The Valparaiso University baseball team has announced the addition of seven newcomers for the 2020 season.  

DJ Calvert (Edmond, Okla. / Edmond Memorial [Northern Oklahoma College]), Ryan Klainos (Green Oaks, Ill. / Libertyville), Jake Miller (Monroe, N.Y. / Don Bosco), Jacob Rosenkranz (Lincolnshire, Ill. / Stevenson), Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central), Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central) and Trent Turzenski (Burlington, Wis. / Burlington) have all signed to join Valpo’s program.

“I’d like to thank my staff for their dedicated work toward this recruiting class,” head coach Brian Schmack said. “It’s not easy trying to bring in the right guys, but I feel that we did an extremely good job of accomplishing that goal this season. I really like the makeup of this class and can’t wait to get these student-athletes on campus and see them compete in the Missouri Valley Conference.”

Calvert, a transfer from Northern Oklahoma College, was an all-conference shortstop at the junior college level in 2018. During his prep tenure at Edmond Memorial in Oklahoma, Calvert was a 2016 6A state champion and a second-team all-conference performer.

“DJ is an experienced infielder who will help us increase our depth,” Schmack said. “He’s an athletic individual whose strength is his defense, which will help us remain solid up the middle next season.”

Calvert has also excelled in the classroom, where his performance helped him earn a place on the principal’s honor roll and in National Honor Society in high school. This past year as a college freshman, he was a member of president’s honor roll, presidential leadership council and Phi Theta Kappa.

“The number one reason I chose Valpo is that it seems like the coaches are all there to help each player reach their full potential,” Calvert said. “Also, I was looking for somewhere to go compete for a spot, and then compete for a championship. The academic side sealed the deal for me. It just seemed like home.”

Klainos will come to Valpo after finishing out his senior season at Libertyville in Illinois.

“Ryan is a big-bodied right-handed pitcher who has come on of late,” Schmack said. “He’s very athletic and once he devotes a lot of time to pitching, his best years are ahead of him. I’m looking forward to having him contribute to our team.”

Klainos is part of a prep team that has won conference and regional championships during his time with the program. He joined forces with two other Division I commits to form the conference pitching rotation for his junior season.

“I chose Valpo because I feel that I will excel as both an athlete and as a student,” he said. “Valpo will give me a great education while I strive to become the best player I can be. It will be a great experience and lead to many new opportunities no matter what path I take following my college career.”

Miller, a left-handed pitcher from Don Bosco Prep, was a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-American.

“Jake is a lefty who can really spin it,” Schmack said. “He has a propensity for throwing a ton of strikes and is an ultra-competitive kid from a great school. We’re looking for him to make an impact right away.”

Miller will become just the second Valpo player to hail from New York since 2005, joining Zack Leone.

“I chose Valpo because I feel that it’s the best fit for me,” Miller said. “Being from New York, I feel that going to Indiana will be a new experience that I am looking forward to. I also feel that choosing Valpo will help shape my future in the best way possible. Signing means a lot to me as I’m fulfilling my dream of playing Division I baseball and also joining a new family. I’m very excited for what the future holds with the program.”

Rosenkranz is a senior RHP at Stevenson High School in Illinois.

“Jacob is a very projectable athlete,” Schmack said. “His best years are ahead of him. He’s starting to come on strong and once he adds strength and size, he has a chance to be dominant. He comes from great travel and high school programs that will help ease his transition.”

Rosenkranz boasts a no-hitter among his prep accomplishments.

“I chose Valpo because I feel like the coaching staff can help me become a better player and achieve my goal of getting to the next level,” he said. “I also feel that it is a good fit because it is close to home and a smaller campus, which are the top two characteristics that I wanted in a school. I’m excited to be part of a well-respected Division-I baseball program with a long history of success.”

Kyle Schmack is a local signee who is a senior at South Central High School. He is the son of Valpo head coach Brian Schmack.

“Kyle is a physical, strong kid with a bat that we hope plays well at the collegiate level,” Brian said. “He’s probably going to play somewhere on the corner for us.”

Kyle was an all-area performer last season and was named the area’s hitter of the year.

“I chose Valpo because of how great of a fit it was for me,” Kyle said. “I’ve been around the program for a long time and I love how the program has been run. Signing at Valpo is very important to me. I’ve wanted to play collegiate baseball for a long time, and signing means I’ll be able to do so.”

Tucker is another local signee as the infielder plays his prep baseball at Hanover Central. He batted .517 as a sophomore, is a two-time all-conference performer and is the third-ranked 2019 shortstop in the state of Indiana, according to Prep Baseball Report.

“Nolan is a very athletic, versatile infielder who can play multiple positions,” Schmack said. “He’s an extremely hard worker who has made great strides from the time we started recruiting him until now. He will help provide us with the versatility that we need throughout the diamond.”

Tucker, who gained 30 pounds in the offseason between his sophomore and junior year, is also a fit for Valpo academically. He is in the Top 10 in his class, is a member of National Honor Society, the class president, a DARE officer, a DECA member, a student ambassador, a Student-Athlete Leadership Conference representative and a class representative in SLYCE.

“Being able to compete at such a high level at such an amazing school means everything to me,” Tucker said. “I am an undersized kid who has been overlooked my entire life. I truly got what I worked for and I am beyond thankful for the opportunity. Valpo is a great baseball school in a great baseball conference. This choice was a no-brainer.”

Turzenski, a right-handed pitcher, is a two-time Wisconsin Division I spring baseball state qualifier.

“Trent has a power arm with a good breaking ball that should help him challenge for playing time right away,” Schmack said. “I’m also impressed by his great work ethic and can’t wait to see him continue to improve going forward.”

Turzenski has twice earned Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention (2016, 2018) in addition to being named Southern Lakes All-Conference honorable mention (2018), Racine All-County Second Team (2018) and to the Perfect Game Kernels Foundation All-Tournament Team (2018). He was ranked No. 14 in the state of Wisconsin for the 2019 recruiting class.

“I chose Valparaiso for three main reasons,” he said. “I really liked the small-school culture when I stepped on campus. The coaching staff had faith in me and made Valparaiso feel like home. And last but not least, I am extremely excited to see the future of the program and what my role will be. It has always been a dream of mine to continue my baseball career at the Division I level. Valparaiso has blessed me with that opportunity to achieve my dream. Signing opens a new door leading to the next chapter of my baseball and academic career.”