05/08/2019 10:54 AM -
Whiting, Ind. – May 8, 2019 – The Northwest Indiana Oilmen continued to announce their 2019 roster on Wednesday by welcoming 11 players to the team.
Jackson Dvorak, 3B, University of Missouri St. Louis / New Lenox, Ill. / Providence Catholic
A familiar face to Oilmen fans will be back for 2019 as Dvorak returns for his third season. His first year with the Oilmen in 2017 was limited to seven games due to an injury, but he was a fixture for the 2018 league championship team as he played in 32 games and posted a .254 average while driving in 25 runs and scoring 25 more. After playing two seasons at South Suburban College, Dvorak just completed his first year at the University of Missouri St. Louis. He ranked second on the team in batting average this spring, hitting .274 with four home runs and 30 RBIs.
Justin Conant, SS/2B, Ball State University / Shorewood, Ill. / Joliet Catholic Academy
Conant has seen immediate playing time as a freshman at the Division-I level. He owns a .250 average over 23 games (14 starts) for Ball State. He has four extra-base hits including a pair of triples and has driven in five runs while scoring nine.
Declan Smyth, SS/2B, North Central College / Evergreen Park, Ill. / Evergreen Park
A sports management major, Smyth is a freshman at North Central. He has appeared in 10 games and made 10 starts for a team that is 28-11 and 18-6 in conference play.
Jack Guzek, RHP, Iowa / Manhattan, Ill. / Brother Rice
Guzek is currently at Gulf Coast State College and has signed an NLI to continue his career as a junior college transfer at Iowa next season. He is finishing up his redshirt freshman campaign at the JUCO school, which is located in Panama City, Fla. Guzek started his collegiate career at Indiana State in 2017-18 and sat out due to Tommy John surgery. He was a 2017 Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention and was ranked as a top 500 recruit nationally by Perfect Game out of high school.
Jonny Vesevick, LHP, College of DuPage / Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North
A freshman at the College of DuPage, Vesevick was an all-conference and all-area selection in high school. The accounting major logged 56 1/3 innings and struck out 52 while yielding 23 walks and posting a 2.88 ERA in 11 games (six starts) for the Chaparrals this spring. He owned a 6-1 record for a team that went 27-18-1.
Jacob Anderson, RHP, Rockhurst / Munster, Ind. / Munster
Anderson continues the tradition of Munster products playing for the Oilmen as the local pitcher comes to the team following his freshman season at Rockhurst. During his prep days with the Mustangs, Anderson was an academic all-conference honoree in 2018 while earning his team’s Golden Arm Award that same season. He lettered three years in baseball and one in basketball. At Rockhurst, Anderson is majoring in accounting. He appeared in seven games and made one start while tossing 13 innings as a freshman.
Zack Dobos, RHP, IU South Bend / Lake Central
Dobos will join the Oilmen following his senior season at Lake Central as he prepares to continue his baseball career at IU South Bend. He was the winning pitcher in the sectional championship game over Highland last season and has been an important piece to the Indians’ pitching staff over the last two years. Dobos went 6-3 with a 2.27 ERA as a junior in 2018, helping Lake Central finish 24-6.
Mike Madura, RHP, South Suburban / Munster, Ind. / Munster
Madura was named to the Post-Tribune newspaper’s all-area team following his senior season in 2017, when he went 4-1 with a 1.11 ERA for the Mustangs. He also thrived at the plate with a .371 batting average to go along with eight doubles, one homer and one triple.
Justin Ruthrauff, LHP, South Suburban / Chicago, Ill. / St. Rita
Ruthrauff pitched in the MCL with the Southland Vikings a year ago, compiling a 1-2 record while appearing in six games and making four starts. He logged 27 1/3 innings and had an ERA of 3.29. Ruthrauff was named the Midwest Collegiate League Pitcher of the Week on June 25 of last season after allowing only three hits and striking out five in eight innings of a game that saw Southland top Bloomington 3-1.
Randall Perrin, RHP, South Suburban / Lynwood, Ill. / TF South
A freshman at South Suburban, Perrin becomes the latest in a long line of Bulldogs to play for the Oilmen.
Colin Walton, RHP, South Suburban / Midlothian, Ill. / Bremen
Walton is among players who South Suburban coach Steve Ruzich will send to the Oilmen this summer.
