FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Fort Wayne, IN- IPFW baseball coach Bobby Pierce announced this morning the signing of three future Mastodons: Ryan August from Mokena, Illinois; Will Faulkner, from Blissfield, Michigan; and Lucas Kesterson, from Taylorville, Illinois. Coach Pierce said these three gentlemen will have a `tremendous impact on and off the field’ for IPFW.
Opening statement from Coach Pierce:
“We are extremely excited about the commitments of Ryan August, Will Faulkner, and Lucas Kesterson. We’ve addressed our immediate needs for the spring of 2010 and feel very confident that these student athletes will have a tremendous impact here at IPFW on and off the field. Thanks to Coach Schultz’s hard work and grueling recruiting travel schedule this fall we’ve been able to lay the foundation by addressing our pitching needs as well as adding a middle infielder. Recruiting for the spring will be far less demanding because we have filled gaps in the toughest areas to fill.”
Ryan August
August, a right handed pitcher from Mokena, Illinois, comes to IPFW from Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. At Heartland, he went 2-0 in his freshman season and recorded the first victory in the college’s history. August graduated from Lincoln-Way East High School in 2007, where he excelled both in the classroom and on the diamond. On the field, he was an All-Conference selection his junior and senior seasons, and holds school records for most wins in a season, most wins in a career, and lowest career ERA. In the classroom, he was a National Honors Society member.
Pierce on August…..
“Ryan is a big contributor from a great junior college program at Heartland CC in Normal, IL. Ryan is a big, physical, and athletic RHP that will compete for a weekend starter’s role. He pitches in the 87-89 range with above average movement and command of an above average breaking ball. We expect him to start for us next year and because of his movement, pitch deep into games.”
Will Faulkner
Will Faulkner
Faulkner, a catcher and infielder from Blissfield, Michigan, signed with the Mastodons last week after a successful season at Jackson Community College in Jackson, Michigan. During his one season at Jackson, Faulkner earned second team All-Conference honors playing shortstop for the Jets. In 2006, Faulkner graduated from Blissfield High School, where he shined for the Royals in all aspects of the game. During his junior and senior seasons, he was selected to the All-League, All-District, All-Region and All-State teams as a catcher. He would go on to lead Blissfield to a state championship in 2003. Faulkner was an honor roll student all four years at Blissfield.
Pierce on Faulkner…..
“Will plays SS for Coach Smith at Jackson CC and he will have an immediate impact with us due to his versatility and athleticism. He’s already an accomplished SS, but he could also fill in at catcher and the outfield. Even though he has plus tools in a lot of areas, I think his biggest contribution will be his leadership qualities.”
Lucas Kesterson
Lucas Kesterson
Kesterson, a hard throwing right handed pitcher from Taylorville, Illinois, signed with the `Dons after an impressive season with Springfield College in Springfield, Illinois. While playing for the Bulldogs, Kesterson went 7-2 with a 3.82 ERA and had 60 strikeouts in 65.2 innings of work. Last season he helped lead Springfield to a conference and regional championship and 7th national ranking. Kersterson graduated from Taylorville High School in 2007, where he did extremely well on the field and in the classroom. Under the direction of head coach Tim Kratochil, Kesterson accumulated many honors at Springfield, such as being selected to three All-Conference teams, receiving the most valuable pitcher award in the Central Eight All Star Game, and accepting an invitation to the Illinois All-Star game, which was voted on by the Illinois Coaches Baseball Association. In the classroom, Kesterson was a National Honors Society member and carried a 5.015 GPA on a 5.0 scale.
Pierce on Kesterson…..
“Lucas already has the makeup and stuff to compete on the weekend for us. He plays at a great program at Springfield CC in Springfield, IL. He pitches in the 86-88 range with plus command of a slider and feel for a change. He also will bring the experience of being a 2 year starting pitcher.”
Final statement from Coach Pierce:
“The most exciting characteristic of this recruiting class is that all of these student athletes have excellent academic records and they all play for junior college programs that compete at a national level. We expect both of those characteristics to spill over here at IPFW when they arrive on campus next fall.”
