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Oilmen Add Six to 2021 Roster

05/19/2021 2:57 PM -

Whiting, Ind. – May 19, 2021 – The Northwest Indiana Oilmen have continued to add to their 2021 roster as the club announced the addition of six players on Wednesday.

Outfielder Jared Comia (Illinois / St. John, Ind.), outfielder Luke Montgomery (Purdue Northwest / Orland Park, Ill.), right-handed pitcher Nolan Lorenz (IU South Bend / LaPorte, Ind.), left-handed pitcher / first baseman Tommy Klco (Missouri Valley College / Bloomingdale, Ill.), right-handed pitcher Hunter Keim (Saint Leo / Rockford, Ill.) and right-handed pitcher Matt Litwicki (Indiana / Dyer, Ind.) have all been added to the Oilmen roster.

Litwicki pitched briefly for the Oilmen during the 2020 campaign, joining the team after starting his summer with the Macon Bacon of the Coastal Plain League. Litwicki logged two innings late in the season for NWI. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, the righty was an all-state choice and three-time all-conference performer at Lake Central High School, where he earned Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American recognition. He helped the L.C. pitching staff set a national record by working 62 1/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run. Litwicki has pitched 12 innings, owns a 4.50 ERA and has nailed down four saves for the Hoosiers this season.

Another local to Northwest Indiana, Comia will join Litwicki in the Big Ten Conference next season at Illinois after he completes his senior year at Hanover Central High School. He is rated the No. 18 recruit in Indiana by Prep Baseball Report and the No. 4 outfielder in the state. The all-conference and all-area pick will join his cousin, Branden Comia, at Illinois.

Montgomery completed his freshman season at Purdue Northwest in 2021, when he saw action in 31 games and made 28 starts. Montgomery is a product of St. Laurence High School. Lorenz is another NWI native who graduated from LaPorte High School in 2020 and is a freshman at IU South Bend, where he appeared in 28 games and made 12 starts this season.

Klco is a senior at Lake Park High School and will continue his baseball career at Missouri Valley College, where Oilmen manager TJ Marik is an assistant coach. Keim is a senior at Saint Leo after beginning his collegiate career with two seasons at Quincy. The Rock Island High School product went 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA over seven games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season before making five appearances this spring.

The Oilmen are slated to open the season on Saturday, May 29 with a doubleheader against the Joliet Generals beginning at 3:05 p.m. at Benedictine University. The home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8 at 7:10 p.m. against the Crestwood Panthers.