BOONE, N.C. ? Former Appalachian State University shortstop Jason Altenhof has signed a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Altenhof has been assigned to the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class A New York-Penn League. He will be in uniform on Thursday night when Aberdeen hosts the Auburn Doubledays.

After transferring to Appalachian prior to the 2007 season, Altenhof hit leadoff and played shortstop in all 118 games of his Black and Gold career and earned all-Southern Conference recognition both years. The Santa Fe, Fla. native led ASU in batting average (.380), runs (62), hits (93), walks (42), on-base percentage (.476), stolen bases (15) and assists (176) in 2008 and finished just four hits shy of matching the ASU single-season record of 97 set by Chris Behne in 2000.

Altenhof is the fourth former Mountaineer to join the professional baseball ranks this summer. Outfielder David Rubinstein was selected in the 11th round of June's Major League Baseball Draft and is also playing in the N.Y.-Penn League with the State College Spikes. Outfielder Jason Rook is also a member of the Orioles' organization after being picked by Baltimore in the 12th round of the MLB Draft and is playing with the Bluefield Orioles of the Appalachian League. Pitcher Garrett Sherrill was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round and is a member of the Pioneer League's Helena Brewers.

MOUNTAINEER PITCHERS PLAYING IN PRESTIGIOUS SUMMER LEAGUES: Appalachian pitchers Zach Quate and Matt Andress are representing ASU this summer in the nation's top collegiate summer leagues. Quate, a right-handed rising senior, is a member of the Alaska Baseball League's Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Andress, a right-handed rising junior, plays for the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Quate has established himself as one of the ABL's top relievers, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.44 ERA and .202 opposing batting average in nine appearances for the first-place Glacier Pilots (20-6). He has struck out 19, walked just three and allowed only 18 hits in 25 innings of work. MLB all-stars Jason Giambi, Michael Young and American League manager Terry Francona are all Alaska League alumni.

A late call-up to the Cape Cod League, Andress has surrendered only two earned runs in three appearances with the Mets. He follows in the footsteps of MLB all-stars Ryan Braun, Joe Saunders, Ben Sheets, Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis, who are among the 200-plus CCBL alums in the Major Leagues.

THREE MOUNTAINEERS NAMED SCBL ALL-STARS: Appalachian pitcher Nick Daniels, catcher Jerod Faggart and infielder Keith Mauney have all been named Southern Collegiate Baseball League all-stars.

Daniels and Faggart, both of the Lake Norman Copperheads, will play for the North squad and Mauney (Fort Mill Carolina Thunder) is an alternate for the South team in the SBCL All-Star Game, which will be held on Saturday at 7 p.m at Wofford's King Field in Spartanburg, S.C.

Daniels is 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA in nine relief appearance while Faggart is hitting .281 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 27 games for Lake Norman. Mauney is hitting .308 with six doubles and is a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen-base attempts for Fort Mill. Despite being in only the 10th year of its existence, 31 SCBL alums dot MLB rosters.

INCOMING FRESHMEN RAKE IN HONORS: A pair of ASU incoming freshmen raked in a plethora of honors following the conclusion of their senior campaigns this spring.

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Arrowood, who was regarded by many publications as one of the North Carolina's top-10 prospects coming into the 2008 season, lived up to the billing by being named the N.C. 3-A Player of the Year and Charlotte Observer Piedmont Player of the Year. As a senior, he went 10-0 with a 0.77 ERA on the mound and added a .472 batting average with nine home runs and 40 RBI at the plate. This summer, he has represented North Carolina as one of the state's top-15 players at the North Carolina vs. South Carolina Challenge and has played with Team Carolina at the prestigious World Wood Bat Tournament in Marietta, Ga.

Shortstop Zack Briggs earned all-state honors for the third-straight year at Central Davidson H.S. in Lexington, N.C. He finished third in North Carolina H.S. history with 158 career hits and 122 runs, as well as fifth in RBI (130) and sixth in doubles (36). In his first 13 games of America Legion action this summer, he hit 12 home runs.