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Nov. 21, 2007
DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois announced the early signing of six baseball players that will join the program for the 2009 season. The new Huskies bring impressive credentials led by a quartet of all-state players. The group includes: P/IF Chris Wakefield (Cherokee, Ga./Cherokee), OF/P Jake Hermsen (New London, Wisc./New London), IF Alex Beckmann (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), P Chuck Lukanen (Lombard, Ill./North Iowa Area C.C.), P Zach Badgley (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and C Brett Frantini (Minooka, Ill./Minooka). "I believe that this class has a chance to be the best we have recruited to date," said Mathey. "This is an impact class with some real front line guys. Recruiting coordinator Steve Joslyn did an outstanding job of picking up the recruiting trail and I am real proud of his determination in getting these guys signed. As a staff we identified what we are losing in terms of seniors and potential junior draftees after this season and it was imperative that we sign pitching. In this group we got four to five who could potentially step in and pitch on weekends in their first season." Wakefield is the most heralded of the group and is listed among the top 200 players in the nation and a member of the 2008 Under Armour Preseason All-America team. He was rated as the top player in Wisconsin before moving to Georgia, where he is ranked 15th in the state. While at Bay Port High School in Green Bay, Wakefield earned all-state honors and was an all-area and all-conference selection all three seasons. Hermsen, a former summer league teammate of Wakefield with the Midwest Stars, is regarded as the No. 2 player in Wisconsin and an all-state selection. The multi-sport athlete also earned all-state football honors after helping lead his to a runner-up finish on the gridiron this fall. Beckmann leads the Illinois recruits after earning all-state honors during his junior season. Lukanen, an all-state selection while in high school, is the lone junior college transfer and will come to NIU by way of North Iowa Area Community College, a school that produced former Huskie Jesse Seykora and current Huskie Danny Reed. Badgley becomes the fourth member of his family to take the mound for Northern Illinois following the lead of Dan and Mark and current Huskie Nick. Rounding out the Land of Lincoln natives is Frantini, who is considered one of the top defensive catches in the state. "The efforts of the entire athletic department is a key reason that we were able to attract a strong class," added Mathey. "There are a lot of positive things going on at Northern Illinois with the opening of the Yordon Center, the Huskie Indoor Training Center and the anticipation of potentially adding an indoor facility. These new facilities show a commitment to athletics and to continuing the success our program has enjoyed here." Northern Illinois returns 16 letterwinners after setting school records with 34 Division I wins, 16 MAC victories and the deepest run in the MAC Tournament last season. The Huskies open their season Feb. 22 at Texas Tech. -NIU-
Zach Badgley, RHP High School: Two-time first team all-conference and all-area selection ... First team All-Fox Valley Conference, first team all-area and was named team MVP and captain as a junior ... Helped lead team to regional championship during junior season ... Ranked by Prep Baseball Report as Illinois' No. 32 prospect ... Went 10-2 with a 1.36 ERA, completed six of his 12 starts and fanned 107 while yielding just 30 hits in 72 innings and hit .402 with three home runs and 26 RBI in his junior year ... Earned first team all-conference and second-team all-area accolades in addition to being named team's Most Improved Player as a sophomore ... Posted a 5-0 record and 2.00 ERA with two complete games in seven starts while striking out 82 in 50 innings with 22 hits allowed and batted .407 with three home runs and 26 RBI during his sophomore campaign ... Hit .512 with five home runs as a freshman ... Enters senior year six wins from breaking the school's career record held by brother Mark. High School Coach: Brian Rockweiller. Personal: Will be the fourth Badgley to take the mound for Northern Illinois, following Dan (1997-2001), Mark (2003-07) and Nick (a junior college transfer on the 2008 roster) ... Born Feb. 14, 1990 ... Father is Phil Badgley ... Has 11 siblings. Coach Mathey on Badgley: "We are real ecstatic that Zach has decided to continue the line of Badgleys who have been successful on and off the field for us. He is mostly a pitcher and has the chance to step in and compete on the mound for us as a freshman. Mechanically, he is college ready and is another power arm with a fastball in the low 90's. The other thing he does is swing the bat from the left side with some lift, so there is also some potential at the plate." --
Alex Beckmann, IF High School: Earned all-state honors and was a two-time first team all-conference and all-area selection ... Two-time team captain ... Collected IHSBCA All-State, first team All-Western Sun Conference, and Daily Herald and the IHSBCA all-area accolades as a junior ... Ranked by Prep Baseball Report as Illinois' No. 53 prospect ... Played for Team Illinois at the Jack Kaiser All Star Game ... Earned team's Bulldog Award after hitting .505 with 55 hits, 42 runs scored and four home runs during his junior year ... Named team MVP and first team all-conference and garnered all-area selection by the Daily Herald and IHSBCA as a sophomore ... Set the school season record with a .530 batting average while totaling 61 hits, 33 runs and two home runs in his sophomore season ... National Honor Society member. High School Coach: Matt Holm. Summer League Teams (Coaches): Longshots (Rob Rooney), Sparks (John Cangelosi and Bill Copp). Personal: Born Aug. 21, 1990 ... Parents are Peter and Janice Beckmann ... Aspires to become a baseball coach. Coach Mathey on Beckmann: "Alex is a well-recognized local product who earned an all-state selection as a junior. He is very versatile and can play the middle infield positions and in the outfield. He has good baseball instincts and good speed. Alex is a good defensive performer and a left-handed hitter who can get on base and be a top of the order hitter. He is the type of hitter we refer to as a `barrel-finder' because he puts the bat on the ball and hits to all fields." --
Brett Frantini, C High School: Rated as the No. 3 defensive catcher in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report ... Helped team capture three consecutive conference titles ... Hit .330 with 23 hits, 15 RBI and one home run as junior ... Committed only one error in 200 chances for a .997 fielding percentage during his junior season ... Team reached IHSA Supersectional in his junior year ... Played for squad that finished third in the state as a sophomore. High School Coach: Jeff Petrovic. Summer League Team (Coaches): Sparks (John Cangelosi and Bill Copp). Personal: Intends to major in education at NIU ... Born Feb. 7, 1990 ... Parents are Thomas and Renee Frantini ... Aspires to teach and coach at the high school level. Coach Mathey on Frantini: "Brett is another area product who played for Coach Petrovic at Minooka, one of the better programs in the state. He was on the state's third-place team during his sophomore season and played behind a junior catcher who was recruited heavily. The following year they moved the catcher to first base and Brett moved into the lead role behind the plate. He is a great defensive catcher with a good arm and he likes to throw the ball and challenge runners. Brett is hard working and one of the better catch-and-throw guys in the entire Chicagoland area." --
Jake Hermsen, OF/LHP High School: Ranked by Perfect Game Crosschecker as the No. 2 player in Wisconsin and No. 367 nationally ... Played for Team Wisconsin in 2007 All Star Game ... Named first team All-Bay Conference as outfielder and earned a second team nod as pitcher during his junior season ... Named team MVP, defensive Player of the Year and captain while helping team to conference title as a junior ... Hit .327 and slugged .596 while totaling 17 hits, 12 stolen bases, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored with four triples, three doubles and one home run in 17 games during his junior campaign ... Went 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA while striking out 70 in 41 innings as a pitcher during his junior year ... Batted .400 with 24 hits, 16 runs, 11 RBI, 10 stolen bases, four doubles, and three home runs in 21 games as a sophomore ... Notched two wins and posted a 3.25 ERA while fanning 64 in 47.1 innings during his sophomore season ... Hit .333 with seven hits, three stolen bases, three RBI and one run scored in eight games while posting a 2.52 ERA in four appearances as a freshman ...Has earned three football letters and helped team finish as state runner-up in 2007 ... Selected first team all-state as a defensive back during his senior season ... A three-time team offensive MVP, two-time captain during his prep gridiron career ... Was a unanimous first team all-conference selection as running back, defensive back and punter and a first team all-region choice as defensive back during his senior season ... A four-year basketball letterwinner and two-time team MVP and captain ... Earned second team all-conference and all-area selection during his junior year on the hardwood. High School Coach: Rick Daun. Summer League Teams (Coaches): Midwest Stars and Midwest Blazers (Jeff Jackson and Andy Stack). Personal: Intends to major in education at NIU ... Born Nov. 16, 1989 ... Parents are Mike and Pam Hermsen ... Mother, Pam, lettered in volleyball at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Coach Mathey on Hermsen: "Jake might very well be the best athlete in this class. He is a great runner with outstanding outfield instincts and an above average arm. On the mound, his fastball reaches the mid to upper 80's with a quick breaking pitch. He is a good two-way player and a real leader. He loves to compete and win and was a three-sport athlete in high school who was the premier runner on his football team that finished as state runner-up. We are looking forward to seeing how his baseball skills progress when he consolidates his efforts into focusing only on baseball." --
Chuck Lukanen, LHP Junior College: Transferred to NIACC after attending the University of Minnesota ... Played at the same junior college that produced former NIU third baseman Jesse Seykora or current Huskie right fielder Danny Reed ... Pitched in four games and totaled six innings for the Golden Gophers in 2007 before receiving a medical redshirt. Junior College Coach: Todd Rima. High School: An all-state, all-area and two-time first team all-conference selection ... Named all-state, first team all-area and All-Lake Conference and was team's MVP and pitcher of the year as a senior ... Set school records for strikeouts, innings pitched and ERA during junior season ... Went 6-3 with seven complete games and two saves and a 0.73 ERA as a junior ... Struck out 87 with just 15 walks and seven earned runs in 67 innings in his junior campaign ... Earned first team all-conference and team pitcher of the year accolades. High School Coaches: Tom Strey and Mark Groetner. Personal: Plans to major in business marketing and education at NIU ... Born Oct. 4, 1986 ... Parents are Jeff and Sherie Lukanen ... Aspires to start his own baseball training facility. Coach Mathey on Lukanen: "Chuck is following Jesse Seykora and Danny Reed, who have been great players for us after transferring from North Iowa Area Community College. Coach Todd Rima does a great job with that program and the kids who come from there are ready for four-year schools. Chuck is a lefthanded pitcher who has the chance to do a lot of things for us. He has a bulldog mentality and is very competitive on the mound. He was an all-state player in Minnesota and was highly thought of when he went to the University of Minnesota. Since his injury there, he has regained a fastball that reaches the mid to upper 80's. He has taken a non-traditional route, but has a good understanding of what he wants to do and that will come to the forefront here at NIU." --
Chris Wakefield, RHP/IF High School: Rated as the No. 1 player in Wisconsin by Perfect Game Crosschecker while attending Bay Port High in Green Bay ... Family moved to Canton, Ga. during the 2007 summer ... Listed as the No. 15 player in Georgia and No. 189 nationally by Perfect Game ... Named to Under Armour Preseason All-America team entering his senior season ... Most Valuable Player of the Kernals Tournament during the 2007 summer ... Earned all-area and all-conference all three years in Wisconsin ... A first team all-area and all-conference selection as a junior ... Hit .460 and slugged .794 with 29 hits, 18 RBI and five home runs while posting a 3-1 record and 2.48 ERA during his junior year ... Earned second team all-area selection as an infielder, claimed second team all-conference honors as both an infielder and pitcher and was an honorable mention all district pick during his sophomore year ... Batted .417 with 25 hits, 20 RBI and two home runs and went 5-3 with a 1.80 ERA in 10 starts as a sophomore ... Named second team all-area and all-conference during his freshman year ... Hit .411 with 26 RBI, 23 hits and three home runs and went 2-1 with a 3.45 ERA as a freshman ... Helped lead team to Wisconsin State Championship during 2005 16 and under American Legion season. High School Coach: Jason McDaniel (Cherokee H.S.) Mike Simoens (Bay Port H.S.) Summer League Teams (Coaches): Midwest Stars and Midwest Blazers (Jeff Jackson and Andy Stack) Personal: Born March 25, 1990 in Tulsa, Okla. ... Parents are Michael and Shawn Wakefield. Coach Mathey on Wakefield: "Chris is a righthanded pitcher and corner infielder who is a very strong hitter. On the mound, his fastball is clocked at 89-92 and he has shown the ability to command a good breaking ball. He has all the components of someone who could step in and contribute right away. As far as national accolades, he may be the top player we have recruited. He is a very competitive kid and likes winning." --
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