Spartan Baseball Signs Impressive Class for 2007-2008 Season
11/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 21, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State head baseball coach David Grewe announced on Tuesday that seven student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their baseball and academic careers at MSU. The signees include AJ Achter (Oregon, Ohio/Clay), Jeff Holm (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North), Kyle Kaminska (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), Tyler Newsome (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist), Jonathan Roof (Paducah, Ky./St. Mary), Andrew Webb (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park), and Seth Williams (Alexandria, Va./Edison).
"Because recruiting is the lifeblood of every program, I am very proud to announce our second recruiting class, said Grewe. "This class is critical in our process of building our program 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 our winning program. I am confident that when you attract players that have a passion for your program then greatness will become reality. 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. Four of these players committed to us during the summer, demonstrating their belief and excitement for what MSU Baseball is all about. Three other players attended our fall prospect camp, thus showing a strong desire to attend MSU. This proves that we have seven strong commitments that possess the same passion for winning that currently exists in the MSU program.
"As we will do every year, our staff approached this recruiting class with a focus on meeting specific needs for next year's team," Grewe continued. "In order to accurately assess our needs, we must project what our team will look like next year, 2008, and beyond, especially the 2009 season. 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, mainly shortstops, who play multiple positions and pitchers who are athletic and possess power arms. This class consisted of one shortstop, four two-way guys (rhp/of, lhp/of, lhp/1b/of, rhp/c) and two right-handed pitchers. The combination of these seven recruits will bring a balance of athleticism and versatility to our team, with a primary focus on pitching. To build stability for future years, our focus was to recruit the best high school players that show both the ability to produce immediately as well as sustain roles for the future.
"This recruiting class addressed our immediate needs for next year's team. At the same time, as with every year, we'll have to hope the major league draft doesn't hurt us in June. The early feeling among baseball scouts and experts is that we have a number of signees that have a good chance of being draft picks - if they indicate they would entertain the idea of signing professionally. I believe that all of our signees are committed to coming to Michigan State University, getting their education, and having a great college baseball experience - before going into professional baseball. With a focus on our potential 2009 team, we intentionally left some flexibility in our roster to add a couple of pieces to the puzzle in the spring signing period if needed. 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.
 | "I want players who desire to be a part of our winning program. I am confident that when you attract players that have a passion for your program then greatness will become reality. 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." Head Coach David Grewe |
"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.
"For us to receive early commitments from these top players from all across the nation, a great amount of credit is due to my assistant coaches and our players. All of my assistant coaches did a superb job scouring the nation to find the right `fits' for our program. I give credit to Tony Baldwin for doing an excellent job of organizing our recruiting efforts during the entire process. I also believe that our best recruiters are our current players, who give a great deal of their time to educate the prospects (while the prospects are visiting campus) about the special qualities of our university and our baseball program. Seeing how content our current players are at Michigan State made a huge and positive impact on the prospects."
Below is a more detailed look at the class:
AJ Achter is a 6-foot-5 inch right-handed pitcher with exceptional athletic ability that also plays outfield. A three-sport standout at Oregon Clay High School in the Toledo area, he was named second-team all-city in football and first-team all-city in baseball during his junior year. As a senior he has been named captain in football, basketball, and baseball while also being recognized as a Wendy's High School Heisman nominee. Achter is rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 5 right-handed pitcher in Ohio by Jeff Fisher of the The Buckeye Scout. He was also invited to play for Team Ohio which recognizes the top players in the state. His father, Rod Achter, played in both the NFL and CFL and is currently a high school football coach at Oregon Clay High School.
Grewe on AJ Achter: "We are extremely excited to have AJ as a part of this class. Coach Baldwin had identified him early as someone that was a perfect fit for what we are looking for. He comes from an outstanding family and is committed to having success on and off the field. AJ plays for an exceptional high school coach in Karl Knierim and has experienced a ton of success this past summer playing for the Toledo Hitmen. He possesses a power arm with an 88-91 mph fastball, an exceptionally competitive attitude, and a great amount of upside. We believe that AJ can be a major contributor to our program."
Jeff Holm is a 6-foot-2-inch outfielder, first baseman, and left-handed pitcher with very good athleticism. He comes from an athletic family, in which he has two sisters that have gone to Big Ten schools on volleyball scholarship (Penn State and Indiana), and his father played in the College World Series while playing college baseball for the University of Minnesota and later played professional baseball. Jeff was born in Michigan before moving to Illinois. He plays for Todd Genke at North High School where he was named a "Top Prospect" by the Illinois High School Coaches Association.
Grewe on Jeff Holm: "Jeff came to our fall camp and really impressed us with his athleticism. He comes from an athletic family with a lot of passion for the Big Ten. He showed a very high baseball IQ and a lot of versatility to his game. He can play all of the outfield positions and is a very good defensive first baseman. We were impressed with the way that he swings the bat and think that he can be a very good offensive player. He might even be able to help on the mound as a crafty lefty. Jeff is a high character kid."
Kyle Kaminska is a right-handed pitcher with tremendous potential. At 6-foot-3-inches and 170 pounds, Kaminska is still developing physically. His father, Kris Kaminska, is 6-foot-9 and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school. Kyle has gone 17-3 as a varsity pitcher at Naperville Central High School while helping to lead his team to the 2006 Illinois State Championship with a 10-1 record. He is rated as the No. 10 recruit in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and is a Top 500 recruit nationally by Perfect Game Cross-checker. He played for Team Illinois which recognizes the top players in the state of Illinois. He follows current players Craig Brookes and John Lee to East Lansing from Naperville Central High School.
Grewe on Kyle Kaminska: "Kyle comes to Michigan State from one of the top high school programs in the state of Illinois. Coach Bill Seiple puts a quality team on the field year in and year out. Kyle has experienced a lot of success while playing against excellent competition. Coach Baldwin saw Kyle pitch very well in the state finals and then continue to improve while playing in the summer for Bill Copp and the Illinois Orioles. His velocity continued to improve all summer and we don't believe it has finished improving. I saw Kyle at his best in August and since then we have heard even better reports from his coaches. He has the ability to throw three pitches for strikes while getting people to swing and miss with his 87-90 mph fastball. He has the potential for a very bright future in a Spartan uniform."
Tyler Newsome is left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Marist High School in Illinois. He was named to the all-area team while playing for Joel Jonas at Marist. He was named team captain as a junior and led the team to the super sectional in the state tournament. He is rated as the No. 27 recruit in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report. His father, Tim Newsome, played eight years of professional baseball and his brother, Brett Newsome, currently plays for Western Michigan.
Grewe on Tyler Newsome: "We are very excited about Tyler being a Spartan. He is a competitor in every sense of the word. He can help us on the mound, in the field, and by swinging the bat. On the mound, Tyler throws three pitches for strikes with a fearless attitude. He has exceptional command of his upper 80's fastball. He also swings the bat very well with the ability to make consistent hard contact. Coming from a baseball family, Tyler has a tremendous baseball IQ. He has excelled against top competition while playing for the Orland Sparks and Coach Mike Pappas. Tyler has the attitude and character to develop into a great Spartan and can be a major factor in the future of MSU Baseball."
Jonathan Roof is a middle infielder from Paducah, Ky. Jonathan comes to East Lansing with extensive baseball bloodlines. His father, Gene Roof, played professional baseball and is currently a coach in the Detroit Tigers system. He has one brother, Shawn Roof, that plays for the University of Illinois and another brother, Eric Roof, who is a current member of the MSU baseball team. Jonathan played for the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team at the East Coast Professional Showcase which is one of the top recruiting events in the country. He is currently rated as a Top 1000 recruit by Perfect Game Cross-checker.
Grewe on Jonathan Roof: "Jonathan was a key piece to this recruiting class as the lone shortstop that we recruited. He has a tremendous feel for the game and is a very good athlete with the ability to play any position on the field. Jonathan has the rare ability to slow the game down while still playing at a fast pace. We feel that he is one of the top middle infield recruits in the Midwest and throughout the country. Many national Top-25 schools were recruiting Jon, and I am excited that he sees the value in our program and philosophy. He has excellent potential to be an impact player for MSU baseball for several years to come."
Andrew Webb is a right-handed pitcher from Allen Park High School in Michigan where he plays for Coach Glenn Gulliver. As a junior, he posted a perfect 6-0 record en route to receiving all-district, all-league, and All-Downriver Dream Team honors. He participated in the Michigan High School Showcase which showcases the top talent in Michigan.
Grewe on Andrew Webb: "We feel Andrew is one of the top arms in the state of Michigan and he has tremendous potential. He first caught our attention at the Michigan High School Showcase and then threw the ball very well at our fall camp. He has a high 80's fastball with an above-average curveball. Andrew competed extremely well at our camp and showed that has what it takes to win at the Division 1 level. We think that he has a chance to add some velocity and his breaking ball is a legitimate out pitch. We are excited about Andrew being a Spartan."
Seth Williams is a catcher and right-handed pitcher from Alexandria, Va. Seth plays for Jeff Feaster at Edison High School where he served as team captain as a junior. As a sophomore, Seth led all of Virginia in home runs with 14 en route to earning first-team all-district accolades. In 2006, Seth was named as one of Greater DC's "Top Baseball Players" by High School Sports Magazine.
Grewe on Seth Williams: "Coach Baldwin saw Seth playing for the Northern Virginia Black Sox at the CABA World Series and he was impressed with Seth's energy and passion for the game. He solidified those impressions by the way he performed at our fall camp. I was excited to visit with Seth following camp because I knew that with his attitude he would be a great fit here at MSU. Seth showed solid catch-and-throw skills with outstanding leadership ability. He packs a lot of power into a smaller physical package, with excellent strength in his hands and wrists, and it's evident by the fact that he already has 21 career home runs in high school. That being said, we were also impressed with Seth's potential on the mound. He jumped up on the bump and showed a fastball in the 88-90 range and the potential for a good breaking pitch. Catcher and pitcher are not your typical combinations for a two-way player but we are excited about taking a look at that with Seth."
