Shane Ritter, Illinois' best available 2015, chooses Iowa
February 27, 2014
By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Illinois/Wisconsin
Shane Ritter (Plainfield South, 2015) was the best available prospect in Illinois’ 2015 class, and recently took his name off the board making his verbal commitment to Iowa.
Ritter is a long 6-foot-3, 175-pound RHP who we’ve seen up to 89 mph this fall with impressive secondary stuff. Currently ranked No. 5 in the state, Iowa landed themselves one of the top arms in the PBR coverage area (No. 32 overall).
In the midst of his high school basketball season, where Ritter is one of the top players for the Cougars, he had been making the rounds of college visits this winter and the process proved difficult for Ritter.
“Honestly I really didn’t know what to expect. Yes, it was difficult but I enjoyed visiting the campuses and meeting with the coaches.”
For Ritter the recruiting process took off with a flurry after his complete game win in the Regional Championship followed by several good showings at PBR events over the summer and fall.
“It really started to heat up after I pitched in the Class of 2015 PBR showcase in October, “ said Ritter.
Ritter wanted to stay in the Midwest and after visiting Iowa it seemed like the perfect fit.
He said, “I took the initiative and contacted the recruiting coach that I would be visiting Iowa for a football game last fall…It’s not too far away from home, the facilities and coaching staff just felt like the right fit for me.”
Before choosing the Hawkeyes Ritter was also considering University of Illinois, Kent State University, Michigan State University and Western Michigan University.
Ritter, along with Ball State commit LHP Trevor Henderson will be a formidable 1-2 punch for the Cougars in 2014.
More Illinois News
- IL Preseason Team Countdown: No. 64 Glenbrook North2.27.14
- IL Preseason Team Countdown: No. 65 Champaign Central2.26.14
- IL Preseason Team Countdown: No. 66 Fremd2.26.14
- PBRPlus The Hotlist: Early Look At The 2017 Class2.26.14
