Barry Arnett, Nate Blessman, Reid Clary, Matt Cmiel, Hayden Cosby and Marshall Escue comprise the first six signees for the Prairie Stars.
Arnett is a right handed pitcher from Limestone High School who was a first team All-Conference pick as well as a McDonald’s All-Star as a junior. A standout in the classroom as well, he is a member of the National Honor Society and on the school’s High Honor Roll.
“Barry has a good breaking ball and really attacks the strike zone and knows how to pitch,” Grunzke said.
Blessman is an outfielder who is currently enrolled at Lincoln College. As a prep at Canton High School in Canton, Ill, he was named to the Illinois Coaches Association’s All-State team and was also an All-Conference honoree. A solid athlete, he was also a standout in basketball.
“Nate will give us some maturity in our line-up,” Grunzke said. “We will likely look for him to hit in the middle of the order. Nate is a tremendous athlete that will only get better with more experience.”
Clary is a catcher from Princeton High School in Princeton, Ill. where is a standout in both baseball and basketball. As a junior he was Bureau County Republican Player of the Year and first team All-Area by both the Republican and the News Tribune. A first team All-Conference pick, Clary was ranked among the Top 125 players in the state of Illinois by Prep Baseball Report after hitting .460 with 37 RBI and 15 doubles.
“Reid is a good receiver who has natural strength,” Grunzke said. “An outstanding athlete, we think he will get better and better as he concentrates on baseball once he arrives at UIS.”
Cmiel, an outfielder, will join the Prairie Stars from Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Ill. An All-State pick by the Chicago Tribune, he was also an All-Area selection by the Daily Herald and was on the Naperville Sun’s All-City team. Cmiel was also first team All-Conference while helping his team to the Class 4A regional title after hitting .470 with an on-base percentage of .579 and 29 stolen bases.
“Matt is a very good athlete who can run balls down in the outfield,” Grunzke said. “He will provide us with tremendous speed at the top of the line-up.”
Cosby is a middle infielder from Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Ill. He has twice been named his team’s Defensive Player of the Year and won the school’s Railer Award last season. He holds the school record for hits in a game (five) and most at-bats in a season. He is also a standout basketball player.
“Hayden is another solid athlete who is very competitive,” Grunzke said. “Like a lot of our players when he arrives in college and begins to concentrate on baseball he will just get better and better.”
Escue is an infielder from Washington High School in Washington, Ill. He will be a four-year member of the varsity baseball team when he completes his senior season this spring. Last season, as a junior, he led the team with a .454 batting averages while going 8-1 (the most wins on the team) on the mound. A two-time All-Mid-Illini Conference selection at first base, Escue was also named the Peoria Journal-Star’s All-Area team and has been a two-time McDonald’s All-Star pick. He is also a three-time letterwinner in football. In the classroom, Escue is a member of the National Honor Society and was his school’s representative in the Wendy’s High School Heisman competition.
“Marshall can play multiple positions and brings very solid offensive numbers to the program,” Grunzke said. “We will look for him to provide immediate offensive punch.”
UIS is in its first season as a NCAA Division II institution and as a member of the GLVC. The baseball program will begin play in the spring of 2011.