Nov. 13, 2009

Seven Baseball Players Sign NLIs to Attend Youngstown State

Youngstown -- Three infielders, two outfielders and two pitchers have signed a National Letter of Intent to continue their baseball and academic careers at Youngstown State University, Penguins head coach Rich Pasquale announced.

Poland High's Phil Lipari joins infielders Drew Dosch and Daniel Hurlimann while Hermitage, Pa., native David Saluga and Chris Mitko are the outfielders. The pitchers are Nicolas Manuppelli and Triantafyllos Krokos.

"I feel this class is strong from top to bottom," Pasquale said. "The future is bright for Penguin Baseball not only on the field, but in the classroom and in society. These are some special people. I always say that good people make good programs, and this class certainly fits that quote."

Pasquale added that two more players, who cannot be announced because of NCAA rules, have also given verbal commitments to play at YSU next season.

Lipari is a 5-foot-6 infielder from nearby Poland Seminary high school who batted .424 and had a .990 fielding percentage as a junior. He helped lead the Bulldogs to the regional finals in 2009 by knocking in the go-ahead run against Louisville. Poland eventually lost to the Division II state champion team, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

"Phil is a consistent, hard-nosed player who brings a high level of passion to the game," Pasquale said. "He'll fit in very well with our blue-collar mentality."

Dosch is a 6-foot-1 infielder who was named the Columbus All-Metro Player of the Year as a junior playing for Canal Winchester. He batted .500 with 47 RBIs as a junior and .514 with 42 RBIs as a sophomore, earning first-team all-league, all-district and Fairfield County Player-of-the-Year honors both years. He holds school single season records in batting average, hits and RBIs. Last season he was named Second-Team All-Ohio as a pitcher as he went 12-1 with a 1.48 ERA in leading Canal Winchester to the state semifinals. Academically, Dosch is ranked first in his class of 240 and has a 4.0 grade-point average.

"With his baseball skills and his academic success, Drew is the epitome of a good student-athlete," Pasquale said. "He is a tremendous offensive player who has a knack to win."

Hurlimann is a 6-foot infielder from Hilton, N.Y. who batted .368, hit four homers and slugged .588 as a junior at Hilton High. He was named first-team all-county as a junior, and helped lead Hilton to the Section V championship as a sophomore. Hurlimann has a chance to break school records in career home runs and RBIs. Also a goalie on the hockey team, he was named first-team all-county.

"Dan is a very good defensive shortstop with good actions and a quick first step," Pasquale said. "Hehas a natural quick trigger from the left side of the plate."

Mitko is a 6-foot-2 outfielder who has hit 14 home runs in his first three seasons at Nortland High School near Columbus, Ohio. He batted .621 with four home runs and 41 RBIs as a junior to earn first-team all-league and second-team all-district honors. Mitko earned second-team all-conference honors as a freshman and sophomore. He owns the school single-season triples record with nine, and he was named a top prospect at the Baseball Factory Cleveland Showcase. A quarterback on the Nortland football team, he led the City League North in passing.

"Chris is very athletic and is top-caliber base stealer," Pasquale said. "He combines speed and power with great range in the outfield."

Saluga is a 6-foot-1 outfielder who batted .455 with six home runs and 15 RBIs as a junior for Hickory High in Hermitage, Pa. He earned first-team all-region honors as a junior as he helped lead Hickory to a runner-up finish at districts. Hickory won back-to-back district titles his freshman and sophomore seasons. Saluga is also a two-time second-team all-region selection in golf.

"David is very athletic in the outfield, and he has good power from the left side of the plate," Pasquale said.

Krokos is a 6-foot, right-handed hurler from Brecksville, Ohio. He has helped lead Brecksville-Broadview Heights to two Southwest Conference Titles and a district title.

"Ryan is a fierce competitor on the mound who attacks hitters and has good control," Pasquale said.

Manuppelli is a 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher from Plum Senior High near Pittsburgh  who went 3-2 with 38 strikeouts in 40.1 innings as a junior. He helped lead Plum to a second place finish in the WPIAL as a sophomore.

"Nic is a big, strong right-handed pitcher who has a dangerous fastball and change-up combination," Pasquale said. "He attacks hitters and just knows how to pitch."