Husker Baseball Announces Fall Signing Class

Lincoln -- University of Nebraska Baseball Coach Mike Anderson announced Friday that 10 players, including eight high school seniors and two junior college transfers, have signed National Letters-of-Intent to play baseball for the Huskers.

The 10-player recruiting class includes outfielder Clay Cuno (New Bloomfield, Mo.), left-handed pitcher Jacob Diekman (Wymore, Neb.), right-handed pitcher Matt Freeman (Elkhorn, Neb.), catcher Joe Huwer (Boise, Idaho), infielder Dan Johnston (Papillion, Neb.), infielder Ben Kline (Omaha, Neb.), catcher/right-handed pitcher Tyler Rank (Rochester, Minn.), outfielder David Stewart (St. Louis, Mo.), first baseman Cameron Robulack (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) and right-handed pitcher Sean Yost.

Anderson credited assistant coaches Dave Bingham and Andy Sawyers for their work in compiling this class, which features players from four states (Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Idaho) and Canada. The class features a trio of first-team all-state selections in Kline, a shortstop from Omaha Central, Huwer, a catcher from Boise, Idaho, and Cuno, who was a two-time all-state honoree in Missouri before beginning his junior college career this fall.

“I’m excited about the class we are announcing today,” Anderson said. “Our first priority as always was to target the state and this year’s senior class has a number of players who will be able to come in an help our program. I think the thing that stands out about this class is their physical size and ability. On the position player side, we were looking to add more power to our lineup and I think this group has the potential to accomplish that. Our other focus among the position players was to add some more left-handed hitters in order to create more balance in our lineup. From a coaching standpoint, this group not only has great potential, but is a good group of kids to be around. Many of them have played with each other on various select teams and that will help to start a great team chemistry when they arrive on campus next season.”

Name

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

B/T

Hometown (Previous Schools)

Clay Cuno

OF

6-3

215

R/R

New Bloomfield, Mo. (Fort Scott CC/New Bloomfield)

Jacob Diekman

LHP

6-4

180

L/L

Wymore, Neb. (Cloud County CC/Doane/Southern)

Matt Freeman

RHP

6-1

175

R/R

Elkhorn, Neb. (Elkhorn)

Joe Huwer

C

5-11

180

L/R

Boise, Idaho (Timberline)

Dan Johnston

INF

6-1

175

R/R

Papillion, Neb. (Papillion-LaVista)

Ben Kline

INF

6-2

165

R/R

Omaha, Neb. (Central)

Tyler Rank

C/RHP

6-4

235

L/R

Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)

David Stewart

OF

6-6

230

R/R

St. Louis, Mo. (St. John Vianney)

Cameron Robulack

1B

6-3

215

L/R

Toronto, Ontario (Silverthorn Collegiate Institute)

Sean Yost

RHP

6-6

185

R/R

Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)

Clay Cuno
Cuno is a freshman outfielder at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College where he plays for Coach Chris Moddelmog. Cuno was a two-time all-state selection on the diamond at New Bloomfield (Mo.) High School.  As a senior, Cuno garnered first-team all-state honors, hitting .551 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs, while also compiling an 8-3 record on the mound en route to Show Me Conference co-MVP honors. He was a four-year starter in baseball, earning all-state accolades for the first time in his junior season, a year he hit .484 with eight homers, 36 RBIs, 21 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. He was a three-time all-district and two-time all-area selection in baseball.  Cuno also played four seasons of high school basketball and totaled over 1,000 career points.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Cuno: “Clay is a guy we have followed since high school. He is a big, physical player who has always made good contact, and is developing the ability to hit for power. He also has a lot of athleticism for his size and the ability to play either corner outfield spot.”

Jacob Diekman
One of three in-state pitchers from this recruiting class, Jacob Diekman is a sophomore at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College pitching for former Major Leaguer Greg Brummett. Diekman, a 6-4, 180-pound right-hander, spent his freshman season at Doane College, serving as the ace of the Tigers’ staff. He compiled a 2-7 record for a team that won just six games in 2006, leading the staff in innings pitched (51.2), strikeouts (44), starts (10) and complete games (three). While he didn’t play high school baseball, Diekman starred on his Wymore American Legion team, helping his team to the Class C State Tournament in 2006. His best performance was a 17-strikeout effort that he lost, 1-0.

Pitching Coach Dave Bingham on Diekman: “Jacob is someone who came out of nowhere in the recruiting process. At 6-4, he throws in the upper 80s from the left side and has a frame that he is still growing into. We saw him in Kansas prior to the Jayhawk League All-Star game and really liked his stuff. With his size and potential, he is what you look for in trying to project ahead to this level.”

Matt Freeman
One of two in-state high school pitchers in this fall’s recruiting class, Freeman pitches for coaches Jerry Frerichs and Josh Snyder at Elkhorn High School. As a junior, Freeman garnered honorable-mention all-state accolades, going 6-2 with a 1.25 ERA, fanning 50 over 44.2 innings of work. Freeman ranked in the top 10 in the state in wins, ERA and strikeouts during the 2006 season. Over the summer, he went 6-5 with a 1.95 ERA, ranking fourth in the state with 95 strikeouts and just 14 walks over 71.1 innings. Freeman also participated at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., in 2006, helping the SPARQ Midwest Area Code Team to a perfect 5-0 record and a tournament title. Freeman is the second Elkhorn pitcher in as many years to choose NU, joining Charlie Shaver on the Husker roster. Freeman is an excellent student and has been on the Elkhorn High School Honor Roll throughout his career.

Pitching Coach Dave Bingham on Freeman: “Matt has more of a prototypical size of a college pitcher, but the thing we loved about him is his competitiveness on the mound. He has great makeup and composure, which showed when he pitched well at the Area Code Games. He is more polished then most high school pitchers and knows how to win.”

Joe Huwer
Joe Huwer comes to Nebraska from Timberline High School in Boise, Idaho, where he was one of the best multi-sport athletes in the Rocky Mountain region. After earning all-state honors in lacrosse, he joined the baseball team last spring, hitting .390 with four homers and a .700 slugging percentage in helping his team to a third-place finish at the state tournament. Over the summer, he played American Legion baseball, helping his team to a state title and a 39-13 record.  Huwer participated at the 2006 Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., as a member of the Washington Nationals Northwest Region Team. He is also a two-year starter in football for his high school team. Huwer comes from an athletic background as his father played football and baseball at Xavier University, while his older brother Josh played baseball at New Mexico and Emporia State.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Huwer:
“Joe is a very offensive-minded player with the ability to hit from the left side. He is athletic enough to catch or move to other positions on the diamond. We saw him at the Area Code Games where he held his own against some of the best players in the country.”

Dan Johnston
Johnston is one of the top infielders in the state playing for Coach Jim Thomas at Papillion-LaVista High School. Johnston was a second-team all-state performer from both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star in 2006, hitting .448 with 24 RBIs, 29 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in helping Papillion-LaVista to a 21-12 and state tournament appearance. An honorable-mention all-state honoree as a sophomore, Johnston hit .399 with 55 hits, 11 doubles and 10 stolen bases in American Legion ball over the summer. A three-sport athlete who also plays basketball and tennis, Johnston looks to follow in the path of several recent Monarch infielders at Nebraska including Brandon Eymann, who started on NU’s first two CWS teams, and current preseason All-American Ryan Wehrle. Johnston was selected to the Nebraska all-star team in 2005, playing with current Huskers Andy Cotton and Brian Feekin.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Johnston: “Dan is a very athletic infielder with a great arm and defensive instincts. He has continued to develop offensively as we have tracked him over the last two years, and really had a breakthrough junior season. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Joe Simokaitis in terms of his defensive ability and potential for the next level.”

Ben Kline
Kline is one of the top multi-sport athletes in the state playing at Omaha Central High School. He earned first-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star and second-team All-Nebraska accolades from the Omaha World-Herald in 2006, hitting .430 with 24 RBIs for Coach Scott Hodges. Over the summer, he was selected to play in the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars, which featured the top 144 players in the country, and led the American Legion All-Star team to a third-place finish.  A two-year starter at shortstop, Kline also garnered honorable-mention all-state efforts as a sophomore by hitting .412. In addition to his exploits on the diamond, he is also one of the state’s top basketball players, averaging 14 points per game as a junior, helping Omaha Central to its first Class A state title since 1975. He has been a starter since his sophomore year and earned honorable-mention all-state honors in each of the past two seasons.  In the classroom, Kline carries better than a 4.0 GPA and was selected as Central High School’s sophomore student of the year in 2004-05.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Kline: “Ben has shown throughout high school and American Legion ball the ability to consistently hit for average and has the size you look for in the infield. He is an exceptional athlete and has the tools to continue that development in our program. As he continues to grow in our program, we think he has the potential to not only consistently hit for average, but to have some power as well.”

Tyler Rank
Rank continues Nebraska’s trend of getting players from the state of Minnesota. Rank is a two-way performer at Mayo High School in Rochester, Minn. As a junior, he earned first-team All-Big Nine Conference honors, hitting .410 with two homers and 30 RBIs, while also going 2-1 on the mound. A three-time all-conference pick on the diamond heading into his senior campaign, Rank is also a first-team all-state performer in football, where he plays both linebacker and running back. Rank participated at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., in 2006, joining fellow Husker recruits David Stewart and Matt Freeman to lead the SPARQ Midwest Area Code Team to a perfect 5-0 record and a tournament title.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Rank: “Tyler is a very physical player with a lot of size and the ability to both hit and pitch for us next season. You don’t see too many players that have the ability to hit for power from the left side as well as an arm that throws nearly 90. Where he plays for us next year will depend on how he develops over the next year. As a hitter, he has shown the ability to hit the ball to all fields.”

Cameron Robulack
One of the top high school players in Canada, Cameron Robulack comes to Nebraska from Silverthorn Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Robulack is rated by Perfect Game USA/Baseball America as the 209th best prospect for the 2007 MLB Draft and 72nd among position players. Robulack was also rated as one of the top 25 players in the Toronto area prior to the 2006 season by the Toronto Sun. He is a member of the same Ontario Blue Jays select program that produced former Husker All-American John Cole and current Baltimore Oriole Adam Stern. Robulack led the 17-and-under Blue Jays to the title of the 2005 USSA World Series Championship in Oklahoma City, the first time a Canadian team has ever won a U.S. World or National Championship. In that tournament, he hit two homers in the title game.  He also performed well at the 2006 Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championship, driving in seven runs, including a grand slam in one game.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Robulack: “One of the things we were looking for in this class was some left-handed bats with power, and Cameron fills that need. He has very good size and hand-eye coordination and is also polished at the plate. We saw him at a couple of showcase events and he has shown a very nice swing and the ability to hit for power at this level.”

David Stewart

One of two prospects from the state of Missouri in this class, David Stewart attends St. JohnVianneyHigh School in St. Louis. As a junior, Stewart batted .325 with three homers, 26 RBIs and 16 runs scored, helping St. John Vianney and Coach Steve Bieser to a 24-3 record, a Class 4 state title and a top-five national ranking. In all, 14 of his 26 hits went for extra bases. He also had nine doubles and a pair of triples and totaled a .610 slugging percentage. A three-year starter on the diamond, he hit .317 with three home runs and 15 RBIs as a sophomore. Over the summer, he hit .403 with 10 homers, helping the St. Louis Mustangs to a NJAA World Series title in 2006.  A three-sport standout in high school, Stewart, was also is a three-year starter in basketball, earning first-team All-Conference honors as a sophomore and junior, averaging 14 points and six rebounds per game as a junior. He also played high school volleyball, starting on Vianney’s state title team as a freshman. A member of the 2003 U.S. Junior Men's National Volleyball team, Stewart was a member of the U.S. Men's Olympic Volleyball Development Program and trained at the US Olympic Center in Colorado Springs.  Last summer, Stewart joined fellow Husker recruits Matt Freeman and Tyler Rank on the SPARQ Midwest Area Code Team in Long Beach, Calif, the second consecutive year Stewart played in the Area Code Games.

Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers on Stewart: “David has the potential to be a big-time power hitter in our program. He is very athletic for his size (6-6, 230 pounds), has great leverage at the plate and good hands to adjust in the strike zone. He is a prototypical corner outfielder with big-time power and a strong arm, and he may even have the opportunity to pitch for us.”

Sean Yost
Yost is one of two right-handers from Nebraska in this fall’s class, Yost comes from Lincoln Southwest and is the second player from the school to play for the Husker baseball program. The 6-foot-6 right-hander was an honorable-mention all-state selection as a junior, compiling a 2-3 record and a 2.16 ERA for Coach Doug Kaltenberger. He fanned 31 in 45.2 innings and held opponents to a .186 average. Over the summer, he was one of the aces for the Pinnacle Bank American Legion team that became the first Lincoln team to reach the American Legion World Series since 1955, going 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA as Pinnacle Bank went 43-14 over the summer. His best performance of the summer came in the state title game against Creighton Prep, where he tossed a complete-game six hitter.  A two-year starter for the Silver Hawks, Yost was also selected for the Area Code Games, but was unable to compete because of the American Legion Playoffs. Yost, who also plays basketball at Lincoln Southwest, carries a 3.30 GPA.

Pitching Coach Dave Bingham on Yost: “Sean is someone we have followed for a while. He has been in several of our camps over the past couple of years. We think that he has tremendous potential in our program, being 6-5 with a great frame to work with and develop in our program. Right now, he pitches in the upper 80s with good life and has a broad command of his off-speed stuff. The other thing that we like about Sean is his athleticism on the mound.”