursday, adding four to its 2023 recruiting class.

Head coach Jim Chester announced the signings of pitchers Noah Arnette (Pinehurst, N.C. / Pinecrest HS) and Andrew Hart (Wexford, Pa. / North Allegheny HS) and junior college hitters Wade Kelly (Massapequa, N.Y. / Gaston College) and Preston Hall (Gastonia, N.C. / Gaston College).

"We couldn't' be more thrilled to add Noah, Andrew, Wade and Preston to the Gardner-Webb baseball family," said Chester. "Coach Anthony Marks and Ryan Sloniger took the lead and crushed this early signing class. These four young men fit our program's mission of being selfless, relentless and blue collar."

Arnette, a hard-throwing righty, pitched well as a junior for Pinecrest (N.C.) High, forging a 5-3 record and a 1.97 ERA in 17 appearances. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder fanned 78 batters and allowed only 32 hits in 53.1 innings of work.

"We are excited to welcome Noah to Boiling Springs," said Chester. "This was a perfect fit and we know he will thrive on and off the field. He is willing to learn and competes hard on the mound."

Hart is another standout from Chester's Western Pennsylvania pipeline, which has supplied ample talent for the Runnin' Bulldogs of late. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound righty has a lively fastball and was an All-Conference selection as a sophomore. 

He went 3-1 as a junior with a 1.62 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 17.1 innings on the mound in 2022. Hart also batted .400 with 14 RBI in 21 games playing shorstop and at third base for North Allegheny.

"Andrew has the ability to compete early in his career," said Chester. "He has been around a high level of baseball and that will translate to success here. He has a chance to make an impact on the mound and at the plate."

Kelly and Hall each played in Division I programs before joining the Gaston College Rhinos, with Kelly redshirting as a freshman at Coastal Carolina in 2021 and Hall seeing action as a freshman at College of Charleston last season.

Both will suit up for Gaston College this spring and join the Gardner-Webb squad in the fall of 2023.

Kelly, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder, played his first season with the Rhinos in 2022 and was a star. He batted .331 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 37 RBI and earned NJCAA All-Region 10 honors and lead the first-year program to a 41-9 overall record. He also stole 35-of-38 bases, which ranked 15th nationally, and posted a .436 on base percentage.

Kelly played prep baseball at Massapequa (N.Y.) High on Long Island and was rated as one of the top-10 outfielders in New York by Perfect Game in 2020.

He played this past summer with the Forest City Owls in the Coastal Plains League, batting .289 with two home runs, 12 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

"Wade is a huge piece of the puzzle. His experience and leadership will lead to immediate success in our program," said Chester. "He comes from an elite junior college program right down the street at Gaston College. Wade is a terrific outfielder who will not be overmatched at the plate. He is game ready and will be a force in the Big South."

Hall is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound first baseman who will suit up for Gaston College for the first time in 2023 after playing his freshman season in the CAA. He batted .235 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 34 starts as a true freshman.

Hall had a career day vs. UMass Lowell on March 12, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs for the Cougars. He fielded a crisp .991 at first base with only two errors in 222 chances last season.

Hall graduated from Myers Park (N.C.) High after earniing All-State honors as a junior for Stuart Cramer. He was a four-time All-Conference choice and batted .411 with three home runs and 32 RBI as a sophomore. He was rated as the No. 52 third base prospect in the Class of 2020 by Perfect Game nationally and as a top-30 prospect in North Carolina.

"We are very excited to sign Preston Hall," said Chester. "He has an elite approach and the chance to leave the yard with every swing. He also comes from Gaston College, which as developed quickly into one of the premier junior college programs in the country. Preston will make an immediate impact in the middle of our order."