ELLISVILLE – Two more Jones County Junior College baseball standouts have signed scholarships.

Tyler Gardner, a sophomore outfielder, has signed with Delta State University of the Gulf South Conference, while Brock Landry, a sophomore infielder, has inked with the University of Arkansas-Monticello, another GSC school.

Gardner, a former star athlete from West Jones High School, is excited about the chance to play for the Statesmen, a perennial Division II power who won the College World Series in 2004 and posted a 38-16 mark last year.

"It's a great place to go play baseball," he said. "It's a well-recognized place when it comes to baseball. It has a great reputation. It's a place I can go to improve and win championships.

"I know they can help me become a better player."

Landry, who prepped at Bourgeois High School in Schriever, La., said the Boll Weevils offered him a chance to play immediately.

"They said I had a good chance to play early," he said. "I just want to continue to play baseball and get my education paid for (by UAM).

"They want me to play shortstop up there. I feel comfortable at short, but I just like to hit."

Gardner, who will take an official visit to DSU after Thanksgiving, believes he will also have a chance to play quickly after talking with head coach Mike Kinnison and assistant coach Rodney Batts.

"Coach Kinnison and Coach Batts both told me they had a freshman oufielder last year and it did not turn out the way they thought it would," he said. "They told me they were trying to find a junior college guy who could step in and play right away.

"Their centerfielder and leftfielder are leaving after this year, so they said I would have a chance to play in center and maybe hit in the '3' or '4' hole."

Gardner, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder who bats from the right side and throws left-handed, hit .345 with a team-leading 42 RBIs in 2009 for the Bobcats. He had three home runs, six doubles, two triples and a .411 on-base percentage. He was also 21-of-25 in stolen bases.

Landry, who bats and throws from the right side, posted some excellent numbers as well last season. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound product hit .312 with two home runs, eight doubles, 23 RBIs and had a .411 on-base percentage. He was 20-of-25 in stolen bases.

Landry has taken an official visit to UAM and enjoyed his trip.

"They have a nice campus," he said. "And I like their coach (Carlos James). He seems pretty cool."

Gardner and Landry both take pride in the fact they played on the JCJC team that set the school record for victories last season, posting a 36-16 mark and qualifying for the MACJC playoffs.

"It was a blast," Gardner said. "We turned it around for sure. It was a great experience coming in as a freshman and being able to play and experience college ball and the college lifestyle.

"It was fun going out there and competing with different people."

"Jones has been great for me," Landry said. "It's been a good experience. We turned it around and turned it into a winning program. I was just glad to be a part of that."

Both Gardner and Landry are highly optimistic heading into the 2010 season. They believe the Bobcats can go a long way.

"From what I could tell in the fall, we have a better team than last year," said Gardner. "We hit the ball better. Our pitching staff is way better. We have so much more depth than we had last year. I think we will definitely go farther than we did last year if we do everything we are capable of doing."

"The outlook for the season is where we want it to be," said Landry. "We had a good fall and ended up going 6-0. Hopefully, we can continue that when the season starts."

Gardner and Landry are both on line to graduate in May. Gardner is majoring in history education and coaching, while Landry is a business major.

Earlier in the signing period, Bobcat pitcher Zach Toney signed with Austin Peay State University.

Head coach Christian Ostrander's Bobcats will open the 2010 season at noon on Feb. 9 vs. Bishop State (Ala.) in Jackson's Smith-Wills Stadium.