Bolt Announces Signing Class for 2022Bolt Announces Signing Class for 2022
Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications
Baseball

Bolt Announces Signing Class for 2022

Nebraska head baseball coach Will Bolt announced the Huskers' 2022 signing class Monday. The class comprises 10 student-athletes who will join the NU program for Fall 2022.

Bolt, assistant coach Jeff Christy and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Lance Harvell have signed eight incoming freshmen and two transfers. The incoming class adds to the Husker staff's emphasis on in-state recruiting with six players from Nebraska, as well as two players from Kansas, one from Colorado and one hailing from Canada.

"I'm incredibly excited about the character and talent of this 2022 class," Bolt said. "On the recruiting trail, we try to identify talented 'gamers' who perform on the biggest stages and are great teammates on great teams. Coach Harvell and Coach Christy have done an amazing job of finding those types of student-athletes in this 2022 class that can help elevate our program to the next level. These guys will be great in the classroom and the community, and they will bring winning habits to the program each and every day."

AUSTIN BERGGREN
RHP - 6-2 - 210 - R/R - Olathe, Kan. (Olathe East)
Berggren has lettered one year under coach Blake Iles at Olathe East High School. Berggren was a Class 6A Sunflower League Honorable Mention selection as a junior after posting a 1.96 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 42.2 innings pitched. He has also lettered four years in football, earning all-state honorable mention.

Off the field, he is a member of the honor roll.

Berggren has also played for Natural Baseball Academy under coach Scott Jones, seeing time as a pitcher and an infielder.

"Austin is a high school quarterback and multi-sport athlete that has a lot of upside," Christy said. "He is not afraid to attack hitters and wants to be in the big moments. He is a physical kid who has really come into his own over the past year, and I am excited to see what his future holds."
 



DYLAN CAREY
INF - 6-2 - 185 - R/R - Castle Rock, Colo. (Ponderosa)
Carey, ranked the top recruit in Colorado by Prep Baseball Report, has lettered one year under coach Bob Maloney at Ponderosa High School. As a junior, Carey was a first-team all-state and first-team all-conference selection at shortstop. He hit .517 with five homers, 21 RBI and 16 runs scored in league play. Carey helped the Mustangs to the Class 4A state championship and a conference title.

Carey also plays for the Slammers program under the guidance of former Major Leaguer Mark Holzemer. He was named a Preseason Underclass All-American and earned a spot on the Perfect Game National Elite Championship All-Tournament Team in 2021. Carey also earned Perfect Game World Series All-Tournament honors three years in a row (2018-20), WWBA All-Tournament Team recognition twice (2018-19) and was part of the Freshman World Championship All-Tournament Team in 2018.

Carey comes from a baseball-rich family, as his grandfather, Dave Carey, and his great uncle, Dan Carey, played professional baseball. His cousin, Scott Fries, played at Nebraska alongside Will Bolt.

"Dylan is the No. 1-ranked player in Colorado for good reason," Harvell said. "He is physically gifted and was born to be on a baseball field. Offensively he has elite bat speed and has shown the ability to hit at a high level. At 6-2, 175, he has some room to fill out, and with some added strength he will be a threat in our lineup. He is a premium defender at shortstop with great feet and has the arm to stick on the left side of the infield."
 



CALEB CLARK
LHP/1B - 6-2 - 195 - L/L - Orillia, Ontario, Canada (Orillia Secondary School)
Ranked one of the top five Canadian prospects according to Perfect Game, Clark is a two-year member of the Canadian Junior National Team. A two-year letterwinner under coach Dylan Young at Orillia Secondary School, Clark was a four-year member of the honor roll and won the Orillia Ys Men's Award as a senior.

The two-way player comes from the same Great Lake Canadians program as current NU infielder Core Jackson and has been coached by former Husker standout Adam Stern. Clark was a CPBL All-Star in 17U and 18U and helped his teams win four straight CPBL championships.

"Caleb is a great athlete who has a chance to pitch and hit," Christy said. "On the mound, he is a polished left-handed pitcher with great stuff. He has a lower slot and can get swing and miss from both right- and left-handed hitters. He is a hard worker and about as competitive as you will find."

"Caleb is an exceptional athlete and a legit two-way player," Harvell added. "Guys like him are hard to find, not only from what he brings from an athletic standpoint but also from a character standpoint. He has a good approach and has shown power from the left side of the plate, but what sets him apart is his competitiveness. Whether it's on the mound or at the plate, he isn't backing down from anyone or any situation, and those are the type guys that you need to win at a high level."
 



MATT DREHER
LHP - 6-0 - 185 - L/L - Blair, Neb. (Blair/Northeast CC)
Dreher will join the Huskers from Northeast Community College, where he plays for coach Marcus Clapp. Over Dreher's career with the Hawks, he has tossed 38.2 innings and totaled 60 strikeouts out of the pen. As a sophomore, he went 2-0 in 18 mound appearances with five saves and 42 strikeouts. Dreher earned third-team NJCAA All-Academic and first-team academic all-region plaudits.

Dreher was previously a two-year letterwinner for coach James Bilslend at Blair High School. As a senior, Dreher collected 22 strikeouts in nine innings pitched. He also played for the Blair Post 154 American Legion program.

"Matt took a chance on himself and carved his path from junior college," Christy said. "He has worked tirelessly on his craft and turned himself into quality arm that can really spin the ball. He is a guy that could fill many roles and we are excited to have him coming to Lincoln."
 



TREY FRAHM
RHP/OF - 6-0 - 230 - R/R - Elkhorn, Neb. (Elkhorn/College of Southern Nevada)
Frahm will join the Huskers from the College of Southern Nevada, where he plays for coach Nick Garritano. In 2021, Frahm hit .354 with 13 doubles, 12 homers, 52 runs scored and 42 driven in. The Coyotes won the Region 18 championship and made a Western District Tournament appearance last spring.

Frahm previously lettered three years under coach Kyle McCright at Elkhorn High School, where he was part of two district championship teams and three state tournament appearances. As a junior, Frahm was a first-team all-state selection and earned his second straight all-conference award. He also played in the Elkhorn Post 211 Legion program and for the Nebraska Prospects.

"One word describes Trey's game: Power," Harvell said. "If you can't find him throwing a ball 97 mph, it's probably because he's out somewhere hitting one 105 mph. He has tremendous power at the plate, which he showcased as a freshman last year at College of Southern Nevada, hitting .354 with 12 home runs. He can really impact the baseball, and it has a chance to leave the yard every time he swings the bat. He is going to be a presence in the middle of the lineup next year."

"Trey is a two-way talent who can really light up the radar gun," Christy continued. "He profiles power stuff that can be used at the back end of games. He relishes the chance to close games, and I envision him competing for that type of role when he gets here."
 



HAYDEN LEWIS
OF/LHP - 6-1 - 210 - L/L - Yutan, Neb. (Yutan)
Lewis has lettered two years for coach Shawn Emanuel for the Platte Valley high school program. In his junior season, Lewis batted .500 with 31 RBI and six homers on the way to first-team Super State and first-team all-conference recognition. Joining the program as a freshman, he hit .410 that year and had a 1.90 ERA on the mound, earning first-team all-conference honors. Lewis is a member of the honor roll.

Lewis has also played for coach Kevin Baldwin with the East Cobb Astros and was named to the Perfect Game Southeast Classic All-Tournament Team.

Lewis comes from a baseball family, as his father, Peyton, played at Creighton and was an 18th-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999.

"Hayden is the quintessential player for this program," Harvell said. "He is extremely talented on the field. His maturity, discipline and dedication off the field are unmatched. He is a high-character kid who is driven and knows how to push himself. He has a silky-smooth swing from the left side and will hit for average and power. He has a great feel and understanding for the game. He's another guy who will come in an make an immediate impact on our program because of his work ethic and his passion for Nebraska baseball."
 



BRANDON LUNDQUIST
RHP - 6-1 - 185 - R/R - Elkhorn, Neb. (Millard North)
Lundquist has lettered two seasons at Millard North High School under coach Dave Cork. As a junior, he batted .253 with 24 runs scored and 16 more driven in. Additionally, Lundquist lettered one year in football for the Mustangs and started at quarterback as a sophomore.

Lundquist also plays for the Nebraska Prospects program for coach Rollie Kenny. He boasted an ERA under 1.00 for the Prospects.

"Brandon is a bottle of energy," Christy said. "Everything he does, he does at full speed and with enthusiasm. His demeanor on the mound and desire to compete really stands out and is something we were drawn to. On top of that he can spin the ball at an advanced level, which will be a strikeout pitch right away."
 



NATE MOQUIN
RHP - 6-4 - 225 - R/R - Omaha, Neb. (Millard South)
Moquin is a two-year letterwinner under coach Greg Geary at Millard South High School. As a junior, Moquin was an all-state, Super State and All-America Honorable Mention selection. He went 9-1 on the mound with a 2.29 ERA, recording 48 punchouts with just 16 walks in 55 innings pitched as the Patriots went on to win the 2021 state championship.

Moquin has also played for the P52s Legion program.

"The first thing that stands out about Nate is his frame," Christy said. "He has a lot of room for growth and has the potential to become a power right-handed pitcher. His stuff combined with his ability to command multiple pitches will allow him to project as a starter once he steps foot on campus."
 



SAM NOVOTNY
RHP - 6-2 - 185 - R/R - Omaha, Neb. (Millard West)
Novotny has been a two-year letterwinner for coach Steve Frey at Millard West High School. As a junior, he helped the Wildcats to a district championship and a state runner-up finish. Novotny threw 47.1 innings with a 2.07 ERA and 55 strikeouts to 13 walks.

Novotny has also played for the Midsouth Prospects under coach Andy Menard. Novotny has been named to five all-tournament teams and was a Preseason Underclass All-American. He threw 32 innings with a 1.75 ERA and struck out 46 batters with just five walks.

"Sam is a guy who has great mound presence and can really pitch," Christy said. "I would describe him as a pitch maker. He can throw any pitch at any time. He has a great build, and I would expect him to develop quickly."
 



MIKEY PAULEY
C/INF/OF - 6-5 - 210 - R/R - Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley Northwest)
Pauley has been a three-sport standout at Blue Valley Northwest High School, lettering four years in football, three years in basketball and three years in baseball. He chose the Huskers after spurning multiple football scholarship offers.

Under the guidance of coach Mike Pangborn, Pauley has been part of the Huskies program that won a baseball regional championship in 2018.

He was also part of Northwest's 6A state championship basketball team in 2018, a regional title in 2019 and a sectional title in 2020. On the football side, his Northwest teams have won back-to-back conference championships (2020, 2021) and earned a No. 1 6A East ranking this season. Pauley is a first-team all-state pick on the gridiron, as well as a two-time all-conference selection. Off the field, Pauley is involved with DECA.

Ranked the No. 1 catcher in Kansas by Perfect Game, Pauley has also played for the Building Champions program under coach Jeremy Jones. He batted .320 with eight home runs and five stolen bases last season.

"Mikey is a very talented, athletic kid with a big-league frame at 6-5, 205," Harvell said. "He's a 6.8 runner, hits for power, is a versatile defender and has a strong arm. He showcased those skills on the football field as a highly touted quarterback for Blue Valley Northwest. He will be a two-sport athlete here who Husker fans might get a sneak peek at next fall with the football team. He has the physical abilities of a guy who can come in and contribute immediately, as well as the leadership abilities of a guy that you build your program around."