GULF SHORES – A trio of Gulf Shores High School athletes signed with three different colleges this week.

Baseball player Chad Peterson signed with Jefferson Davis Community College, basketball player Stefanie Kaiser signed with Birmingham-Southern and softball player Lisa Ybarra signed with Pensacola Junior College.

Peterson, a 6-foot-1 left-handed pitcher, finished his senior season with a 5-3 record. He said he liked Jefferson Davis because the team felt like a family.

“They are really close as a team,” Peterson said. “They are a tight nit team. They don’t seem to fight in the dugout. It seemed like a good team to play for and a great environment.”

Gulf Shores baseball Donnie Spohn said Peterson won some big games for his team this season.

“He has so much ability and potential,” Spohn said. “He went out there and was a really effective competitor for us.”

Peterson said the Jefferson Davis coaches liked him because he is a left-hander with good movement and the ability to change speeds. He said he would love to go on to play at another school once his two years are up at Jefferson Davis.

“If if happens I would love to go to the next level,” Peterson said. “If I have a good season next year, maybe I could move up.”

Peterson would like to eventually attend Auburn University to study marine biology.

Kaiser will play for the Division 3 Birmingham Southern Panthers.

“I chose Birmingham Southern not only for basketball, but also for academics,” Kaiser said. “It is a great school for academics, and I was very comfortable around the team. It felt like a good fit for me.”

Kaiser averaged 14.2 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals last season. She visited Birmingham Southern twice before making her decision.

“The coaches told me they like my attitude and thought I would be a good fit on the team,” Kaiser said. “I think I will get along with the other girls very well.”

She said her experience playing for the Pensacola Flames, a traveling AAU basketball team, helped her get noticed.

Pensacola Junior College softball coach Brenda Pena is excited about having Lisa Ybarra join her team next season.

“The fact is that she is a quality young woman,” Pena said. “We think she will be a great representative for our team and our college.”

Ybarra said she felt at home with her future teammates.

“The coaches and players really made me feel at home,” Ybarra said. “Everyone is really nice. They made me feel welcome.”

Ybarra suffered a season-ending injury during her senior year. She chipped a bone in her ankle.

“I only have one more week of recovery,” Ybarra said. “I don’t think it will be a problem in the future.”

She plans to play softball for the Pensacola Flames, a traveling softball team, this summer. She said she would like to improve her batting average this summer.

“The good thing about college ball is that practices can be more intense and focused,” Pena said. “We want her to work on her overall body strength and come ready to play softball.”