NEWPORT, R.I. — The next Newport Solar Signings, powered by A1 Roofing, are freshman UCLA pitcher CJ Bott and Pittsburgh junior outfielder AJ Nessler.

Bott, a Scottsdale, Arizona native, has had an eventful first year pitching for the No. 24 Bruins. 

Entering the season, Bott was the No. 8 overall prospect out of Arizona and No. 2 ranked RHP in the state, according to Perfect Game. He has kept a 5.40 ERA in 8.1 innings, allowing just seven hits and five runs in relief. 

Despite a loss to No. 14 Vanderbilt on Feb. 28, Bott pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two against the Commodores.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Nessler made his return to the Panthers after playing a season with UCF. The outfielder from Tampa, Florida, is averaging more than one hit per game with 29 in 23 starts. 

He has also batted in 22 Panthers, including a season-high seven RBIs against Youngstown State on March 12.

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The Newport Gulls, members of the 13-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation’s top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are eight-time champions of the NECBL – the winningest franchise in league history – and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.

For more information about the Newport Gulls, visit facebook.com/newportgulls, follow the Gulls on Twitter @NewportGulls or visit www.newportgulls.com.