Baseball 
Cash, a 6-3, 205-pound right-hander, is the son of Ralph and Sue Cash of Cornelia, Ga. He posted a 9-0 record with a 0.97 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 57.2 innings for the Lakeview Academy Lions and coach Deuce Roark. Cash was named the 2009 Baseball Player of the Year by the Gainesville Times along with first team All-Area and Region 8-A Pitcher of the Year. Also he batted .466 with nine home runs and 48 RBI as the cleanup hitter last season for the Lions who went 26-3. As a sophomore, he registered a 6-1 mark with a 4.70 ERA and hit .511-11-44. In summer action, he has won national championships with the highly successful East Cobb Astros and Braves.
“It’s all about family, and UGA offers a coaching staff that I feel is like a family, and I bleed red and black,” said Cash.
Shields, a 6-3, 207-pound right-hander, is the son of Cliff and Susan Shields of Lawrenceville, Ga. Currently, he is a sophomore at Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) Community College after a standout prep career at Central Gwinnett. He began last season as a pitcher/shortstop for the Pirates and coach Adam Thomas. He went 2-1 with five saves and a 5.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched and batted .306-3-29 in 46 games overall. He helped the Pirates to a 39-19 record. This past summer, he focused on pitching, playing for the Lima Locos in the Great Lakes League (GLL). He made eight starts for the Locos, going 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 16 walks in 39 innings and Baseball America listed him as the sixth best prospect in the GLL.
“Ralston and Jeff are two power right-handers who will play a huge role for us next year,” said Perno. “They are impact arms who project as starters but have potential to be closers too. Both guys are likely to be drafted.”
Welton, a 6-0, 190-pound left-handed hitter, is the son of Chris and Michele Welton of Atlanta. A Dean’s list student and two-sport standout at the Wesleyan School, Welton is the starting quarterback for the defending state champion Wolves football team and outfielder for the two-time state champion baseball squad. He earned All-City, All-County, and Region Player of the Year honors in 2009 after batting .404 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI and 21 stolen bases for Michael Shaheen’s squad that went 28-9. This season on the gridiron, Welton has completed 80-of-110 passes for 1,288 yards with 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions for coach Franklin Pridgen’s top-ranked Class A team. Up next, they face Bowdon in the second round of the playoffs. Conor’s father, Chris, was a three-year letterman for Vince Dooley’s Bulldogs including the starting rover on the 1980 national championship team.
“Georgia is one of the top baseball programs in the country, and my goal is to win a national championship as my father did in football,” said Welton.
“Conor is an excellent student and a talented left-handed hitter with his best baseball days ahead of him,” said Perno. “He is a winner, leading his football and baseball teams to multiple state titles.”
The early national signing period continues through Nov. 18, and the Bulldogs will announce the final members of their early recruiting class later this week.
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