WALESKA, Ga. – Karl Ekwurtzel, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-handed pitcher/shortstop from Decatur, Ga., has signed an athletic grant-in-aid to attend Reinhardt College next fall and play baseball for the Eagles under head coach Bill Popp. Ekwurtzel will come to Reinhardt from Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Ga.  

"Karl is a great young man who is a very talented baseball player and will fit very well into the tradition we have started here at Reinhardt," said Popp, who started the program that first competed in 2005. "Karl has a ton of upside and a bunch of untapped potential which we will try to cultivate over the next four years."

Ekwurtzel, the son of Tom and Katie Ekwurtzel, is currently playing his senior season at Lakeside under head coach Bill Newsome. This year, he is one of the top players in DeKalb County with a .442 batting average, two home runs, two doubles, one triple, 21 runs scored and 19 RBIs. On the mound, Ekwurtzel is 4-4 with a 2.15 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 45⅔ innings. A recent All-Region 6AAAA selection, he will lead his team into the state playoffs for the second straight year on Friday after the Vikings went 19-7 overall, including 13-2 in region play for second place, during the regular season.

"I wanted to play ball at a smaller college, so I decided to come here because of my spiritual beliefs and for baseball," Ekwurtzel said. "Coach Popp is a great guy. My No. 1 choice was definitely Reinhardt College."

Ekwurtzel chose the Eagles over NCAA Division I Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.