ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Former UNC Asheville baseball player Rob Vernon will continue his career this season with the Midwest Sliders of the Frontier League. The Frontier League is an independent professional league that operates in the Midwest.

Vernon played last season with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League before being traded last winter to the Midwest Sliders. The Midwest club will play all road games this year before moving into their new stadium in Waterford, Michigan next season.

The Solon Ohio native is a 2007 graduate of UNC Asheville and had two great years with the Bulldog program after transferring from Campbell.

Vernon was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region Second-Team by the ABCA, following the 2007 season. He set UNC Asheville single-season records for highest batting average (.394), most hits (97), longest hitting streak (21 games), and most total bases (153) in 2007. Vernon earned All-Big South First-Team honors. His senior year had him lead the Bulldogs in average, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage, on base percentage, and stolen bases.

He was also named to the Big South All-Academic team for baseball in 2007. In addition, Vernon was named as the UNC Asheville Male Athlete of the Year for the 2006-07 academic year.

Vernon was the Big South Tournament MVP in 2006 when his grand-slam home run in the championship game against Liberty helped lead the Bulldogs to a 16-11 victory and complete a comeback from a 10-0 deficit. It was the UNC Asheville's baseball program's first ever championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament.