The fall signing period for all sports except football is now complete and we already have a large number of high school seniors who will be playing sports in college.

In baseball, we have three Hartselle High School seniors who will be playing college baseball during the 2013-2014 season.

Pitchers Colton Ord and Jackson Smith signed early with South Alabama and South Carolina, respectively, and catcher Chris Brown signed with the University of Alabama-Huntsville.

This group of seniors has been a vital part of the success of the baseball team over the last three years.

Ord, a lefty, posted a 6-1 record for the Tigers as a junior while Chris Brown batted .360 with four homers.

Smith, a right hander, missed most of his junior season with a hand injury but bounced back in summer travel ball by posting a 12-0 record with the East Cobb Braves.

All three are entering their third year as starters for Hartselle. In 2010, the Tigers finished as the runner-up in Class 5A. Last year, the team went all the way to the state semifinals.

“These guys have sacrificed a lot of time and hard work to get where they are,” said Hartselle head baseball coach. William Booth. “All three played on summer travel teams and were very successful. It got them a lot of exposure and led to them getting scholarship offers and being able to sign early.”

Hartselle High School senior Arin Eddy, a member of four consecutive Class 5A State Championship girls golf teams, also signed a letter of intent to play golf for Samford University.

“I have been blessed with the opportunity to coach Arin,” said head girls golf coach Gary Orr. “She’s not only a great golfer but a good student as well. We’re proud of her for her accomplishments and wish her well in her collegiate golf career.”

We salute these seniors for their dedication and hard work to earn these scholarships. But I have a feeling we’re only just beginning.

We’re probably going to see quite a few more sign in February and throughout the spring.

To see these young men and women continue their careers, it speaks highly of their families and our schools and communities.

Brent Maze is the managing editor of the Hartselle Enquirer.