Nov. 17, 2005
NORMAL, Ill. -
Every baseball coach looks for good pitching and a catcher that can control the game from behind the plate. Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee may have filled both of those needs with his two latest recruits, as pitcher Christopher Newsome and catcher Jim Jacquot have signed National Letters of Intent to play baseball at Illinois State beginning in the fall of 2006.
Newsome and Jacquot join Ryan Copeland (Des Plaines, Ill.), Anthony Ruffolo (Wheaton, Ill.), Josh Schultz (Mt. Zion, Ill.) and Dan Weston (LaGrange, Ill.) to form the 2006-07 recruiting class to date. Brownlee believes his two latest recruits add a lot to an impressive group.
"Christopher and Jim bring their skill and athleticism to a very talented group," said Brownlee. "They will be able to fill spots immediately for us and bring intangibles to the table right away."
Newsome, a 6-4 260-pound right hander, is a large force on the mound in more ways than one. The Pontiac, Ill., native was 6-1 with a 1.28 ERA in 13 games for Pontiac in 2005. He led the team with 89 strikeouts in 71 innings of work, thanks in part to a live fastball. In addition to playing baseball, Newsome was also an all-state lineman in football for Pontiac. With his size and arm strength, Brownlee believes Newsome can flourish in a Redbird uniform.
"Christopher is an interesting pitcher because of his mix of size, strength and athleticism," said Brownlee. "He's the type of pitcher that has thrived in this program and with some hard work, Christopher will be a very good collegiate pitcher and could have a shot to move on to the next level."
Jacqout gives Brownlee another option behind the plate to help fill the void of losing senior catcher Jay Molina after the 2006 season. The senior from Swansea, Ill., hit .390 for Belleville East in his junior season and was a first team all-conference and all-area selection. Brownlee believes Jacquot will be a solid fit behind the plate for the Redbirds.
"Jim's understanding of the game and his ability to call a good game are what really impress us about him as a catcher," said Brownlee. "He consistently improves as a hitter and I think he should be able to come in, give us some depth at the position and contribute immediately as a freshman.
"We want our players to know that when they come into this program that they will be able to help us and have a chance to play right away. Christopher, Jim and the rest of the recruits we have brought in know this and I believe each of them is ready to help bring the program to the next level."
