Former University of Montevallo baseball star Nate Russ has signed a minor league contract to play professionally in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Russ, a native of Florence, Ala., finished his collegiate career at Montevallo in 2008 and played in an independent league in Arizona in 2009.

Russ has also worked as an instructor at the Bases Loaded Training Facility in Alabaster. Russ is currently playing for the Braves’ club in the Rookie Gulf Coast League in Orlando.

Russ has given up only three hits with three strikeouts and a walk in three innings in his first three appearances with the team.