APPLETON, Wis. -- Nine freshmen will attend Lawrence University in the fall and are set to play baseball for the Vikings in the spring of 2005.
The incoming players come from as close as Northeast Wisconsin to as far away as Atlanta, Ga.
"We're very excited about this group of young men," said Lawrence head coach Korey Krueger, who was named the Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year in 2004. "They're very talented. Adding them to the group we have returning, we feel these players can really help us compete for the conference championship."
A pair of local players, Two Rivers' Tom Schmidt and Sheboygan's Tim Salm, should help the Vikings immediately.
Schmidt, who also will play basketball for the Vikings, is a pitcher and infielder from Mishicot High School. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Schmidt was the Olympian Conference Player of the Year and also earned first-team all-district accolades and received honorable mention on the all-state squad. A speedy right-hander, Schmidt was a three-time first-team all-conference selection.
Salm, a former standout at Sheboygan North, is a two-time All-Fox River Valley Conference selection. The 6-1, 180-pound Salm is a right-handed middle infielder that brings speed to the Lawrence lineup. He was a first-team all-conference selection this past season.
The other local product is Berlin's Kyle Borland, a right-handed first baseman. The 6-0, 180-pound Borland earned honorable mention on the All-East Central Conference team after batting .304 this past season with five doubles, a pair of homers, and 14 runs batted in.
The other player from Wisconsin is Germantown standout P.J. Doedens. The 6-1, 190-pound Doedens plays WIAA summer baseball for Germantown. He is a four-sport athlete and also participates in football, basketball, and track. The right-handed Doedens, who earned All-North Shore Conference honors as a sophomore and junior, is a pitcher and outfielder and should help the Vikings immediately. The speedy Doedens, who helped Germantown win a state title in football, will play wide receiver for the Lawrence grid squad.
Ben Webster leads a contingent of players from the Chicago area. Webster, a 6-1, 190-pound outfielder, hails from Glen Ellyn, Ill., and attended Glenbard West. Webster, who also played football and basketball in high school, broke his hand during his senior season and missed the rest of the campaign.
Bryan Rosen, a 6-0, 180-pound lefty outfielder from Lake Bluff, Ill., brings more speed to the Lawrence lineup. Rosen, who played at Lake Forest High School, was a first-team All-North Suburban Conference selection and was named to the academic all-conference squad.
Mike Butzen is an outfielder and catcher from Kildeer, Ill. The 6-2, 190-pound right-hander was the defensive most valuable player on his team. Butzen, who starred at Lake Zurich High School, brings a good combination of speed and power to the team. He also will play football at Lawrence.
Chicago native Doug McEneaney also will play two sports at Lawrence. The 5-7, 150-pound former standout at Walter Payton High School is a right-handed infielder that will play soccer for the Vikings in the fall.
The player with the longest journey to Lawrence is Adam Fritsch, who hails from Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Ga. A right-handed catcher, the 6-3, 235-pound Fritsch helped his team win four consecutive regional titles. He earned all-county honors and was chosen for the North/South All-Star Game.
The Vikings took third in the North Division of the Midwest Conference this past season and posted a 15-19 overall record. Lawrence returns six All-Midwest Conference performers to its squad for 2005.