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Zouras commits to baseball at Illinois State

Hersey's Nick Zouras was among the eight players to commit to Illinois State's baseball program on Wednesday.

Zouras, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior catcher, battled injury through the spring of his junior season but certainly made an impression on Redbirds coach Bo Durkac.

“Nick has the tools and the mental makeup that we look for in a catcher,” Durkac said in a release from ISU. “He has the size, arm strength and hard-nosed nature that all good catchers possess. Nick might have been under the radar because of an injury in his junior spring, but we still feel we are getting a top-flight catcher who has a chance to be a huge part of our program moving forward.”

Hersey coach Bob Huber's team managed to stay in the Mid-Suburban East race all season last spring and produced a nice run against the top teams in the MSL West Division at the end of the season to help in an 18-17 finish.

“Nick always possessed a high skill set and now has the work ethic and leadership skills to match,” Huber told ISU. “It has been fun to watch his progression and maturation as he has become one of the most well-rounded athletes I have ever coached. In addition to his outstanding work ethic, he has taken on a leadership role that serves and benefits our entire program.

“I am a firm believer that our best players have to be our hardest workers and Nick certainly is that. He is the first in the weight room and the last one to leave; he will take extra practice reps and has worked hard to develop a rapport with our pitchers to enhance their success. In a word, Nick loves the game and works hard at improving himself as well as the team, each and every day.”

Three from Wheeling commit:

It was a busy morning at Wheeling, where three student athletes signed their letters of intent at Division I programs.

Basketball standout Deanna Kuzmanic (Alabama-Birmingham), swimmer Theresa Godlewski (South Dakota) and baseball standout Brenden Spillane (Illinois) all signed in a morning ceremony.

Wheeling's Deanna Kuzmanic signs her letter of intent to play basketball at Alabama-Birmingham in a ceremony at the high school on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Wheeling High School
Wheeling sneior Brenden Spillane makes his commitment to Illinois baseball official in a ceremony at the high school on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Wheeling High School
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