Going Yard Signings #7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eric Lindley - Director of Baseball Operations

operations@newportgulls.com // (401) 363-2134

NEWPORT R.I. - Our next round of signings feature Freshma

Todays Going Yard Signings features four position players!

A Sophomore from Kentucky, Caeden Cloud! The shortstop bats and throws from the right side. Recently Cloud tallied a four hit weekend against rival Tennessee, including two doubles and one homerun.

Out to the west coast from Gonzaga, Maddox Haley! Maddox is in the midst of a monster year batting .364 with a 1.060 OPS, both second for the Bulldogs. Earlier this year the infielder was awarded the NCBWA Player of the Week.

From Mississippi State, Peter Mershon arrived as one of the program's highest-rated freshman recruits and quickly earned attention for his versatility and athletic upside. Listed as a utility player/catcher-outfielder hybrid, he brought a strong arm, speed, and a polished right-handed swing to Starkville.
Early in his freshman season, Mershon flashed his offensive potential right away. In his collegiate debut against Alcorn State in February 2026, he went 2-for-3 with four RBIs as Mississippi State rolled to a 19-0 win.

Kyle Branch from Oklahoma returns for year two in Newport! Kyle Branch emerged as one of Oklahoma's top young infielders during the Sooners' first SEC season. As a freshman in 2025, he started all 60 games, hit .288 with 64 hits and 33 RBIs, and earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors. He also became known for his speed and consistency, going a perfect 14-for-14 on stolen bases while helping Oklahoma reach the NCAA Tournament.

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The Newport Gulls, members of the 13-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation's top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are eight-time champions of the NECBL – the winningest franchise in league history – and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.

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