July 30, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- UIC head baseball coach Mike Dee announced on Wednesday, July 30 that the following six student-athletes will play for the Flames beginning in the 2009 season:

Nick Addison (OF - Barrington, Ill./Fremd H.S.)

Michael Heesch (LHP - Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge H.S.)

Steven Humble (C - Eugene, Ore./North Eugene H.S./Chemeketa College)

Harry Kammholz (2B - Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel H.S.)

Matt Serna (INF/OF - Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows H.S./Lincoln College)

Alex Urbas (C - Sherman, Ill./Williamsville H.S./Springfield College)

Addison is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound outfielder who played for Chris Piggott at Fremd. He hit .484 with 15 extra-base hits, 34 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases as a senior en route to All-Mid-Suburban League honors and all-area accolades from the Daily Herald and the Chicago Sun-Times.

"Nick is athletic, a great runner and can flat-out go get it in the outfield," said assistant coach Sean McDermott. "He gives us depth in the outfield and will be an impact player in the Horizon League."

Heesch is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound left-handed pitcher from 2008 state champion Prairie Ridge, where he was coached by Dave Haskins. The decorated all-state hurler went 10-1 with 104 strikeouts in 87 innings, allowing just 18 earned runs as a senior while pitching the Wolves to the state title game in an impressive four-hit victory over defending state champion Neuqua Valley in the state semifinals.

"Michael is a guy that we followed last summer and through the fall and spring, and he really made himself into a good player," said assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Nall. "He's a really hard-working kid with a keen attention to details. His personality really makes him a great fit for the program, and he's going to be a really good player for us, probably sooner rather than later."

Humble, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound backstop out of Eugene, Ore., comes to UIC by way of Chemeketa College in Salem, Ore., where he played for head coach Tucker Brack.

"Steven is athletic, has a big body and is a tremendous receiver," said McDermott. "He is a great addition to the program who can handle the staff. Steven should upgrade the position defensively and offensively in 2009."

Kammholz is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound second baseman who played for Brian Hurry at Mount Carmel. Dubbed "a best-kept secret" by the Sun-Times News Group's Sean Duncan, the left-handed hitting Kammholz was a Chicago Sun-Times all-area honorable mention as a senior for the Caravan.

"Harry has a burning desire to be great," said McDermott. "He has a chance to be a tremendous asset to the program. Coming from the Catholic League, Harry is a guy that will give us the opportunity to create a competitive edge."

Serna is a versatile 6-foot-1, 185-pound player who played the last two seasons under coach Tony Thomas at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Ill. Last year the Rolling Meadows High School product hit .440 with 35 RBI.

"Matt has a chance to contribute in a lot of different ways," said McDermott. "He is an asset in the outfield, at second base and at first base, he's an above-average runner who plays plus-defense in the infield and provides a plus-arm in the outfield. Matt has a chance to be in the lineup everyday in one of those three spots."

Rounding out the class is Urbas, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound catcher who played under Steve Torricelli at Springfield College in Springfield, Ill. Last season he hit .368 with seven home runs, 15 doubles and 39 RBI en route to All-Mid-West Athletic Conference First Team accolades for the second straight year. He was also a first-team all-region selection in 2008, a third-team All-American in 2007 and an academic all-conference honoree this past year.

"Alex is a tough kid who will bring much-needed depth behind the plate," said McDermott. "He will impact the team with his bat, and his experience competing at a high level of junior college baseball should be an asset to our club."

The six newest additions join right-handed pitcher Matt Salemi (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton H.S.) and catcher Nathan Orf (Wentzville, Mo./Howell H.S.) as part of the Flames' 2009 group of newcomers.