From Summer Ball News Source
IUP Baseball Signs Three for 2010

Indiana, Pa. – The Indiana University of Pennsylvania baseball program has signed Willie Nelson, Brett Quiggle, and Robbie Zinsmeister to NCAA National Letters of Intent for the 2009-2010 season.

“These three young men will be a perfect fit for IUP Baseball and the University,” commented IUP Baseball Coach Jeff Ditch. “I know we are getting both quality baseball players and quality individuals. This fall was a pleasure recruiting because of the enthusiasm and desire these three players have shown toward IUP during the entire process.”

Willie Nelson (LHP/1B, 6-4, 185) is currently a senior at Kiski Area High School and is the son of William and Cathy Nelson.

“Willie is a left-handed pitcher with a limitless upside,” said Kiski Area High School coach Daryl Hixenbaugh. “As he matures physically, I feel he is capable of throwing with great velocity. His pitch-ability has improved greatly over the past year and his command within the strike zone has improved in that he has learned to use the inside third of the plate to set up his pitches. IUP and Coach Ditch have recruited a winner,” added Hixenbaugh, who is also a New York Yankees scout.

As a member of the Kiski Valley American Legion, Nelson was 7-0 with a 1.97 ERA and hit .462 while driving in 16 runs. His summer coaches are Dennis and Dave Montgomery. He also participated in the Major League Baseball Area Code tryout in Altoona’s Blair County Ballpark this past summer.

“Willie is a very projectable pitcher who has the skills to help us on the mound and will only get better with his tremendous pitcher’s body and arm,” commented Ditch. “He will be in the mix as a top PSAC pitcher in the near future and has the make-up of a pitcher who can carry his team on game day.”

Nelson plans to study criminology at IUP.

Brett Quiggle (Catcher, 5-11, 175) is a senior at St. Marys High School and is the son of Tammy Micale and Richard Quiggle.

He was name All-District 9 his junior season while hitting .391 and led the PIAA District 9 in RBI’s with 24. He struck out just four times in 82 plate appearances. His high school coach is Tony Azzato. Quiggle also has been selected twice to play in the Pennsylvania American Legion East-West All Star game in Harrisburg as a representative of the Fox American Legion team and coach Kevin Petrocchi.

“Brett stood out at a young age and he has been on our recruiting radar for a long time. It is exciting to know he will join our team next year,” said Ditch. “He is a true baseball player who gives 100% effort on the field. Our team will benefit from both his attitude and his ability to play baseball at a high level.”

This past fall he was invited to play for Fred Albert, baseball manager of the prestigious Allegheny Pirates. “Brett has all the tools to becoming an excellent college catcher, at any level. He has a plus arm, good feet defensively, above average speed, and a left hand bat with some power,” commented Albert. “It was an honor and a pleasure to have him on our team this fall.”

“On top of that, he is an outstanding person with a great attitude and always shows his love of the game. He will be a great addition to the IUP baseball program, and congratulations to Coach Ditch, for his recruiting success,” added Albert, who is also an associate scout in western Pennsylvania for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He plans to study elementary education at IUP, and says, “I chose IUP because I believe that IUP will be a great fit for me, not just in a baseball aspect but also in the academic aspect. I can’t wait to be a part of what Coach Ditch is trying to accomplish. I am very excited and ready to hit the field with my future teammates at IUP.”

Robbie Zinsmeister (SS, 6-0, 175) is a senior at North Penn High School in Hatfield, PA, located north of Philadelphia.

“Robbie is a true shortstop who will be looked upon to both anchor our infield and be an offensive catalyst,” commented Ditch. “He has all the tools and is a very skilled athlete that will give our team a tremendous edge in the highly competitive PSAC. Yet most importantly, he is a star student and will shine academically.”

Playing for high school coach Bob McCreary, Zinsmeister was named the Suburban One National League Player of the Year, Philadelphia Inquirer All Southeastern team, and team MVP after his junior season.

Zinsmeister was the lead-off hitter and shortstop for the 2008 Carpenter Cup Champion Suburban One National / Bicentennial team. The Carpenter Cup is a tri-state all-star event sponsored by the Philadelphia Phillies and held annually at Citizens Bank Ballpark. He was a shortstop in the Pennsylvania American Legion East-West All Star game in Harrisburg as a representative of the Hatfield American Legion team, coached by Matt Gallagher.

He will study elementary education and is the son of Robert and Allyson Zinsmeister. He chose IUP because “the baseball program, academic opportunities, friendly atmosphere, and campus all proved to be a perfect fit for me,” stated Zinsmeister.

This is the fifth recruiting class for Ditch.

“Our current players are the foundation of recruiting. I am proud to have recruits visit campus, see the facilities, spend time with our current players and assistant coaches and learn what the student-athlete experience is about at IUP,” commented Ditch. “Our players are the reason we are able to have success both on the field and recruiting.”

IUP is coming off a record setting 2008 season that included a school record 36 wins, PSAC West Runner-up, PSAC post season, ranked 24th in the nation, 18 members of the IUP Dean’s List, 10 PSAC Scholar Athletes, one Top 10 PSAC Scholar Athlete, and a 3.03 team GPA.

IUP is a member of NCAA Division II and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The university is located 60 miles east of Pittsburgh and is the largest Division II school in Pennsylvania with 14,310 students.

For more information visit www.winwithclass.com and www.iup.edu.