Huskers Announce Six In-State Baseball Signees

Lincoln ? University of Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson announced Friday the signings of six high school seniors to National Letters-of-Intent to play baseball for the Cornhuskers beginning in 2005.

The fall recruiting class consists of Johnny Dorn (Grand Island, Neb.), Jake Mort (Nebraska City, Neb.), Drew Schwab (Omaha, Neb.), Michael Storey (Omaha, Neb.), Matt Wagner (Wahoo, Neb.) and Ryan Wehrle (Papillion, Neb.). The class of six high school seniors is highlighted by four all-state honorees, including a trio of first-team All-Nebraska selections in Wehrle, Mort and Schwab.

"We feel like we have top kids in the state," Anderson said. "Each of these young men fits a need and are in different stages of their development. We are looking forward to this group becoming a major part of our foundation over the next three and four years."

Anderson believes that this recruiting class shows the depth of the talent from throughout the state and follows the philosophy of placing an emphasis on building from within the state and the surrounding region.

"While Omaha and Lincoln have always been strong with talent and coaching, we’re excited about the high school programs from throughout the state by getting players from Nebraska City, Grand Island and Wahoo," Anderson said. "Our staff wants to recruit Nebraska kids first, then look to the surrounding states in the Midwest and find potential student-athletes across the nation who we feel can be a good fit into the Nebraska baseball program. With the signing of these six players, we have definitely met our goals in finding a part of this recruiting class that can fit both our short and long-term needs."

Player

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown (High School)

Johnny Dorn

RHP

6-3

195

Grand Island, Neb. (Grand Island)

Jake Mort

UTL

5-11

155

Nebraska City, Neb. (Nebraska City)

Drew Schwab

RHP

6-4

180

Omaha, Neb. (Westside)

Michael Storey

LHP

6-3

185

Omaha, Neb. (Bellevue West)

Matt Wagner

UTL

6-3

207

Wahoo, Neb. (Bishop Neumann)

Ryan Wehrle

INF

6-2

190

Papillion, Neb. (Papilion-LaVista)

Johnny Dorn - Dorn is a two-way performer who earned second-team All-Nebraska honors from the Omaha World-Herald and second-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star last spring. On the mound, he went 4-3 with an ERA just over two for Grand Island High School, while batting .348 with seven homers to help the Islanders to a state tournament appearance in the program’s first season of varsity competition. Over the summer, he pitched American Legion Ball for Home Federal, posting a 10-1 record a 2.09 ERA, as he struck out 82 hitters and allowed just 42 hits in 60.1 innings. Dorn is the first Grand Island High School native to sign with Nebraska since R.D. Spiehs signed with NU in the fall of 1997. Dorn, who has lettered three times in basketball, committed to Nebraska over the summer and is the son of Steve & Vicki Dorn.

Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach Rob Childress on Dorn: "Johnny is a very physical kid and is already 6-3 and 195 pounds with another year before he gets to campus. Right now, he is throwing in the mid-to-upper 80s, and I think his better days are still ahead of him. We believe he is a guy who can help us early in his career at Nebraska."

Dorn on Nebraska: "I've always wanted to go to Nebraska. Ever since I saw the College World Series with R.D. Spiehs pitching and being successful there, it's the only school I've wanted to go to."

Jake Mort -- Mort is one of three first-team All-Nebraska selections in the fall recruiting class. He played pitcher and third base at Nebraska City High School for Coach Tom Bales and was recruited to Nebraska as a utility player. As a junior, he was a first-team Super-State selection by the Lincoln Journal Star and first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald, batting .448 with five homers, 30 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and eight doubles. On the hill, he went 3-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 36 strikeouts. Mort, who was selected to both all-state teams as an infielder, also led the state with four saves. A three-year starter, he was an honorable-mention choice in his first two seasons on the diamond. Mort also plays football and basketball for Nebraska City, earning honorable-mention all-state honors on the hardwood last season. He has a total of eight varsity letters and is an academic all-state honoree. The son of Russ and Lori Mort, Jake owns a 3.92 GPA and is looking to major in Nebraska’s pre-medicine program. He chose Nebraska after looking at Texas, Miami (Fla.), Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State, Air Force and the U.S. Military Academy.

Head Coach Mike Anderson on Mort: "Jake was recruited as an athlete, and we felt like he has the ability to be a position player and pitch in this program. Not only does Jake have great athleticism, but brings the competitiveness that we are looking for in a potential player."

Mort on Nebraska: "Nebraska is a program which has been in the top 15 the past few seasons and is close to home. I’ve seen a lot of college baseball around the country, and I’ve never seen a crowd like NU’s and the fans are unbelievable. The facilities are amazing and the coaches really sold me on the school."

Drew Schwab ? Schwab was one of the state’s top hurlers in 2003, helping Omaha Westside and Coach Bob Greco to a 32-3 record, a state title and a No. 10 national ranking from USA Today. Schwab earned first-team All-Nebraska honors from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star in 2003, going 9-1 with 60 strikeouts and a 1.59 ERA. He led all pitchers in the state in wins, was fourth in strikeouts and was ninth in earned-run average. A three-year letterwinner in baseball, he also earned academic All-State honors.

Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach Rob Childress on Schwab: "Drew is a winner. He was part of a state title team and a great summer program as a No. 1 pitcher. At 6-4, 180 pounds, he has a good frame to work with and really has an idea of what he wants to do when he steps on the mound. We think he can be a contributor early on in his college career."

Schwab on Nebraska: "I really liked the coaching staff and the school. I’ve have always been a Nebraska fan growing up and wanted to pitch for the Huskers."

Michael Storey ? Storey pitched for Bellevue West High School and Coach Don Story, who retired following the 2003 season. As a junior, the 6-3, 185-pound left-hander posted a 2.26 ERA and was second in the state with 63 strikeouts in 43 innings. He averaged 10.18 strikeouts per game en route to honorable-mention All-Metro honors. He also pitched American Legion ball over the summer, compiling a 7-2 record with over 100 strikeouts and a 1.44 ERA. He struck out 15 or more on two occasions, including a 17-strikeout performance in a tournament in Missouri. The son of Loren and Joan Storey, Michael also received interest from Wichita State, Kansas and several junior colleges, but committed to NU in July.

Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach Rob Childress on Storey: "Michael is a power left-hander who has good size, a fastball in the upper 80s and a very good breaking pitch. He has the ability to get people out, and we really like his athleticism. We think he has a chance to come in right away and be a difference maker for us as a freshman."

Matt Wagner ? Wagner has played third base and shortstop for his American Legion Team (Wahoo State Bank) the past two seasons. As a junior, he batted .337 with four homers, 32 RBIs and three stolen bases to help his team to a 26-24 record and a district runner-up finish. Wagner also attended Nebraska’s Stars of Tomorrow Camp the past two seasons. While his high school doesn’t sponsor a baseball program, Wagner also plays football for three seasons at Wahoo Neumann High School, helping his team to a Class C-1 Finals appearance (plays Saturday morning for a state title) while also lettering one year in basketball. Matt also excels in the classroom, where he is a member of the National Honor Society. The son of Rick and Diane Wagner, he selected Nebraska over Iowa Western Community College.

Head Coach Mike Anderson on Wagner: "Matt has a very bright future ahead of him. Without the benefit of a high school program, he has impressed our entire coaching staff during the past two years at our camps, and we think this progress will continue once he steps on campus."

Ryan Wehrle ? One of the nation’s top high school seniors, Wehrle is considered by many to be one of the state’s top players in recent years. He is rated No. 177 nationally on Team One Baseball’s top-200 seniors list and is a two-time first-team all-state selection by both the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald. The shortstop earned first-team all-state honors for the second straight year as a junior, batting .462 with 12 doubles, 28 RBIs and 29 runs scored for Coach Jim Thomas at Papillion-LaVista High School. As a sophomore, he batted .505 with eight homers, 57 RBIs and 16 doubles to capture All-Nebraska honors. He is near school career marks in both RBIs and runs scored entering his senior season. Wehrle was also invited to the USA Baseball Stars of Tomorrow Tournament in Joplin, Mo., last June. He is also a member of the Papillion-LaVista Honor Roll. The son of Craig and Sue Wehrle, Ryan selected Nebraska over a host of schools, including LSU, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Texas A&M and Baylor.

Head Coach Mike Anderson on Wehrle: "Ryan is a young man that committed to us as a junior and is someone we identified very early in our recruiting process. We knew we wanted him in our program, and we are thrilled with his choice of being a Husker."

Wehrle on Nebraska: "I chose Nebraska because it is close to home and I’m able to play in front of my family and friends, the coaching staff seems like a good group of people to work with and the success the program has had over the past few seasons."