Central Michigan University Athletics
Jordan Bischel guided Central Michigan to the Mid-American Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2019, his first year at the helm of the program.
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Bischel Announces Signing Class Of 11
11/27/2019 4:42:00 PM | Baseball
New Chippewas all rooted in the Midwest
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan baseball coach Jordan Bischel has announced his 2020 signing class, a group comprising 11 players all hailing from the states of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin.
It is Bischel's second recruiting class at CMU. Last spring, he led the program to one of the very best seasons in program history as the Chippewas won both the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 as they tied the program record with 47 victories.
"Certainly winning games only helps create exposure when it comes to recruiting and hopefully opens the door to have contact with high-level student-athletes in recruiting," said Bischel, who was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2019. "We really try to evaluate personality and character as much as we evaluate ability.
"Our 2020 class is filled high-character, high-quality student-athletes. We really have put a lot of emphasis on recruiting high quality students because we think it's an indication of work ethic and in taking pride in the little things."
The diverse class includes four pitchers, two corner infielders, a middle infielder, two catchers, one infielder and one outfielder. Several of the players are capable of playing any number of positions.
"This class has a number of quality strike-throwing pitchers who should compete for innings early in their careers," Bischel said. "On the hitting side this class has more physical hitters than the 2019 class and should balance out our depth on the offensive end. Our 2019 signing class really built our depth through the middle of the field; this class likely will provide more of an offensive presence."
Brendan Lowry • OF • Livonia, Mich. • Churchill HS
Earned four letters at Churchill High School … Name All-Kensington Lakes Activities Association in baseball in 2017-18 … led Chargers to Division 1 district championships in 2017-18 … also earned three letters in football … played travel ball with the Michigan Bulls, coached by Bobby Marten.
Daniel Wuestenfeld • 1B/3B • Plainfield, Ill. • Joliet Catholic Academy
Hit .318 with two home runs, 21 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .508 on base percentage and a .447 slugging percentage during junior year in 2019 … named First Team All-Area by the Joliet Bugle … ranked among the top 100 and as the No. 5 first baseman by Prep Baseball Reports … named to all-tournament squads at the 2019 World Wood Bat Association World Championship, the 2019 WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship, and the 2018 WWBA Midwest Underclass Qualifier … played travel ball with the Cangelosi Sparks, coached by Dave Payton and Tom Knapczyk.
Benjamin Vitas • RHP • Shorewood, Ill. • Providence Catholic HS
Earned four varsity letters at Providence Catholic … helped team to two regional championships … also earned one letter in basketball … played travel ball with the Cangelosi Sparks, coached by Dave Payton, Tyler Thompson and Tom Knapczyk.
Ronald Morgan • C/IF/OF • Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison HS
First Team All-Ohio Capital Conference … four-year letter winner … played summer ball with Bo Jackson Elite, coached by Scott Stewart and Dave Morosky.
Sandyn Cuthrell • SS/2B • Cass City, Mich./Cass City HS
Has earned 11 varsity letters at Cass City High School heading into senior year … served as team captain in football, basketball and baseball … hit .417 as a junior … named All-Greater Thumb Conference First Team twice and Second Team once … four-time All-GTC selection in football … All-State honorable mention in football (2018), in basketball (2017-18), and in baseball (2018) … earned Golden Helmet Award from MLive three times in football career … three-time all-conference selection in football … played summer ball for Michigan Select from 2012-20, coached by Mark Jebb, Norman Kapala and George Ross.
Luke Scoles • RHP/OF • Richland, Mich./Gull Lake HS
Two-time All-Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference selection … two-time all-district pick … selected all-region in 2018 … Perfect Game Underclass All-American in 2018 … Prep Baseball Report Midwest Futures Team Michigan member in 2018 … set Gull Lake single-season earned run average record in 2018 … named to both the Battle Creek Enquirer and the Kalamazoo Gazette dream teams in 2018 … played summer ball for Kalamazoo Maroons (2016-18), coached by Con Stanton, and for Motor City Hit Dogs (2019), coached by Matt Petry.
Jack Feely • RHP • Normal, Ill./University HS
Struck out 47 in 47 1/3 innings with a 5-2 record and two saves and a 1.77 earned run average in 2019 … No. 55 prospect in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report … named to all-tournament team by World Wood Bat Association … three-year letter winner … earned First Team All-Central State Eight Conference in 2019, named honorable mention in 2018 … coached by Steve Paxson at University High School … played summer ball for the Illinois Braves (2019), coached by Ryan Tabeling.
Colton Coca • 1B/3B • Racine, Wis./Racine Case HS
Hit .517 with four home runs as a junior … hit .351 as a sophomore … earned first team all-conference and first team all-district as a junior … named second team all-conference as a sophomore … played summer ball for Hitters Baseball, coached by RJ Fergus and Brendon Hayden.
Connor Gill • RHP • Plainfield, Ill./Oswego East HS
Named to All-Southwest Prairie Conference team … earned three letters … played for Matt Engelhardt at Oswego East HS … played summer ball for GoPro Baseball, coached by Bob Daly.
Michael Hundley • INF • Hamilton, Ohio/St. Xavier HS
Played at St. Xavier HS for Bon Sherlock … played summer ball for Ohio Elite (2016-18), coached by Kelly Ratcliff, and for Midland (2019), coached by Scott Stocker and Kyle Wainscott … two-time All-Greater Catholic League … captained both the baseball and football teams at St. Xavier … earned three letters in baseball … two-time All-GCL in football … earned two letters in football.
Drew Stengren • C • Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove HS
Hit .289 with 13 RBI in helping lead Cary-Grove to regional championship in 2019 … posted a .423 on base percentage with 22 walks … committed just four errors throughout the 2019 season … threw out 17 of 32 woiuld-be base stealers … earned spot on Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, Ill.) All-Area Third Team … named to the Northwest Herald Preseason Player to Watch … played at Cary-Grove for coach Ryan Passaglia … played summer ball for Pro Player Hurricanes, coached by Paul Belo.
It is Bischel's second recruiting class at CMU. Last spring, he led the program to one of the very best seasons in program history as the Chippewas won both the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 as they tied the program record with 47 victories.
"Certainly winning games only helps create exposure when it comes to recruiting and hopefully opens the door to have contact with high-level student-athletes in recruiting," said Bischel, who was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2019. "We really try to evaluate personality and character as much as we evaluate ability.
"Our 2020 class is filled high-character, high-quality student-athletes. We really have put a lot of emphasis on recruiting high quality students because we think it's an indication of work ethic and in taking pride in the little things."
The diverse class includes four pitchers, two corner infielders, a middle infielder, two catchers, one infielder and one outfielder. Several of the players are capable of playing any number of positions.
"This class has a number of quality strike-throwing pitchers who should compete for innings early in their careers," Bischel said. "On the hitting side this class has more physical hitters than the 2019 class and should balance out our depth on the offensive end. Our 2019 signing class really built our depth through the middle of the field; this class likely will provide more of an offensive presence."
Brendan Lowry • OF • Livonia, Mich. • Churchill HS
Earned four letters at Churchill High School … Name All-Kensington Lakes Activities Association in baseball in 2017-18 … led Chargers to Division 1 district championships in 2017-18 … also earned three letters in football … played travel ball with the Michigan Bulls, coached by Bobby Marten.
Daniel Wuestenfeld • 1B/3B • Plainfield, Ill. • Joliet Catholic Academy
Hit .318 with two home runs, 21 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .508 on base percentage and a .447 slugging percentage during junior year in 2019 … named First Team All-Area by the Joliet Bugle … ranked among the top 100 and as the No. 5 first baseman by Prep Baseball Reports … named to all-tournament squads at the 2019 World Wood Bat Association World Championship, the 2019 WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship, and the 2018 WWBA Midwest Underclass Qualifier … played travel ball with the Cangelosi Sparks, coached by Dave Payton and Tom Knapczyk.
Benjamin Vitas • RHP • Shorewood, Ill. • Providence Catholic HS
Earned four varsity letters at Providence Catholic … helped team to two regional championships … also earned one letter in basketball … played travel ball with the Cangelosi Sparks, coached by Dave Payton, Tyler Thompson and Tom Knapczyk.
Ronald Morgan • C/IF/OF • Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison HS
First Team All-Ohio Capital Conference … four-year letter winner … played summer ball with Bo Jackson Elite, coached by Scott Stewart and Dave Morosky.
Sandyn Cuthrell • SS/2B • Cass City, Mich./Cass City HS
Has earned 11 varsity letters at Cass City High School heading into senior year … served as team captain in football, basketball and baseball … hit .417 as a junior … named All-Greater Thumb Conference First Team twice and Second Team once … four-time All-GTC selection in football … All-State honorable mention in football (2018), in basketball (2017-18), and in baseball (2018) … earned Golden Helmet Award from MLive three times in football career … three-time all-conference selection in football … played summer ball for Michigan Select from 2012-20, coached by Mark Jebb, Norman Kapala and George Ross.
Luke Scoles • RHP/OF • Richland, Mich./Gull Lake HS
Two-time All-Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference selection … two-time all-district pick … selected all-region in 2018 … Perfect Game Underclass All-American in 2018 … Prep Baseball Report Midwest Futures Team Michigan member in 2018 … set Gull Lake single-season earned run average record in 2018 … named to both the Battle Creek Enquirer and the Kalamazoo Gazette dream teams in 2018 … played summer ball for Kalamazoo Maroons (2016-18), coached by Con Stanton, and for Motor City Hit Dogs (2019), coached by Matt Petry.
Jack Feely • RHP • Normal, Ill./University HS
Struck out 47 in 47 1/3 innings with a 5-2 record and two saves and a 1.77 earned run average in 2019 … No. 55 prospect in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report … named to all-tournament team by World Wood Bat Association … three-year letter winner … earned First Team All-Central State Eight Conference in 2019, named honorable mention in 2018 … coached by Steve Paxson at University High School … played summer ball for the Illinois Braves (2019), coached by Ryan Tabeling.
Colton Coca • 1B/3B • Racine, Wis./Racine Case HS
Hit .517 with four home runs as a junior … hit .351 as a sophomore … earned first team all-conference and first team all-district as a junior … named second team all-conference as a sophomore … played summer ball for Hitters Baseball, coached by RJ Fergus and Brendon Hayden.
Connor Gill • RHP • Plainfield, Ill./Oswego East HS
Named to All-Southwest Prairie Conference team … earned three letters … played for Matt Engelhardt at Oswego East HS … played summer ball for GoPro Baseball, coached by Bob Daly.
Michael Hundley • INF • Hamilton, Ohio/St. Xavier HS
Played at St. Xavier HS for Bon Sherlock … played summer ball for Ohio Elite (2016-18), coached by Kelly Ratcliff, and for Midland (2019), coached by Scott Stocker and Kyle Wainscott … two-time All-Greater Catholic League … captained both the baseball and football teams at St. Xavier … earned three letters in baseball … two-time All-GCL in football … earned two letters in football.
Drew Stengren • C • Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove HS
Hit .289 with 13 RBI in helping lead Cary-Grove to regional championship in 2019 … posted a .423 on base percentage with 22 walks … committed just four errors throughout the 2019 season … threw out 17 of 32 woiuld-be base stealers … earned spot on Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, Ill.) All-Area Third Team … named to the Northwest Herald Preseason Player to Watch … played at Cary-Grove for coach Ryan Passaglia … played summer ball for Pro Player Hurricanes, coached by Paul Belo.
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