April 23, 2004

WACO, Texas - Baylor University has signed Patrick Fields of Panola College to a national letter of intent, head basketball coach Scott Drew announced Friday.

"Our coaching staff is very pleased to have Patrick Fields as part of the Baylor basketball family," Drew said. "He is a talented and versatile player, but more importantly he is a super person. He will represent the Baylor basketball program in a very positive light."

Fields averaged 17.6 points and 8 rebounds for Panola last season as a freshman after transferring from the University of Mississippi, where he spent the 2002-2003 season as a redshirt walk-on. He will have three seasons of eligibility to play at Baylor.

The 6-5 small forward was an honorable mention All-Region XIV selection in 2003-2004 after ranking seventh in the region in scoring, eighth in rebounding and 15th in 3-point field goal percentage (35.6%).

A native of San Antonio, Fields prepped at John Jay High School, where he averaged 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists while leading the Mustangs to a 29-6 record and the Texas state title as a senior in 2001-2002. He scored 33 points in the championship game, and was named first-team All-State, All-Region and All-Greater San Antonio.

Fields is Baylor's first signee of the spring period and the third in the 2003-2004 signing class, joining Aaron Bruce of the Australia Institute of Sport and Mamadou Diene of Sengal, both of whom inked in the early signing period last fall.

BAYLOR SIGNEES:Name            Pos.    Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)Aaron Bruce G   6-2 190 Fr. Horsham, Victoria (Australian Institute of Sport)Mamadou Diene   C   7-0 210 Fr. Yeumbeul, SenegalPatrick Fields  F/G 6-5 190 So. San Antonio, Texas (John Jay HS/Mississippi/Panola College)