Dec. 15, 2007

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern baseball head coach Paul Stevens has announced the signing of five individuals to National Letters of Intent to join the Wildcats for the 2008-09 school year. Two of the signees are local recruits from the state of Illinois, two more hail from Hawaii and one is from Texas.

"This recruiting class will help fill the voids that will be left by this year's senior class after they graduate," Stevens said. "It is a very talented group that will help us in the areas of pitching, defense and offense. A number of them are two-way players who will be able to contribute both on the mound and in other positions on the field. Overall, I'm excited that these five individuals will be joining us."

The Wildcats snared a solid all-around athlete right out of their own backyard in Zach Morton (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township). A right-handed pitcher and shortstop, Morton is ranked among the top 50 players in the state of Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and he has also shined as a member of the school's basketball team. With a plus fastball and a tight-breaking slider, he hurled a pair of no-hitters for his Top Tier team over the summer.

Northwestern didn't need to look very far for its other in-state signee Trevor Stevens (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South). The son of the NU head coach, he was listed as Illinois' third-best middle infield prospect by Prep Baseball Report. Stevens is recognized for his strong defensive play as well as his excellent speed. A switch-hitter, he competed as a member of Team Illinois last summer and was invited to the Chicago White Sox Black and Silver Games.

Hamilton Wise (Dallas, Texas/St. Mark's School of Texas) will join the Wildcats after leading his high school team in batting each of the past two seasons, including posting a .414 average in 2007 to go along with team-best totals in doubles and runs scored. A two-time all-conference selection, Wise guided the Lions to a conference title last season at shortstop. During the summer of 2006, he helped his Dallas BAT team to the Mickey Mantle World Series title by going 3-for-3 in the championship game.

Northwestern will welcome a pair of recruits from the 50th state, including pitcher/outfielder Michael Jahns (Wailuku, Hawaii/St. Anthony). He earned numerous honors after leading his conference in wins and complete games in 2007, including being named the league's Player of the Year, the Honolulu Advertiser Player of the Year and a second-team all-state selection. As a sophomore, Jahns posted a team-best .485 batting average while also leading the squad in RBIs and runs scored.

Paul Snieder (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) will also join the Wildcats from the Aloha State. Following a junior season that saw him post a 6-0 record on the mound with a 1.47 ERA as well as a .382 batting average at the plate, Snieder was named the Star-Bulletin Position Player of the Year. He also earned second-team all-state honors as a sophomore. His Punahou High team has won four consecutive Hawaii state championships with Snieder earning all-tournament team honors as a utility player in 2007.

Northwestern opens its 2008 season Feb. 22 when it begins a three-game series at Cal State Northridge.