FLORENCE, Ala. -- Former University of North Alabama baseball standouts Shane Priest and Brandt Holland will be playing for the Cologne Cardinals in the Bundesliga 1 German professional baseball league this Spring.

Based out of Köln, North Rhine-Westphalia, the Cologne Cardinals were formed in 1983. They have frequently made the playoffs in Bundesliga 1.

The Cardinals are in the Northern Conference with the Solingen Alligators, Bonn Capitals, Paderborn Untouchable, Bremen Dockers, Dohren Wild Farmers, Wesseling Vermins and Hamburg Stealers.

Their season begins on March 30.

Teams are allowed to have a maximum of two non-European players in their lineup. Additionally, a team can pitch a foreign player in the second game of a doubleheader.

Holland is expected to start at either catcher or first base and Priest will be the starter in the second games of double-headers.

A native of Sheffield, Ala., Holland played two seasons at UNA and hit .351 as a senior in 2018 with eight home runs and 42 runs batted in. He had 20 total extra-base hits and a .455 on base percentage.

Priest, from St. Pete Beach, Fla., also played two seasons with the Lions and had a 6-4 record with 14 starts in 2018. He posted a 4.18 earned run average in 79.2 innings pitched with 73 strikeouts and just 22 walks.