LANCASTER – The University of Antelope Valley (UAV) baseball program is pleased to announce the additions of 6-1 utility player Edmond Marcotte, 6-0 utility player Kyle Lathrop, and 6-1 pitcher Austin Grabbit, with all three players coming over to UAV from Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, Calif.

“It is always our goal to sign the best players from AVC that fit our program’s mold,” commented UAV head baseball coach Jacob Garsez, “and we have been fortunate to have signed some significant impact players from AVC in the past, and we anticipate that our three commits this year will continue to bring value to our program on and off the field. This is an exciting time for our baseball program and for the community.”

Edmond “Eddie” Marcotte: A 2016 Plainfield East High School graduate, Marcotte comes to UAV from Antelope Valley College. Marcotte begins his career as a Pioneer with the support of his parents, Bruce and Jelena, his sister, Abigail, and his brother, Joseph.

Marcotte is involved in his church and has dedicated many hours to volunteerism, including helping to feed the homeless in his community and traveling on mission trips to help those in need.

When asked why he chose to continue her education and athletic career as a member of the UAV baseball team, he said, “UAV has the degree that I want to earn and has an incredible baseball program that I am excited to join.”

When asked about the signing, Garsez said, “Eddie is a very dynamic athlete that can make an immediate impact for us offensively, on the bases and in the outfield. His unique ability to hit for power and run well makes him the type of player that has the potential to help take this program to the next level.”

Kyle Lathrop: A 6-0 utility man, Lathrop comes to UAV after playing last for Antelope Valley College. A graduate of Paraclete High School, Lathrop comes to UAV with the support of his parents, Brian and Becky, and his sister, Avary.

Lathrop was named to the Gold Coast League First-Team in high school, was named to the Western State Conference Second-Team while at AVC, and off the field was named the Lancaster JetHawks Community Sportsman of the Year in 2018 for his volunteerism and work in the community.

When asked why he chose UAV, he said, “The opportunity to play high-level college baseball and to continue my education. I am looking forward to joining such a quality program.”

Garsez commented after the signing of Lathrop, “As an athletic utility player, Kyle brings some much needed flexibility to our program. His above-average running ability on the base paths fits our system well and it will be a great value on the field. We are excited about his hard work on and off the field.”

Austin Grabbit: A 2015 Quartz Hill High School graduate, Grabbit comes to UAV after playing for Antelope Valley College, and comes to UAV with the support of his family.

Grabbit has volunteered to help his local Little League teams, has helped to serve food at the Grace Resource Center, and when asked why he chose UAV, he said, “UAV was very helpful during the recruiting process and I was able to continue my education with the degree I wanted to pursue.”

Last but not least, when Garsez was asked about the addition of Grabbit, he said, “Austin has as much physical potential as any pitcher we have in our program. We are looking forward to his development and watching him compete for a valuable role on our pitching staff.”