Baseball Signees Mike Nikorak and Matt Foster
11/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Last week, Alabama baseball inked 11 recruits to add to the 2015-16 roster. Throughout the week all 11 players from this year's recruiting class will be featured on RollTide.com. Today's featured signees are seventh-ranked national recruit Mike Nikorak and junior college transfer Matt Foster, both right-handed pitchers.
Mike Nikorak
RHP
6-5, 213
Stroudsburg, Pa. (Stroudsburg HS)
Listed by Perfect Game USA as the No.7 recruit in the nation and the top-ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania, Mike Nikorak is an elite talent for the Crimson Tide. The 6-5 righty was named conference MVP as well as player of the year in 2012 and 2013. He was a first team all-state selection as a pitcher and as an outfielder in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, he excelled once again as both a hitter and a pitcher. Nikorak batted .460 in the box while owning a 1.01 ERA over 49 innings pitched, striking out 63 in the process. A standout athlete, Nikorak also played quarterback for his high school football team.
Coach Andy Phillips on Nikorak:
"Mike Nikorak is obviously a highly ranked kid. He has a big-time arm, no doubt; he can get pitches up to 97 miles per hour. This guy is definitely a big-time, projectable right-handed pitcher. He has a huge upside, and is very athletic in what he does on the mound. We're very excited to have him join Alabama Baseball."
Coach Dax Norris on Nikorak:
"Obviously, Mike Nikorak has one of the best arms in the country. He has huge upside and we are excited about that as a staff. He's definitely a good one. He's a big-time signee for the Alabama Baseball program, and we're looking forward to seeing him."
Matt Foster
RHP
6-0, 190
Valley, Ala. (Gulf Coast State College)
Matt Foster returns to his home state as one of the top junior college transfers this year. Foster previously pitched at Gulf Coast State College where he owned a 3-1 record over nine appearances, including seven starts. The righty tossed 38.2 innings and struck out 46 over that time while maintaining at 2.09 ERA. Prior to attending junior college, Foster excelled at Valley High School, where he was named team MVP during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. As a junior, he went 4-2 over 38 innings while fanning 56 batters and issuing just five free passes. As a senior, Foster pitched in 12 games, starting 10, logging 65.1 IP and owning a 0.96 ERA while accumulating 115 strikeouts. He also excelled as a hitter, batting .352 with 27 RBI, 24 runs scored and accumulating 73 total bases. His outstanding efforts during his senior season earned him All-Area Team honors as well as All-State honors for a third baseman and as a pitcher.
Coach Dax Norris on Foster:
"We recruited Matt Foster out of high school. He came on late his senior year, and we kept our eyes on him throughout his JUCO career. He's one of the top JUCO pitchers and the No. 1 guy on the Gulf Coast State College staff. He'll be a back-end type of guy for us and he can really get it done."
