Henderson welcomes six to Saluki Baseball
11/17/2015 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Saluki baseball head coach Ken Henderson announced the addition of six new players to the SIU program. Reese Dolan, Mitch Fairfield, Chuck Fleming, Bradley Harrison, Kyler Helms, and Justin Yeager will join the Salukis in the 2017 season. The class consists of three right-handed pitchers (Helms, Dolan, Yeager), one infielder (Fleming), one catcher (Fairfield), and a two-way player (Harrison). All six will be freshmen for the 2016-17 season.
"It's always exciting when you get to announce the new additions to the Saluki Baseball family," Henderson said. "These six young men will fit in perfectly with our current players and with our vision for the program. Recruiting obviously starts with talent, but these student athletes also possess the character, work ethic and academic success that is important to Saluki Baseball."
Reese Dolan (6'4 190, RHP, Mundelein, Ill., Mundelein HS)
Dolan is a right-handed pitcher that stands at 6-foot-4. In 2015, he was a Perfect Game Underclass Honorable Mention and an All-North Suburban Conference Honorable Mention. As a junior, he held a 4-3 record, with an ERA of 2.26. In 40 innings of work, he struck-out 47 batters. Dolan was also one of Mundelein's top hitters, posting a .275 average with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 23 RBIs. In the last two seasons, Dolan has helped Mundelein to 64 wins.
"Reese, like all of the pitchers in this group, fits that ideal pitchers mold," Henderson said. "At 6'4 he is long and loose and although he already possesses arm strength, he has the potential to throw really hard down the road. Saluki fans will see his best days on the mound. He is also a good left-handed hitter and has a chance to help at the plate as well."
Mitch Fairfield (6'2, 200, C, Normal, Ill., Normal West HS)
Fairfield is a 6-foot-2 catcher out of Normal, Ill. During his sophomore year at Normal West, Fairfield helped his team to a 21-15 record while batting .295 with seven doubles and 15 RBIs. As a junior, Fairfield improved his batting average to .385, with eight doubles, seven home runs, and 37 RBIs. He also helped his team to the Regional Championship game. His honors include a unanimous First-Team Big 12 All-Conference selection, Second-Team All USA Today, and Big 12 Scholar Athlete.
"Signing a quality catcher was a priority and Mitch certainly fills that role," Henderson said. "He is a very strong, physical player that could eventually be a middle of the order bat for us, but also possesses outstanding receiving skills. He is an extremely intelligent young man with a high baseball IQ, which is so crucial behind the plate."
Chuck Fleming (6'0, 190, INF, Elk Grove Village, Ill., Elk Grove HS)
A 6-foot-0 infielder, Fleming is one of the best infielders in the state of Illinois. He is rated as the ninth best infielder in Illinois by Perfect Game. As a sophomore, Fleming had a .394 batting average with 22 RBIs, while also helping his team to a conference championship. During his junior year, Fleming hit .355 with a team-high 25 RBIs and a second-straight conference championship. He was named a Perfect Game Underclassman All-American in 2015.
"Chuck is exactly what we look for in position players," Henderson said. "He is a tough, blue collar athlete and has some versatility as far as where he can play. He is physical and aggressive at the plate and has the ability to make an immediate impact with his bat."
Bradley Harrison (6'4, 205, OF/LHP, O'Fallon, Ill., O'Fallon Township HS)
Harrison is a 6-foot-4 two-way player that will join the Salukis as an outfielder and as a member of the pitching staff. He is a two-time First-Team All-State and First-Team All-Southwestern Conference honoree. During his sophomore season, Harrison held a batting average of .408 with 49 hits, 4 home runs, and 32 RBIs. As a junior, Harrison improved his numbers by hitting .418 with 51 hits, 15 doubles, four home runs, and 48 RBIs. In all, Harrison holds a career batting average of .391 with 113 hits and 86 RBIs. Harrison's numbers on the mound are just as impressive. In 2015, Harrison won 11 games with an ERA of 1.32 and 79 strikeouts. As a sophomore, the O'Fallon native went 4-0 with 34 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.79.
"Bradley was the first commitment in this class and has been on board since the middle of his sophomore year," Henderson said. "We thought he was one of the better left-handed hitters in the area at that time and he has done nothing but get better and is currently one of the premier hitters in the state. Although we recruited Bradley as an OF, he has also developed into a true two-way talent, with an upper 80's FB from the left side."
Kyler Helms (6'3, 175, RHP, Richmond, Ind., Richmond HS)
Helms is a right-handed pitcher that will join the Saluki pitching staff. Standing 6-foot-3, he finished his junior season 1.91 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched. He tallied 72 strikeouts with only 16 walks. He was a First-Team All-Conference selection and was his teams Cy Young Award winner in 2015.
"We are excited to get Kyler on campus as he has a chance to be really special on the mound," Henderson said. "Like the other pitchers, he is long and loose with an extremely quick arm and a good feel for his slider. He has a true passion for the game and possesses the make-up and demeanor we look for in pitchers."
Justin Yeager (6'4, 200, RHP, Plainfield, Ill., Plainfield North HS)
Yeager is another right-handed pitcher joining the SIU pitching staff. A 6-foot-4 player from Plainfield, Ill., Yeager held a 2-1 record as a junior in 2015. He had 13 strikeouts in 13 innings of work before an injury ended his season.
"Justin is another big tall kid with a good arm, and after going through a tough year with an injury, he is now healthy and ready for his senior season," Henderson said. "He has a good feel for pitching and the ability to throw his off speed pitches for strikes. Justin is a tough kid with good make-up and the ability to make an immediate impact on the mound."
SIU opens the 2016 season on Feb. 19 with a three-game series at McNeese State.