Former Southwest Baptist University pitcher Dustin Childress has signed a free agent contract with the New York Mets and will report to rookie league next week in. Childress was 6-7 in 2004 with a 4.90 ERA and in 2003 he was 9-3 with a 3.15 ERA.

In two seasons in Bolivar, Childress moved into second place on the school’s all-time strikeout list with 159. He finished with nine complete games in two seasons.

Childress, who was home-schooled in Falcon, Missouri, spent two seasons at Tennessee Temple College before coming to Southwest Baptist. He joins Bruce Long, who was taken by the Phillies in the 1983 draft, as the only other SBU player to sign with a major league team.