Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Sign Five in Baseball
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 15, 2004
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University baseball coach Steve Jaksa announced the signing of five student-athletes to national letters-of-intent.
Joining the Chippewas this fall will be: pitcher Nigel Goodwin (Spokane, Washington); infielder Noah Lankford ( Cincinnati, Ohio); infielder Bryan Resnick (Orange, California); pitcher-infielder Ben Shultz (Hunting Valley, Ohio); and pitcher Greg Witkowski (Saginaw).
Coupled with the six players signed during the early period back in the fall, CMU's class for 2004-05 will be 11.
"We brought in a group of seven pitchers because of the five who are seniors right now," Jaksa said. "We got some excellent arms in the group and we're excited to see how they develop. "We're trying to build depth with our other players, some of whom can play the infield as well as outfield. Our two assistants (Mike Villano and Brad Stromdahl) deserve a lot of credit for the hard work they did in signing this class."
Following is a thumbnail sketch of each new signee:
Goodwin is a 6-6, 210-pounder right-hander who is playing for Community College of Spokane and was drafted in the 42nd round by the San Diego Padres last summer. He is a fierce competitor with a fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s along with a nasty slider. He was had a 1.95 ERA last season at Spokane and had 76 strikeouts in 64 innings. He prepped at Selah High in Selah, Washington and is the son of Mike and Tina Goodwin. "We can use Nigel either as a starter or as a closer," Jaksa said. "He is extremely talented."
Lankford is a 5-11, 175-pounder who led St. Xavier High to a state championship in 2003 by pacing his team in almost every offensive category. He is an athletic switch-hitter who was first team all-city and all-league a year ago. He is the son of Lance and Kim Lankford. "Noah is a winner who is a versatile player that can play multiple positions and is a very good hitter," Jaksa said.
Resnick is a 5-10, 160-pounder from El Modena High who is ticketed for action as a middle infielder. He is a slick fielder and the ball jumps off his bat at the plate. He was selected to the prestigious New York Yankees Scout Team and was an All-Century League selection in one of the most prestigious prep leagues in the country. He is the son of Barry and Adrian Resnick. "Bryan is a superb fielder and we were impressed with his hitting," Jaksa said. 'He's a good fit for our team."
Schultz is a 6-0, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and infield prospect from University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. He has a live arm with a fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s. He was an all-area selection in 2003 and was in the top 10 in pitching and batting in Northeast Ohio. He is the son of Rick and Lauren Schultz. "We're going to give Ben a chance to swing the bat as well as pitch," Jaksa said. "He will develop a good breaking ball to go along with that live fastball."
Witkowski is a 6-1, 190-pound left-handed pitcher who attends Seward Community College in Kansas after spending one year at Grand Rapids CC and playing on its national championship team. He throws in the mid-80s with an excellent breaking ball. He is the son of Bob and Lynn Witkowski. "Greg is a left-handed pitcher with a great breaking ball that he can throw for strikes," Jaksa said. "He's a talented, multiple pitch guy."
All three high school signees carry grade-point-averages of 3.5 or better and qualified for CMU's President's Award.
The fall signees were: infielder Brent Koritko (Burlington, Ontario), pitcher Kurt Lauscher (Grand Rapids CC), pitcher Nathan Pung (Lansing CC), pitcher Jeff Richard (West Bloomfield), pitcher Josh Ruhlman (Chesterfield) and catcher Tyler Stovall (Loveland, Ohio).
