Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami Baseball Inks Five on National Signing Day
11/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 14, 2008
OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University Baseball Coach Dan Simonds announced today the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The 2009 recruiting class consists of pitchers BRIAN KROLIKOWSKI, (Batavia, IL/Batavia) and MASON REYNOLDS (West Carrolton/West Carrolton) , catcher NATE BOWLES (Dayton/Stebbins) shortstop CORY KLENKE (Coldwater /Coldwater) and two-way player BROOKS FIALA (Carmel, IN/Carmel).
"We are extremely pleased the way this recruiting class has come together" said Simonds." The coaching staff identified our most pressing needs for 2009-2010 and we feel we have efficiently addressed them. Coach Bachmann and Coach Ison did a terrific job in identifying some of the top players in the Midwest. I look forward to working with the staff in developing this quality group of student-athletes."
Brian Krolikowski is a 6-2, 220-pound right handed pitcher that is rated by scouting service "Perfect Game" as the No. 25 high school prospect in the state of Illinois. As a sophomore, he was 5-3 with a 2.01 ERA and was named All Conference and second-team all-area. The multi talented Krolikowski was recently chosen the 26th top player in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report. He also starred in hockey and football at Batavia before deciding on focusing solely on baseball.
Coach Simonds on Krolikowski: "Brian is one of the top power arms in Illinois. His recent performance at the Perfect Game National Tournament in Jupiter Fla. only confirmed our enthusiasm about his potential. He is a tremendous competitor who knows how to pitch. He has the ability to be an impact pitcher in our program as soon as he steps on campus. It will be fun to see how he progresses."
Mason Reynolds is a 6-5, 185-pound right-handed pitcher who was 3-1 with a 2.47 ERA before coming down with a season-ending back injury. For his efforts, he was named first-team all South West Ohio League. He was also named to the Champions Fall Elite All-Star Team in 2007. Reynolds has also been a three-year standout on the West Carrolton basketball team.
Coach Simonds on Reynolds: "We had the opportunity to see Mason very early in the recruiting process and, to be perfectly honest, we felt he could come in as a junior in high school and compete at the D-1 level. His injury has been a minor set back and we anticipate he will be better than ever his senior year. He has a prototypical pitcher's body with above-average command of three pitches. He is an incredibly driven young man with high expectations."
Nate Bowles is a 5-11, 180-pound catcher who hit .487 with six doubles, four triples and was eight-of-eight in stolen-base attempts, earning him first-team All-Central Buckeye Conference. Bowles was also a member of the Champions Fall Elite All-Star Team.
Coach Simonds on Bowles: "Nate reminds me a lot of former Miami catcher and San Diego Padres draft pick John Slone. He is an athletic catcher who runs well. He brings a tremendous amount of energy to the game and loves to play. We feel he is one of the better catch-and-throw guys in the state of Ohio. He has been passionate about joining our program and we think he will be a nice addition."
Cory Klenke is a 6-2, 185-pound shortstop who has been rated by Perfect Game as the No. 2 player in Ohio. Klenke is a tremendous athlete and has been pursued not only for his ability on the baseball field but for his ability on the football field as well. In his three years at Coldwater, he has accounted for numerous baseball, football and basketball awards. In baseball, he has been a three-time Dream Team recipient, a three-time first-team All-Midwest Athletic Conference selection, a two-time all-academic pick, and was named team MVP in 2008. He was also voted Top Defensive Player by the Greenville Technology summer program. In football, he has been a two-time first-team MAC Offensive Team choice, a two-time first-team MAC Defensive Team pick, a three-time all- academic selection, and was the MVP of the state championship football game in 2007. Though only playing basketball his freshman and sophomore years Klenke was awarded MAC first-team and Dream Team status both years.
¬ Coach Simonds on Klenke: "Cory Klenke is a very talented athlete. He is as impressive at the plate as he is in the field. Cory has above-average power for a middle infielder and has all the intangibles--demeanor, makeup, commitment--that you look for when you are putting a recruiting class together. We are very excited about Cory's future as a Redhawk."
Brooks Fiala is a 6-3, 175-pound right-handed pitcher/infielder who has been rated by Perfect Game as the No. 11 player in Indiana. Indiana Prep Baseball Report ranks Fiala as the No. 4 prospect in the state. The junior infielder hit .416 with four doubles three triples 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 31 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of .834. Fiala's efforts earned him numerous honors, including All-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference, Noblesville Daily Times All-Hamilton County Team, and Indianapolis Star All-North Team. He also was selected to play for Team Indiana in the Midwest Classic Baseball Tournament. Fiala has also excelled in the classroom, being named a Carmel High School scholar-athlete as well being a two-time member of the National Honor Society.
Coach Simonds on Fiala; "Brooks is what you look for in a student-athlete. Not only has he excelled on the baseball field but, more importantly, he has achieved in the classroom. We could not be more excited about his abilities as a two-way player. He will not only contribute immediately on the mound but will have a great opportunity as a corner infielder. He comes from a very good high school program and we know we are getting a well-coached player."
MIAMI UNIVERSITY BASEBALL'S FALL 2008 SIGNEES
NATE BOWLES ... Dayton/Stebbins, C, 5-11/180
BROOKS FIALA ... Carmel IN/Carmel, RHP/Inf, 6-3/175
CORY KLENKE ... Coldwater/Coldwater, SS, 6-2/185
BRIAN KROLIKOWSKI ... Batavia, IL/Batavia, RHP, 6-2/220
MASON REYNOLDS ... West Carrollton/West Carrollton, RHP, 6-5/185
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