EIU adds seven for spring of '11; four pitchers & three hitters"
11/16/2009 9:54:47 AM
Signing National Letters of Intent to attend EIU includes: Luke Bushur (Teutopolis/Teutopolis), Ryan Hartman (Mount Zion/Mount Zion), Matt Kaiser (Roselle/Lake Park), T.J. McManus (Glenview/Glenbrook South/Parkland College), Jacob Reese (Rochester/Chatham-Glenwood), Christian Slazinik (St. Louis/St. John Vianney), Darin Worman (Dietrich/Parkland College).
Bushur (RHP), Hartman (RHP), Slazinik (LHP) and Worman (LHP) are all pitchers. Kaiser and McManus are power-hitting first basemen. Reese is a catcher that also hits for power. Bushur has earned All-National Trail Conference honors in the fall each of the last two years after compiling an ERA below 1.00. He won 11 games total during the fall and spring of his junior year.
Hartman struck out 56 batters and gave up only 14 hits in 26 1/3 innings in the spring of 2009. This fall he compiled a 0.44 ERA while pitching for the Illinois No Fear.
Kaiser batted .300 with 19 RBIs as an Honorable Mention All-Upstate Eight Conference selection in the spring. He was also an all-conference honoree as a defensive lineman for the Lake Park football team this fall.
McManus attended Ohio State as a freshman before transferring to Parkland this summer. He was a two-time Central Suburban League Player of the Year as an upperclassman at Glenbrook South after batting .400 with 45-plus RBIs both seasons.
Reese led the Central State Eight Conference with 47 RBIs in the spring, helping lead his Chatham-Glenwood team to a runner-up finish in the IHSA 3A state playoffs. He has been named an Under Armour Preseason All-American for the upcoming spring season.
Slazinik was the most valuable pitcher on the varsity team at St. John Vianney as a freshman in 2007. He had his sophomore season cut short by an injury but was able to return in the spring of 2009, posting a 3-1 record and striking out 18 in 17 innings pitched.
Worman helped Parkland win the NJCAA DII World Series championship in the spring, finishing his first year of JUCO ball with a 5-1 record in 17 games. He dominated his senior year at Deitrich, going 7-0 with 75 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched.
“The 2010 recruiting class is full of exciting players who fill our needs and impact our program,” Schmitz said. “The combination of high school and junior college players enables us to keep the winning tradition for both the short and long term. We made sure we signed many quality arms because we feel we will lose both Josh Mueller and Mike Recchia to the Major League Baseball draft (in June). We also filled the run production void with the losses of (current seniors) Richie Derbak, Alex Gee and Jake Samuels by adding a high school and junior college first baseman.
“I think this recruiting class of freshman pitchers stacks up to the 2007 class of Mueller, Recchia and Mike Hoekstra. I know that will be difficult to follow. Luke Bushur and Christian Slazinik have great command, and the composure to pitch right away. Ryan Hartman is in the class of Tyler Kehrer and Mueller. I think Ryan is the steal in the state and I can’t wait to see how he progresses in four years.
“I want to point out the tremendous job (assistant coach) Skylar Meade did picking up the slack left by Sean Lyons leaving (for Bradley). Skylar was able to land the junior college players to keep us competitive again next year (2011).”