Troy State’s Aaron Kirkland and Ryan Petersen have both recently signed

minor league baseball free agent contracts.

Kirkland, a right handed pitcher from Chatom, was picked up by the White Sox. As a junior, he posted a 2-7 record with a 5.73 earned run average in 16 appearances. In 2001, Kirkland finished 5-5 with a 5.70 ERA in 19 appearances and 72.2 innings pitched.

The Boston Red Sox signed TSU standout Ryan Petersen after an invitational tryout at Fenway Park in Boston on June 3. Petersen, a native of Plantsville, Conn., transferred to Troy State after playing his first three year at Georgia Southern. Petersen was the Trojans’ second baseman in 2001. He ended the year with 33 runs, 18 RBIs, nine doubles and three home runs off of 49 hits, while finishing second in stolen bases on the team with 24.