Huskers Sign 11 Players During Fall Period

Lincoln - University of Nebraska Baseball Coach Dave Van Horn announced Tuesday that 11 players have signed National Letters-of-Intent to play baseball at NU during the recently concluded signing period. The class, which includes six high school seniors and five junior college products, will be eligible to compete at Nebraska during the 2002-03 year.

With four pitchers, four infielders and four outfielders, Van Horn believes that this recruiting class will compliment the returnees for next season.

"Overall, we are really happy with the makeup of this class," Van Horn said. "This class covers a lot of areas for us. The only position where we didn't sign anyone is at catcher, where we have three underclassmen already. We were able to sign many of the players we targeted for the fall."

The incoming class features two of Baeball America's top 100 high school seniors in infielder Alex Gordon (Lincoln, Neb./Southeast) and right-handed pitcher Blair Johnson (Topeka, Kan./Washburn Rural). In addition, left-hander Zach Kroenke (Omaha, Neb./Northwest) has been listed in the top 200 players nationally according to Team One Baseball, while right-hander Rob Morrissey (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) and first baseman Kila Kaaihue (Kailua, Hawaii/Iolani) both earned first-team honors in their respective states last season.

Among the junior college players, right-hander Quinton Robertson (Richland, Miss./Texarkana College) earned second-team NJCAA All-America honors as a freshman, while infielder Joe Gullion (Overland Park, Kan./Johnson County CC) and outfielder Francisco Leandro (Caracas, Venezuela/Western Nebraska CC) both ranked among the national leaders in home runs last spring.

"This is probably the most athletic class we have brought in," Van Horn said. We went head-to-head with some big programs for many of these players, and the new ballpark and the success we have had over the past three seasons played a major part. Although we may lose a couple of players in the draft, we think many of the players will be able to come in and make an immediate impact for us next season."

The Huskers are coming off their most successful season in school history in 2001, going 50-16 and reaching the College World Series for the first time in school history. NU swept the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and finished the season ranked in the top 10 in all three polls. Nebraska opens the 2002 season on Feb. 15, when the Huskers travel to Houston, Texas, for the Holiday Inn/Crowne Plaza Rice Invitational.

University of Nebraska Baseball Fall Signees

Name

Pos

B/T

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

Last School

Kevin Belcher

OF

R/R

6-2

185

Lake Forest, Ill.

Lake Forest High School

Jesse Boyer

OF

L/L

6-1

185

Littleton, Colo.

Neosho County Community College

Brandon Fusilier

OF

R/R

6-2

215

Coppell, Texas

Navarro Community College

Alex Gordon

INF

L/R

6-0

185

Lincoln, Neb.

Southeast High School

Joe Gullion

INF

R/R

6-1

185

Overland Park, Kan.

Johnson County Community College

Blair Johnson

RHP

R/R

6-3

200

Topeka, Kan.

Washburn Rural High School

Kila Kaaihue

1B

L/R

6-3

200

Kailua, Hawaii

Iolani High School

Zach Kroenke

LHP

L/L

6-1

180

Omaha, Neb.

Northwest High School

Francisco Leandro

OF

L/L

6-0

170

Caracas, Venezuela

Western Nebraska Community College

Rob Morrissey

RHP

R/R

6-0

175

Omaha, Neb.

Millard West High School

Quinton Robertson

RHP

R/R

6-5

200

Richland, Miss.

Texarkana College

Kevin Belcher
The only high school outfielder in the 2003 recruiting class, Belcher played for Coach Tom Meyers at Lake Forest High School outside of Chicago. The 6-2, 185-pound outfielder is the fastest member the class, as he was timed at 6.65 in the 60-yard dash at the Area Code Games during the summer. A two-year starter at Lake Forest High School, Belcher hit close to .400 as a junior and was a first-team All Lake Country Conference and All-Lake Shore selection. In addition to the Area Code Games, Belcher, an honorable-mention All-Illinois honoree, was selected to play in the North Surburban Junior All-Star game at Comiskey Park. Belcher was selected as one of the top 15 players in the state of Illinois by Baseball America/Prospects Plus. Belcher's older brother, Greg, played collegiate baseball at Illinois for two seasons. The son of Marsha and Jim Belcher, Kevin selected Nebraska over Miami (Fla.) and Auburn. Lake Forest High School also produced current St. Louis Cardinal (and former Creighton All-American) Alan Benes and his younger brother, Adam, a prospect in the Cardinal organization.

Van Horn on Belcher: "Kevin has good size and a lot of natural athletic ability. He is the fastest player we signed and we think he can potentially be a very good player in our system."

Jesse Boyer
Boyer comes to Nebraska via Neosho Community College in Chanute, Kan., where he plays for Coach Steve Murry. As a freshman, the 6-1, 185-pound outfielder batted .395 with 14 homers and 39 RBIs in 45 contests. He also ranked among the team leaders in doubles (10), runs scored (40) and on-base percentage (.503) to help the Panthers to a 38-16 record and a regional runner-up finish in 2001. He has been selected as one of four captains for the 2002 season and selected to play in the Kansas Junior College all-star game earlier this fall. Prior to attending Neosho CC, the Littleton, Colo., native attended Columbine High School. The son of John & Cindy Boyer, Jesse selected Nebraska over Florida, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Louisiana Tech.

Van Horn on Boyer: "Jesse is a left-handed hitting outfielder who really runs well. Coach (Rob) Childress saw him play at the Kansas Junior College all-star game, and he really put on a show. He swings the bat well and has some good power."

Brandon Fusilier
Fusilier played for Navarro Community College and Coach Skip Johnson, where he earned first-team Texas Eastern Athletic Conference honors. In 2001, he batted .382 with 11 homers and 55 RBI, while also stealing 19 bases and scoring 37 runs for the Bulldogs, who finished with a 35-23 record in 2001. For his efforts, he was selected to the Texas Junior College All-Star game. Over the summer, he played with several current Huskers (Drew Anderson, Brandon Eymann, Steve Hale and Jason Burch) with the Liberal Bee Jays of the MINK (Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas) League. He hit .329 with 29 RBIs, while leading the team in home runs (4), hits (51) and triples (3) to help the Bee Jays advance to the NBC World Series in Wichita. As a senior at Coppell High School, he batted .375 and earned first team all-district honors, helping the school to a 31-3 record in 2000. He was part of a team that had three players drafted, including Jason Stokes, one of the top prospects in the Florida Marlin system. The son of Teri and Jaques Fusilier, Brandon selected Nebraska over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas Arlington

Van Horn on Fusilier: "Brandon is a very physical player. He played with some of our players over the summer in the MINK league and earned team MVP honors. The thing that we really like about him is that he is an intense hard-nosed player."

Alex Gordon
One of the top high school position players to come out of Nebraska in recent years, Lincoln Southeast product Alex Gordon is a two-time All-Nebraska selection by both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star. The 6-0, 185-pound infielder has been tabbed as the best prospect in the state by both Baseball America/Prospects Plus and Team One Baseball, and was ranked among the top 100 nationally prospects by Baseball America (No. 90). A three-year starter at Lincoln Southeast for Coach Randy Brolhorst, Gordon is a two-time All-Nebraska selection who was named the honorary co-captain (along with current NU freshman Daniel Bruce) of the 2001 squad after leading the state in hitting (.597), doubles (17) and homers (10). Gordon, who was the Knights' leadoff hitter, also ranked among the state leaders in hits (46), runs scored (39) and RBIs (30), as Southeast qualified for the state tournament and finished with a 19-7 mark. As a sophomore, Gordon hit .407 with seven homers, 42 RBIs and had a .700 on-base percentage. He also went 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA on the mound to earn first-team all-state honors. Gordon comes from a family rich in baseball tradition, as both his father (Mike, Nebraska) and older brother (Eric, Nebraska-Omaha) played collegiate baseball, while his grandfather (Charlie) was the long-time coach at Lincoln Southeast, guiding the Knights to a state title in 1977. Alex also considered Baylor and Tennessee before signing with Nebraska. In addition to his exploits on the diamond, Gordon is a three-sport standout who is one of the state's premier football players as well. A two-time first-team All-Nebraska selection by the World-Herald and Journal Star, Gordon led the state with seven interceptions, while averaging 20 yards per catch and 35 yards on kickoff returns this fall. For his efforts, he was selected as the World-Herald's High School Boys' Athlete of the Year in 2000-01, becoming the first junior recipient to win the honor in the 51 years of its existence.

Van Horn on Gordon: "Alex is as solid a hitter as any in the Midwest this year. He doesn't strike out much and he can hit for both average and power. Defensively, he is a smooth player who makes difficult plays look easy. He has an opportunity to come in and start for us as a freshman."

Joe Gullion
Joe Gullion comes to Nebraska after attending Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. A 6-1, 185-pound infielder, Joe Gullion was named the East Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year in 2001 after batting .484 with 20 homers and 75 RBIs for Coach Ken Shelley. Last spring, he set single-season school records in homers (20), hits (75) and runs scored (71), while posting a 1.045 slugging percentage. A 43rd-round selection of the Montreal Expos in the 2001 Major League Baseball draft, Gullion was among the NJCAA national leaders in homers, while also garnering first-team NJCAA All-Region VI accolades. He also finished the season with 15 doubles and six triples, while having 19 multiple-RBI performances from his leadoff spot. Gullian was recently selected to the Kansas Junior College All-Star game, a showcase for the league's top prospects. A native of Overland Park, he did not begin to play baseball until his junior season at Blue Valley North High School. Joe also looked at Oklahoma State, Mississippi, Kansas and Kansas State before selecting the Huskers. He is the son of Mike and Jane Gullion, who both graduated from Nebraska.

Van Horn on Gullion: "Joe is a great hitter. He played a lot of shortstop in junior college, but we are projecting him at either second or third. He was hurt for part of last year, but still put up tremendous numbers as a freshman. He can run and hit for some power."

Blair Johnson
One of the Midwest's top pitching prospects, Blair Johnson is a hard-throwing right-hander from Topeka, Kan., where he starred for Coach Doug Holmes at Washburn Rural High School. Johnson is ranked among the top 50 high school seniors in the country according to both Baseball America/Prospects Plus (No. 31) and Team One Baseball (No. 43). Team One Baseball also lists him as the state's No. 1 high school senior. As a junior, he compiled a 5-3 mark with an ERA under 2.50 to earn first-team all-city and Class 6A All-Kansas honors. Johnson struck out 70 hitters, highlighted by a 13-strikeout performance in the state quarterfinals, Washburn Rural's first state tournament appearance since 1994. His older brother, Eric, plays football at Division II power Pittsburg (Kan.) State. The son of Greg and Kathy Johnson, Blair selected Nebraska over Wichita State.

Van Horn on Johnson: "Blair was one of the best pitching prospects in the country. He is a hard thrower who was consistently in the upper 80s and lower 90s during the summer."

Kila Kaaihue
One of the top power-hitting prospects on the west coast, Kila Kaaihue signed with Nebraska after earning all-state honors in each of the past two years at Iolani High School in Honolulu. A first-team All-Hawaii selection by the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the 6-3, 200-pound Kaaihue ranked among the state leaders with a .492 batting average while adding five homers and 20 RBIs in 85 at-bats last season. In 2000, he was a second-team all-state selection at DH behind Bronson Sardinha, a first-round selection by the New York Yankees in 2001. A two-time Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) honoree, Kaaihue spent part of last summer playing for an all-star team on a goodwill tour of Japan. He played the last two seasons for his father, Kala Kaaihue, who played minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals organizations. In addition to his performance in baseball, he is also the starting quarterback for Iolani HS. Kila considered Stanford, Hawaii and Brigham Young before selecting Nebraska.

Van Horn on Kaaihue: "Kila is a big kid who played quarterback for his high school team and is a very good athlete. We recruited him to be a first baseman, and he will be a big target who could play right away. He has a good natural swing and has the ability to generate power."

Zach Kroenke
A hard-throwing left-hander from Omaha, Zach Kroenke burst on the national scene this summer and enters his senior season ranked among the nation's top prospects. The No. 2 prospect in the state according to Team One Baseball and among the top 175 players nationally according to the service, Kroenke was rated the No. 3 overall prospect at the Team One Midwest Showcase in South Bend, Ind., in August. He also cracked the Baseball America/Prospects Plus top 400 list at No. 232 nationally and No. 3 among the state's high school seniors. During the summer, the 6-1, 180-pound lefty was 6-1 with an ERA close to 3.00 during the legion season. In 70 innings of work, he struck out 70 hitters with a fastball that has been consistently clocked in the upper 80s and an excellent curve. As a junior playing for coach Steve Ward at Omaha Northwest, he earned honorable-mention all-state honors from the Lincoln Journal-Star. He had scholarship offers from Winthrop and Kansas and drew interest from Clemson, Northern Iowa and Minnesota before selecting the Huskers.

Van Horn on Kroenke: "Zach is a player we have been following since the summer, and has really developed into an outstanding pitcher. He is a left-hander with good size and can throw in the mid-80s."

Francisco Leandro
One of five junior college players in the 2003 Husker recruiting class, Francisco Leandro comes to Nebraska from Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff. As a freshman, he played at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College for Coach Mike Jones before both went to WNCC, a first-year program. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Leandro earned first team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference honors as a freshman, batting .405 with 21 homers and 73 runs batted in, ranked among the national leaders in home runs last spring. The 5-10, 170-pound outfielder has also shown exceptional speed, stealing 21 bases for Dodge City in 2001. He selected Nebraska over Kansas State, Florida Atlantic and Florida International.

Van Horn on Leandro: "Francisco is a very disciplined hitter who could potentially hit in the 3-hole for us. He has a great eye at the plate and can put a charge into the ball when he makes contact. He put up some outstanding power numbers at Dodge City, and has very good speed in the outfield."

Rob Morrisey
A first-team All-Nebraska selection by the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star last spring, Morrisey is one of three in-state high school prospects in this fall's recruiting class. One of the state's top two-way performers, the 6-0, 185-pound right-hander posted an 8-1 record with a 2.33 earned-run average last spring as the Wildcats won a state-record 33 games and reached the state title contest. The No. 5 prospect in the state according to Baseball America/Prospects Plus, he struck out 50 hitters in 45 innings of work, while batting .463 as the team's starting shortstop. An honorable-mention all-state choice as a sophomore, Morrisey also starred during American Legion play, going 8-2 with a 2.60 ERA last summer.

Van Horn on Morrisey: "Rob is a competitor who likes to win. He quarterbacked his team to the state title this fall and has a lot of natural athletic ability. When we saw him over the summer, he got better every outing and was consistently hitting the upper 80s. He is someone we think has a chance to pitch as a freshman because of the competitiveness he brings to the mound every time he pitches."

Quinton Robertson
One of the nation's top junior college pitchers, Quinton Robertson comes to NU from Texarkana Junior College in Texarkana, Texas. As a freshman, he earned second-team NJCAA All-America and first-team All-Texas Eastern Association honors for Coach Matt Deggs, compiling a 9-0 record and a 3.45 ERA in 73 innings. He averaged nine strikeouts per game, as opponents just .255 against him. A 17th-round selection of the New York Yankees in the 2001 MLB Draft, the 6-5, 200-pound right-hander helped the Bulldogs to a 39-21 record and a spot in the NJCAA World Series last spring. He is the second Texarkana JC product to sign with Nebraska in the last three years, joining starting third baseman Jeff Blevins. A native of Richland, Miss., he also looked at Mississippi State, Mississippi, Southern Miss and Texas before signing with Nebraska. Texarkana JC is a program familiar to the Husker coaching staff, as both Dave Van Horn (1989-93) and Rob Childress (1994) served as head coaches at the school.

Van Horn on Robertson: "Quinton comes from a very good junior college program. He was a big reason why they made it to the NCJAA World Series last season. He can really pitch and has an outstanding change-up. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 17th round last year, but we are hoping we can get him to Nebraska."