KALAMAZOO, Mich. Western Michigan head baseball coach Billy Gernon announced the signing of four student-athletes that will join the Broncos in the fall of 2016. The four include middle infielder Carter Bridge (Lafayette, Ind./Lafayette Harrison), middle infielder Drew Devine (Marshall, Mich./Marshall), left-handed pitcher Brandon Petersen (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and right-handed pitcher Tyler Thorington (Wyandotte, Mich. /Wyandotte Roosevelt).
“This class addresses our needs moving forward as a program.” said Gernon. “It has a nice blend of pitching and athleticism and some talent that could impact our club immediately.
“It is important to recognize the efforts of our recruiting coordinator Adam Piotrowicz and associate head coach Blaine McFerrin,” said Gernon. “They both have done an outstanding job identifying this gifted group of student-athletes and I want to personally thank them for their efforts. The signing period is always exciting and we are thrilled to know that Bronco baseball is adding four young men who understand and appreciate the culture and expectations that exist within our program at Western Michigan. Not only are these young men special athletes, they also excel academically. There is no doubt in my mind they will all be special additions to our locker room.”
Carter Bridge • Lafayette, Ind. • Lafayette Harrison • 6'0 • 180 • R/R • MIF
Played under Head Coach Pat Lowery at Lafayette Harrison ... four-time varsity letter winner ... one varsity letter in football senior year … all-conference in baseball junior year ... led team to sectional championship and regional runner-up in 2015 ... hit .379 with 36 hits, eight doubles, six triples and two home runs during junior season ... played summer ball for Indiana Bulls … son of Brian and Shanna and has a sister, Hunter.
Gernon on Bridge: “You can't emphasize enough the importance of signing athletes. Carter symbolizes that very concept as he can play most any position on the field. He has played competitive baseball for several years for a respected summer club in the Indiana Bulls as well as a very solid high school baseball program. We are very excited to be adding Bridge to our roster.”
Drew Devine • Marshall, Mich. • Marshall • 6'0 • 175 • R/R • MIF
Four-year letter winner and varsity starter for head coach Trevor Kelly at Marshall High School ... played summer ball for the HBF Maroons ... First team all-conference and all-district as a junior … hit .391 with a .515 on-base percentage ... represented Team Michigan at PBR Future Games … Perfect Game Honorable Mention ... high honor roll … son of Jason, who played basketball for Grand Valley State, and Janet … has one sister, Danielle.
Gernon on Devine: “Drew plays with an infectious level of energy and passion. He already represents the intangibles that we consider to be very important in our program. Devine has a very high baseball IQ while being a fierce competitor. He is very involved in his community and believes in serving those less fortunate. Drew is a very special individual and we are fortunate he has chosen to wear the Bronco uniform.”
Brandon Petersen • Naperville, Ill. • Waubonsie Valley • 6'3 • 220 • L/L • LHP
Will be a three-year varsity letter winner under coach Bryan Acevedo at Waubonsie Valley High School … went 6-1 during junior campaign with 1.09 earned run average including 59 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched ... hit .322 with 22 RBI's … helped team win back-to-back conference championships … recipient of the Sophomore Impact Award ... selected all-conference ... Daily Herald All-Area ... Beacon News All-Area … academic all-conference … three-year varsity football player … played summer ball for Team Acceleration … Son of Jim and Jeanne and has two siblings, Tyler and Mallory.
Gernon on Petersen: “Brandon has a tremendous upside with a big long frame. He has a nice smooth and repeatable delivery that will allow him to be in the zone. We like his mound presence and secondary pitches as well as his attention to academics. Petersen projects out to be a lefty that could have a very special career in a Western Michigan baseball uniform.”
Tyler Thorington • Wyandotte, Mich. • Wyandotte Roosevelt • 6'4 • 200 • R/R • RHP
Played for head coach Brian Cotner where he will be a four-year varsity starter and letter winner at Wyandotte Roosevelt … named team MVP sophomore and junior years ... named to News-Herald Dream Team as sophomore and junior … four-year letter winner in basketball … made First team News-Herald team as sophomore and junior … Three-year varsity letter winner in football … has maintained over a 4.0 grade point average … son of Mark and Aileen and has one sister, Katie who is also a three-sport athlete.
Gernon on Thorington: “Tyler is an impressive athlete who excels in three sports. He has a great pitcher's frame and a tremendous aptitude for the game which is reflected in his grades. Thorington has a very strong arm and a solid arsenal and could contribute to our pitching staff when he steps on campus. He too, understands our culture and expectations and chose Western Michigan over several other viable Division I offers. We are excited he will make his next stop in Kalamazoo, Mich.”
Logan Hudson • Caledonia, Mich. • Caledonia • 6'2 • 190 • R/R • CIF
Will be a four-year letter winner for head coach Pat Gillies ... hit .432 with .508 on-base percentage and 32 RBI's in junior season ... earned First team all-conference as well as all-district and all-region honors … played for Bill Blakely and the Midwest Athletics in the summer of 2015 … led team with .425 batting average including 14 extra base hits ... rated No. 13 player and No. 1 shortstop in state of Michigan by Perfect Game … three-year starter for varsity basketball … four-year honor roll student … son of Pat and Amy and has two sisters, Ellie and Lauren.
Gernon on Hudson: “Logan epitomizes the student-athlete. He adds athleticism to this class as well as versatility having the ability to play all four infield positions. Hudson has done one thing consistent everywhere he has played, and that is hit. He led the Midwest Athletics this past summer in several offensive categories including batting average and has gap to gap type power. We knew we wanted a person like Logan in our program very early in the recruiting process and we are excited he is a Bronco.”
