FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan has announced that Kory Bauswell, Brooks Beilke, Christopher Bossenbery, Dustin Ditsworth and Kyle Strube have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Western Michigan next fall and play for the 2009-10 Bronco baseball team.
“One of my recruiting philosophies has been to recruit the student-athlete who has great work ethic, is a good person overall and someone that loves to play the game,” said WMU head coach Randy Ford. “I feel that we have accomplished that goal with this recruiting class.”
Among the group is a trio of catchers in Bauswell (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville), Beilke (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) and Ditsworth (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge). Bauswell batted .330 last season and had a .552 on-base percentage, collecting 21 RBIs. Defensively, he threw out 42 percent (8 of 19) of runners attempting to steal. He was named all-district Division I and all-conference OK Red Division. Bauswell is a three sport athlete at Hudsonville also competing in wrestling and football, where is was a three-year letterman, and carries a 3.3 GPA.
“We feel Kory is a strong, well-equipped throwing catcher who continues to improve his athletic abilities with his good work ethic,” Ford said. “He is a terrific student and great person to add to our program.”
Beilke batted .446 with 16 doubles and 23 RBIs in 32 games of the Buffalo Legion summer League. He was the conference Defensive Player of the Year and was an honorable mention all-state. Beilke is also a three-sport athlete, playing basketball and football as well. With a 4.0 GPA, he ranks 19th in a class of 439.
“He is a big strong catcher with solid defensive skills. Brooks will bring leadership abilities having been a captain for his football, basketball and baseball teams at the high school level. His academics speak for themselves and he will be a pleasure to have on our team.”
Ditsworth is the third catcher in the group and was a member of the all-state dream team. In 2008, he hit .482 with 17 doubles and 41 RBIs. He gunned down 50 percent of runners trying to steal against him. Ditsworth maintains a 3.3 GPA.
“Dustin is a very good athlete with a long lean body type,” Ford said. “He has great defensive skills and will be a fine hitter at the college level. He is another solid student with great work ethic and will fit in nicely with this class.”
The remaining two signees are both pitchers. Bossenbery (Lansing, Mich./Holt) is a six-foot, 175-pound right-hander. He compiled a 3-2 record in 2008. He also saw time at shortstop and hit .356 with 10 doubles his junior season.
“Chris is a two-way player with great arm strength and feet from the left side of the infield. He will be a power pitcher on the mound as well throwing in the upper 80’s. We look forward to his development in both areas and feel he could be a great one on the mound.”
A southpaw, Strube (Monroe, Mich./Jefferson) stands at six-foot-one and 185 pounds. In his 2008 summer season with the Michigan Chargers, he went 3-1 on the mound with 28 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA. In his junior prep season, he was named first Team Huron League and also was an all-league defensive back on the football team. In the classroom, he has a 3.94 GPA.
“Kyle is a left-handed pitcher that attended camp in the fall and we liked his make-up as soon as we saw him. He has some arm strength with good command of all his pitches with plus command. He is also an outstanding student and well mannered player.
“We spent most of our time evaluating pitchers and catchers,” Ford noted. “I feel that all of our catchers are gifted defensively which is the main priority for me. The two pitchers have very good arms that will fit in nicely with our staff and will have an early opportunity to pitch. We are excited to watch this group come next fall.”
