The Middle Tennessee baseball team will welcome Kooper Kessler to the program, as announced by head coach Steve Peterson on Friday.

Kessler, a six-foot-five right-hander, is coming to Murfreesboro after a standout career for Bolivar Central High School in Bolivar, Tenn., and he is expected to bolster a young Middle Tennessee pitching staff.

"Kooper is a young man that has good upside and a good arm," Peterson said. "He's competitive, and he can swing the bat a little bit. He really wanted to go to school here, and I think he's got a bright future."

"I love the campus, and Murfreesboro is my favorite city in the state of Tennessee," Kessler said. "We first started talking to each other last fall, and I hope that I can work my way into the starting rotation. I'm ready to go play there."

Kessler was a four-sport athlete for Bolivar, lettering in basketball, baseball, cross country and golf. His baseball exploits include back-to-back state tournament trips in 2008 and 2009 and All-District honors in 2010 and 2011.

This season, Kessler compiled an 8-2 record for the Tigers with a 1.31 earned run average and 148 strikeouts. At the plate, he batted an impressive .480.