FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Apr. 22, 2014)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside baseball team announced its recruiting class for the 2015 season on Tuesday, signing three student-athletes from Illinois to National Letters of Intent.
 
The Rangers ink both Matt Skarzynski (pictured on right) and Nick Rana (pictured in middle) from the high school ranks while signing John Dokolas (pictured on left) out of junior college.
 
Wauconda native Matt Skarzynski joins the Rangers after a standout career at Carmel Catholic High School. The 6 foot lefthander has played at the varsity level for the Corsairs the last two seasons, earning a selection to the Eastern Suburban Catholic Conference Junior Showcase last season. A pitcher and an outfielder, Skarzynski intends to major in Sport Management.
 
"Matt is a left-handed hitting outfielder and a left-handed pitcher that will be able to compete for innings on the mound and at-bats for us," said second year Head Coach Daniel Esposito.
 
"Matt has a strong arm and is a good athlete. He also has a clean swing with good power. We feel like Matt will play his best baseball in college and is only scratching the surface of his talent and skills right now in high school. He has a high ceiling and we look forward to working with him and seeing what he can do at the Division II Level."
 
Joliet resident Nick Rana inks with UW-Parkside from Plainfield Central High School in suburban Chicago. The 6' 2" right-handed pitcher is a three-time captain for the Wildcats, serving among the top of the rotation for the past two seasons. Rana played club ball for Team Demarini and intends to major in history.
 
"Nick is a right-handed pitcher that will immediately impact our program. Nick has the chance to come in to Parkside and compete for significant innings in the starting rotation or out of the bullpen. He is a great student and a high character person that will be fun to watch pitch here at Parkside. Nick is extremely competitive and attacks the strike zone with all of his pitches. We look forward to seeing him develop and become a mainstay on the mound for the next four years."
 
Hailing from Silvis, Ill., John Dokolas signs with UW-Parkside from Black Hawk College. The 6' 3" right-handed pitcher was an All-Metro selection and the Comeback Player of the Year as a senior in high school at United Township while also claiming Honorable Mention All-Metro accolades as a sophomore and junior. In his freshman campaign at Black Hawk, Dokolas made 11 appearances on the mound, owning a 2-2 record with four saves in 30 1/3 innings of work. The right-hander enjoyed a 1.78 earned run average with 24 strikeouts and helped the Braves to a 35-17 overall record, including a 19-1 mark in Arrowhead Conference play. This season, Dokolas has 10 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings of work with an ERA of 4.08. Dokolas plans on majoring in accounting.
 
"John is a big strong right-handed pitcher with collegiate experience at one of the better community college programs in our region. He is a very consistent performer on the mound in many different roles. John can start on the mound but also has the stuff and demeanor to close games as well. John will be a valuable asset and addition to our rotation and will provide some leadership for our young pitching staff in 2015."
 
The Rangers (10-23, 8-18 GLVC) return to the diamond tonight, taking on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in a non-conference showdown at Simmons Field. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.