The Bellingham Bells are excited to announce the addition of another very highly touted UCLA recruit to their 2018 roster.

Matt McLain, a five-foot eleven-inch shortstop out of Tustin, Calif. will be joining the Bells for their upcoming series against the Wenatchee AppleSox.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Matt to Bellingham,” Bells’ general manager Stephanie Morrell said. “The Bruins who have come before him have all been tremendous additions to the roster, and we expect nothing less from Matt. He is an incredibly talented young athlete and we are very excited he has chosen to spend his summer playing summer collegiate baseball with the Bells.”

McLain was slated to be a Bell upon entering the season, but after being selected No. 25 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Major League Baseball draft in June, his arrival was put on hold.

The deadline for players to sign their professional contracts passed on Friday, July 6 and McLain decided to honor his commitment to UCLA instead of joining the professional ranks.

McLain will join current Bell, Nick Nastrini, in an elite UCLA recruiting class that features three shortstops and is headlined by McLain.

McLain is just the second first round selection to not sign their professional contract and go to UCLA. The other was MLB All-Star Gerrit Cole who was the 28th pick in the 2008 draft.

The Southern California native is a switch-hitting shortstop who has all the tools to be an elite talent.

In his senior season he hit .390 with five home runs and 35 runs scored and was named the Pacific Coast League player of the year for the second time in his career.

He was named a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game 3rd Team All-American.

McLain will become the highest draft pick to ever be rostered by the Bellingham Bells.

He also is the second highest WCL player drafted in this year’s draft. Nick Madrigal who played with the Corvallis Knights in 2016 was the No. 4 overall pick. McLain will be joining the Bells in their series against Wenatchee on July 10-12.