RICHMOND, Ky. -- Eastern Kentucky University baseball coach Jim Ward has announced the signing of Harrison County High School shortstop Kiley Vaughn to a national letter-of-intent.

Vaughn, 5-8, 155, was the Most Valuable Player in the 1997 Kentucky State High School Baseball Tournament won by coach Mac Whitaker's Harrison County squad. He was also a 1998 pre-season all-state choice and honorable mention All-American by USAToday newspaper.

"Kiley satisfies our primary objective of recruiting an infielder with outstanding defensive skills who knows how to play the game, " said Ward. "He comes from an outstanding high school program and has been well-trained in the fundamentals of infield play.

"We expect Kiley to make a significant contribution as a freshman and will definitely strengthen our team that will return 14 lettermen and five all-conference players next season, " Ward added.

Vaughn holds the school record for at bats with more than 500 as he has been a part of his high school team that has compiled a 185-26 record over the past six years. Harrison County also won the state title when Vaughn was a seventh grader in 1993.

He is batting .450 this season with four home runs and 22 runs batted in, after a junior season which saw him post marks of a .414 batting average, three homers and 33 RBI's.

Vaughn is the son of Russell and Wanda Vaughn of Route 4, Cynthiana.

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