MOUNT PLEASANT -- Five student-athletes have decided to join the Central Michigan baseball program after signing National Letters of Intent, head coach Steve Jaksa announced Saturday.

Three new pitchers, right-hander Scott Marinier (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita HS) along with lefties Dietrich Enns (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East HS) and Josh Cok (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Grosse Pointe North HS) will bolster the pitching staff. A pair of infielders, Jordan Dean (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) and Chris Savas (Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook HS) will add depth to the lineup in 2010.

“One of the things we are always trying to do is bring in not only high quality athletes but also people with good character and good students. Those two things reflect on what type of player you’re going to be on the field,” Jaksa said. “ We’re not losing very many guys after this year to graduation, but we are going to be losing some pitching. We were fortunate enough to see these three pitchers throw a few times at a few of our camps, and we’re very excited about bringing the three of them in.

“Offensively, we’re always looking for guys who can not only hit but guys who can play quality defense,” Jaksa said. “We were looking for that combination, and we were able to bring in a couple of great athletes who really impressed us in both of those aspects. Their abilities to play several positions is also something that’s important to our program, because it helps us get the best players on the field.”

Below are bios for the five new Chippewas.

	Josh Cok Grosse Pointe, Mich. Grosse Pointe North High School North Oakland Yankees Club Team Left-handed Pitcher 6-1 195 lbs. High School: 2008 first-team all-conference and all-district honoree ...  all-conference and all-district honoree ... struck out 71 of the 231 batters he faced, allowing only 30 hits ... high school coach is Frank Sumbera ... club coach is Dan Hauser. Personal: Born Joshua Paul Cok on Feb. 11, 1991 ... son of Joan Grassi and Richard Cok. Scouting Report on Cok: Mid-80s fastball that tops out at 87 ... outstanding arm action and strong body that projects for better velocity as he matures ... passionate player ... just started throwing a late breaking slider as hard as 80 mph that will become a true strikeout pitch ... also features a changeup. Cok on CMU: “I expect to contribute to this team as much as possible and help the team win a MAC championship.” Jaksa on Cok: “He’s a big, strong left-hander who has a lot of raw ability. He’s just started to blossom over the past 12-18 months and we really like his arm strength. He likes to compete and he’s a very good fit with our program.”
	Jordan Dean Midland, Mich. Bullock Creek HS Midland Berryhill Legion Team Middle Infielder 5-9 165 lbs High School: Hit .514 with five homeruns as a junior ... belted 10 homeruns with Midland Berryhill club team where he was named first team all-conference and second team all-state ... also earned Midland Daily News and Saginaw News Dream Team honors  ... high school coach is Jason Krenzke ... club coaches are Dan Cronkright, Steve Cronkright and Pat Dawson. Personal: Born Jordan William Dean on August 12, 1990 in Midland, Mich. ... son of Bernie and Kathie Dean. Scouting Report on Dean: Right-handed hitting shortstop at Bullock Creek ... athletic and agile defender ... above average runner (60 yard sprint timed at 6.7 seconds) ... generates outstanding bat speed ... projects as a plus defender and top of the order hitter with power to all fields. Dean on CMU: “My goal is to help the team win a MAC title and improve my skills in my time at Central.” Jaksa on Dean: “We feel you can’t have too many guys who can play defense in those middle infield positions. Jordan’s personality and his consistency are great, and he hits the ball both ways with power. We had chances to watch him on a daily basis and we really like the tools that he brings to the table. We feel he is as good defensively as there is in the state.”
	Dietrich Enns Frankfort, Ill. Lincoln Way East HS Illinois Sparks and Cangelosi Baseball Club Teams Left-handed Pitcher 6-1 190 lbs. High School: Earned all-conference and all-area honors as a junior in 2008 ... went 7-3 with a 1.30 ERA after posting a 12-0 record with a 1.10 ERA as a sophomore ... high school coach is Paul Babcock ... club coaches are Dave Payton and Bill Copp. Personal: Born Dietrich Arthur Enns on May 16, 1991 in Oak Park, Ill. ... son of Philip and Barbara Enns. Scouting Report on Enns: Features four pitches (fastball, changeup, curveball and cutter) ... fastball works in the mid 80s ... outstanding changeup ... ability to throw any pitch in any count ... competes well on the mound. Deitrich on CMU: “I want to help this program win a MAC title and make the NCAA tournament.” Jaksa on Enns: “He wins. He finds a way to help his team get a victory. He throws strikes and can do so with multiple pitches. We are very pleased to bring him in. Coach Opalewski had worked with him in the past, and we feel he’ll be a great Chippewa.”
	Scott Marinier Chicago, Ill. St. Rita High of Cascia HS Illinois Sparks and Cangelosi Baseball Club Teams Right-handed Pitcher 6-0 165 lbs High School: Went 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA as a sophomore ... Chicago Sun-Times’ Top 100 Area Baseball Players in 2008 ... ranked #31 player in Illinois ... high school coach is Mike Zunica ... club coach is Dave Payton and Bill Copp. Personal: Born Scott Charles Marinier on Sept. 2, 1990 in Oak Lawn, Ill. ... son of Dennis and Stacy Marinier. Scouting Report on Marinier: Athletic pitcher with a fast arm ... tops out at 91 mph with excellent sink ... slider made great strides and became an out pitch over the summer ... aggressive within the strike zone. Marinier on CMU: “When I saw the direction this program was going during my visit, I decided right then and there that I wanted to be a part of it.” Jaksa on Marinier: “He misses bats with some nice movement. He throws a very good breaking ball, and when you put that with the fact that he can put it past people, we feel we have ourselves a pretty good pitcher.”
	Chris Savas Villa Park, Ill. Willowbrook HS Illinois Sparks and Cangelosi Baseball Club Teams Infielder 6-0 195 lbs. High School: Named all-conference in 2008 ... high school coach is Steve Gilliam ... club coaches are Dave Payton, Joe Murphy, Brian Baldwin and “Coach” White ... prior club coaches were Mike Cantallupo, Nick Maentanis, Chris Savas, Bill Copp and Sam Incandela. Personal: Born Christopher William Savas on Oct. 13, 1990 in Hoffman Estates, Ill. ... son of Chris and Karen Savas. Scouting Report on Savas: Right-handed hitter with a smooth swing and projectable power ... potential to be a plus defender at either position ... ability to drive the ball with power to all fields ... performed well and drove the ball against talented pitchers during the summer. Savas on CMU: “The players treated me great during my visit. After seeing the facilities and experiencing this program’s winning atmosphere, I knew I wanted to come here.” Jaksa on Savas: “He came into one of our camps and just hit everything thrown to him. We made sure he knew we were high on him. He’s a young man who is a good defender and we feel he can play multiple positions at the collegiate level. He also fits the bill of a right-handed hitter we were looking for.”