Feb. 6, 2007

Illinois baseball's fall signing class continues to be recognized by area and national publications, this time earning mention by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the Chicago White Sox Training Academy. All four of the Illini's in-state recruits were recognized by both organizations, with Casey Crosby (Elburn, Ill.) and Casey McMurray (Willow Springs, Ill.) being named to Collegiate Baseball's Louisville Slugger Pre-Season High School All-America second team, and Pete Cappetta (Lisle, Ill.) and Nick Chmielewski (Orland Park, Ill.) earning mention as players to watch in Illinois by the newspaper.

All four players also made the White Sox Training Academy's list of the top-40 prospects in the 2007 senior class, with Crosby coming in at No. 2 on the list, Chmielewski ranked No. 7, McMurray at No. 28 and Cappetta at No. 30.

Collegiate Baseball listed McMurray as a "five-tool player" and noted that Crosby throws in the low-90 mph range. The White Sox Training Academy calls Crosby's "ceiling on projection unlimited," while they list Chmielewski as having a "power arm and body" and a "hard two-pitch mix." The academy also pegs McMurray as having plus bat speed with power to all fields and a plus arm, while it lists Cappetta as having "first-step quickness from any position on the field" and "soft hands with a solid approach to the ball."