MARTIN, Tenn. - It's safe to say The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team could use a left-handed pitcher and a left-handed batter in its lineup so head coach Bubba Cates relied on a tip from former UT Martin player Donnie Mitchell to fill the need.

Mitchell, who played at UT Martin in the early 1980s, has been in professional baseball for the past 25 years. While watching a USA team play near his home in Arizona, Mitchell saw Eric Ranson, a 6-4, 205-pound left-handed pitcher and first baseman.

Mitchell called Cates and the 12-year UT Martin head coach called Ranson and signed the Canadian to a scholarship to play for the Skyhawks beginning this fall. Ranson's presence was needed, as UT Martin returns just one left-handed batter (Brent Morris) and pitcher (Brendan Lozupone) for the 2011 season.

"We needed both a first baseman and a left-handed pitcher," Cates said. "Eric is long, loose and very athletic and that will help us tremendously."

Ranson has played baseball for Babe Ruth Calgary, USA Select and Calgary Redbirds travel teams from 2007-2010.

He was named the Triple-A League Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove winner in 2008 when he played for Babe Ruth Calgary. He was also named the Double-A Most Valuable Player in 2007 when he played for the Babe Ruth Calgary Indians.

In addition to playing travel baseball, Ranson was a three-sport athlete at William Aberhart Senior High School where he played basketball, football and track. He was a two-time Male Athlete of the Year Nominee. There is no high school baseball sports program in Alberta, Canada.

"Eric comes to us from an athletic family and has good genes," Cates said. Ranson's father played football at Duke, while his uncle played basketball at Georgia Tech. Ranson's brother, Adam, plays rugby at the University of Calgary.

"UT Martin seemed like a great fit for me athletically and academically," Ranson said. "I love the baseball team and the coaching staff. Martin is a quiet town, and when I visited the campus, it seemed like a relaxing place to be for four years."


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