Spartan Baseball Signs Four Letters Of Intent
11/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 14, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - First-year head coach David Grewe announced Monday that four players have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their baseball and academic careers at Michigan State. The signees include Eli Boike (Clinton Twp., Mich./Fraser), Ryan MacFarlane (Murphysboro, Ill./ Southeastern Illinois Junior College), Justin Potes (Adrian, Mich./Olney Central Junior College) and Chris Roberts (Oshkosh, Wis./ Oshkosh West). After a ninth place finish in the Big Ten last year and missing out on the conference tournament, Grewe believes recruiting, beginning with his first class, is an intricate part of getting Michigan State baseball back on track.
"As I stated in my initial press conference back in July, I believe that recruiting is the lifeblood of a program," Grewe stated. "This first recruiting class is critical to getting the ball rolling and creating momentum for the future. We are fully committed to bringing in student-athletes that are going to work hard, are going to be disciplined to do things the right way and are going to show up each and every day with the desire to achieve greatness."
"I want players that are committed to our future," Grewe added. "I want players who desire to be a part of a winning program by maintaining the past tradition of MSU baseball and the great players who played before them. These young men are the right fit because they share the same excitement for Michigan State baseball that our staff and our current players share."
"As we will do every year, our staff approached this recruiting class with a focus on meeting specific needs for next year's team. In order to accurately assess our needs, we took a patient approach in recruiting until we were able to get to know our current team thoroughly. We implemented an extensive evaluation period during our fall baseball practices and in our inter-squad games. My recruiting philosophy places a strong emphasis on bringing in players that are athletic and can demonstrate versatility on the playing field. We will always recruit athletic position players who play multiple positions and pitchers who are athletic and possess power arms."
The combination of Boike, Roberts, Potes and MacFralane will bring a balance of athleticism and versatility to the plate and on the mound. Boike and Roberts will both be members of the 2010 class, while Potes and MacFralane will be members of the 2008 class, after spending two years in junior college.
"This recruiting class addressed our immediate needs for next year's team," Grewe said. "At the same time, we intentionally left some flexibility to add a couple of pieces to the puzzle in the spring signing period. In the Midwest, and especially in Michigan, it is common to see a young man come on strong in the spring of his senior year. When that happens, we wanted to make sure that we have the opportunity to bring that player into the Spartan family. An area that is impacted most by graduation is the infield. This recruiting class addresses those loses with three potential infielders in the group."
"Chris Roberts is a shortstop that is as good of an athlete as you're going to find. He is an above average runner that has a lot of versatility. Justin Potes is a junior college player that brings a great deal of toughness to our team. He plays third base and can swing the bat well. Ryan MacFarlane is also a very good defensive player that can play either third base or first base and provide some pop in the line-up offensively. We also wanted to add to our team by bringing an offensive player with good athleticism. Eli Boike is one of the top hitters in the state of Michigan and is an exceptional athlete. As a left-handed hitter with excellent power potential, I envision Eli taking advantage of Kobs Field and the short porch in right field."
While at Oshkosh West, Roberts was named to Team Wisconsin, which recognizes the top players in the state and was selected to play in the Perfect Game National Showcase, consisting of the top players in the country. As a junior, Roberts led his conference in home runs. As ranked by Perfect Game/Baseball America, Roberts is the #225 player in the country and is one of the gems of the 2006 graduating high school class.
"Chris was the first recruit that I targeted for this recruiting class and we are thrilled that he chose to be a Spartan," Grewe remarked. "He was heavily recruited on a national level due to his athleticism. He chose MSU over other Big Ten schools as well as SEC schools. Chris is 6'1" and 175 lbs. and runs the 60 yard dash in 6.6 seconds. As a left-handed hitter, Chris has the potential to hit for power and a high average. On defense, he is a solid shortstop with good hands and feet, with an above average arm. Because of his athleticism and speed, he has the versatility to play both second and third base along with all three outfield positions."
Boike is a product of Clinton Twp., Mich. and Fraser high school. Entering his senior year, Boike has already been tabbed to All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region teams as a sophomore and junior and was named Second-Team All-State after hitting .483 his sophomore year. As ranked by the Detroit News Baseball Previews, Boike is one of the top 20 players in the state of Michigan. A gifted athlete, Boike has also excelled in basketball at Fraser, earning team and league MVP honors after his junior season.
"Eli (Boike) is a very good athlete that possesses a powerful left-handed bat," Grewe said. "I feel that when Eli's baseball skills catch up to his athleticism we are going to have a tremendous player in our program. He is a very good runner that covers 60 yards in 6.8 seconds and possesses a 39" vertical jump. He has an above average arm that will force opponents to think twice about taking extra bases on him. Offensively, Eli has a raw and potentially explosive bat. I believe Eli is one of the elite players in the state of Michigan and we believe that that his best days are still ahead of him. We are excited that he'll be a Spartan when that happens."
Adrian, Mich., native, Justin Potes will join Michigan State after having played two seasons at Olney Central Junior College, in Olney, Ill. While at Adrian high school, Potes earned All-Conference First-Team, All-District, and All-Region First-Team accolades his senior year. That same season, he served as team captain and earned the team MVP award, while receiving the Adrian High School's Jim Keller Award for "Outstanding Male Athlete." A four-year letterwinner in baseball, Potes also earned two letters in football and one in basketball.
"One word that describes Justin Potes is `competitor,'" Grewe stated. "Justin is the perfect fit for this recruiting class in many ways. He is an absolute grinder that works as hard as possible to maximize his ability. As a third baseman, Justin possesses an above average arm and solid glove. He is a gap hitter that has shown the ability to hit for a high average at every level he has played. He has also spent time at catcher in junior college and could add depth at that position for us. Justin plays with the energy, passion, and competitiveness that we are looking for. He will be a great addition to the Spartan family."
MacFarlane arrives in East Lansing after a two-year stint at Southeastern Illinois Junior College in Harrisburg, Ill. Originating from Murphysboro High School in Illinois, MacFralane received All-Conference and All-South accolades his senior year, graduating with honors. In summer ball, MacFralane twice received District MVP in American Legion play and this past summer was named state MVP. MacFralane also excelled in golf and basketball at Murphysboro.
"Ryan is a key member of this recruiting class," Grewe remarked. "He is a two-way player that is a perfect fit for our team. On the mound, Ryan has a power arm that allows him to pitch in the 88-92 mph range. He also has a very good slider that he uses as an out pitch. At 6'4" with long arms and legs that are still filling out, I honestly believe that Ryan has more velocity to come. I am very excited to see Ryan develop under the tutelage of Coach Steele. Ryan also is an excellent defensive corner infielder with some pop in his bat. He shows the ability to drive the ball in the gap and hit for solid average. I could not be more excited to see Ryan in a Spartan uniform next fall."
"One area that our current team demonstrated some quality depth is in the pitching staff," Grewe said. "Coach Steele, our pitching coach, has done a tremendous job with our pitchers in the short period of time that he has had to work with them. Mike Steele is one of the most gifted pitching coaches in the nation, who has a keen sense of developing and accentuating the specific strengths of each pitcher on an individual basis. Our goal was to sign a pitcher that we felt could make an immediate impact. Ryan MacFarlane is a junior college pitcher that fits this mold perfectly. Ryan has the experience to come in and adapt to the level of play in the Big Ten very quickly. He has an exciting arm and we feel his best days on the mound are still ahead of him. I am excited to see him in a Spartan uniform next fall."
"With the many obstacles that surround the recruiting of quality student-athletes, I feel very fortunate to have a great recruiting coordinator in Tony Baldwin. Tony is very polished in his ability to organize the behind-the-scenes structure of the recruiting process. His work ethic and persistency make him a superb recruiter. He has the vision that all great recruiters possess. With my background as a recruiting coordinator, I truly know what it takes to put together a great class and I am thrilled that Tony, along with my two other assistants, Mike Steele and Danny Lopaze, have succeeded in accomplishing this goal."