Francis Marion University head coach Art Inabinet has announced that three players will enroll at FMU and join the Patriots this fall via transfers: 6-2 third baseman Alex Elliott of Clarksville, Md., 6-0 shortstop Blake Falor of St. Augustine, Fla., and 6-0 right-handed pitcher Danny Leo of Centreville, Va.

Elliott played the past two seasons at the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville, and was a two-time first-team NJCAA All-Academic selection. He compiled a .397 batting average this past season with a team-high 73 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, three homers, and 50 runs batted in.  He posted a .445 on-base percentage and stole seven bases en route to earning first-team All-Region 20 and second-team All-Maryland JUCO recognition.

As a freshman, he hit .385 with eight doubles and 14 RBIs and garnered All-Region and All-Tournament Team honors.

Elliott is a graduate of River Hill High School, where he played for coach John McCoy.

Falor spent two seasons at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga. He was named a Gold Glove recipient and was awarded the GCAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after sparkling in the field.  He handled nearly 200 chances and made just five errors for a .974 fielding percentage. 

At the plate, he hit .313 over 95 games in his career with the Tigers, including 11 doubles, a pair of home runs, and 50 RBIs.

Falor is a product of Bartram Trail High School, where he played under the direction of coach Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Leo played this past season at Frederick Community College, where he compiled an 8-1 record in 12 appearances with four complete games, 79 strikeouts (in only 67.1 innings), and a 3.88 earned run average. He was named a first-team All-Maryland JUCO selection for the second year in a row, and helped the Cougars to a 42-7 record and an appearance in the NJCAA Division II World Series.

He spent his freshman season at Chesapeake College, where he was 8-0 in 12 appearances with 69 strikeouts in 52.1 innings and a 2.75 ERA.

Leo is a graduate of Westfield High School, where he played for coaches Rob Hahne, Bob Hersey, Dan Ritz, and Tony Felt.

"Elliott had an outstanding year at CCBC Catonsville both offensively and defensively," said Inabinet. "He can play any of the corner positions and has a knack for hitting at a high average and driving in runs.

"Falor is an outstanding defender at shortstop as he was a Golden Glove recipient and he handles the bat very well. We expect him to come in and play one of the infield positions.

"Leo is a fierce competitor on the mound and is used to winning. He fills up the strike zone with a three-pitch mix and does not walk very many batters (148/36 ratio in two seasons). We expect him to compete for a weekend starting position and bring much-needed experience to our pitching staff."

Francis Marion completed its 2022 season with a 29-19 overall mark in FMU's first season as a Conference Carolinas member. Francis Marion loses 13 seniors from last season's squad.