Trinity Christian Athletics
Kristen Keller, Director of Athletic Communication

PALOS HEIGHTS – The Trinity Christian College baseball team is happy to announce its nine recruits who will come to campus beginning fall 2020.

The first recruit is Nick Andersen of New Lenox, Ill. The catcher comes to Trinity from Joliet Junior College. During the shortened spring season, Andersen hit .214 for nine games, recording seven RBI’s. In high school, Andersen played for Lincoln-Way West High School. He earned All-Southwest Suburban Red first team honors and was named to the 2018 Daily Southtown All-Area team. At Trinity, Andersen plans to major in exercise science.

“Nick had a great high school and junior college career,” said head baseball coach Justin Huisman. “He was on pace for an outstanding sophomore campaign as well before the season had to end early. Nick has a great personality and is a born leader, which is crucial to his position. Our pitchers will enjoy throwing to him. He can hit for power and average. We expect Nick to do great things for Trinity baseball.”

Up next is Oliver Carmody of Stevensville, Mich. The Lakeshore High School infielder earned all-district team honors his junior and senior seasons in both baseball and soccer. He also helped his team win back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018. For travel ball, he played for the Kalamazoo Maroons. Carmody is deciding between business and education for his major.

“Oliver has potential to be a special player. He comes from an unbelievable baseball program in high school, so he knows what it takes to have success,” Huisman said. “I love his style of play and I can’t wait see him doing great things for us. He will push the older guys right from the start. Oliver said he is very excited to attend Trinity in the fall, and we’re very excited to have him.”

Also joining the Class of 2024 is Santino Domingo of Elmhurst, Ill. The left-handed pitcher comes from York Community High School, where he played baseball for four seasons. While at York, he made it onto the honor roll during his junior and senior years. For travel ball, he played for Chicago Pirates Baseball. Domingo plans to major in business at Trinity.

“Santino comes from an awesome family that I enjoyed getting to know,” Huisman said. “He is a crafty lefty who knows how to pitch. He wants the ball in his hand and can handle the ups and downs of life on the mound. I’m anxious to see what he can do with some hard work and dedication, that I know he has!”

Jared Greskoviak of Shorewood, Ill. is up next for the Trolls. This right-handed pitcher comes to Trinity from Joliet Township High School West. During his time there, he played on the baseball team and made it on the honor roll all four years. With his travel team, Greskoviak threw a no-hitter. At Trinity, he plans to participate in the engineering 2+2 program as he pursues a degree in civil engineering.

“Jared is a bulldog on the mound. He came right at our hitters during his visit,” Huisman said. “Even though we felt he did well, he wasn’t satisfied. That’s the mark of a true competitor. Jared had a nice high school career and has thrown well for his travel team. We’re confident he has the potential to come in and contribute to our team’s success right away. The kid can pitch.”

Up next for the Trolls is Nicolas Gutierrez of New Lenox, Ill. The infielder comes to Trinity from Joliet Junior College and the College of DuPage. In the seven games he played before the season was cut short, Gutierrez recorded a .263 batting average for 20 at-bats. At the high school level, he helped his travel team win the Diamond 18U National Championship. In 2017, he led his travel team to a fourth-place finish at the Perfect Game WWBA Kernels tournament. At Trinity, he plans to major in business.

“Nico is such an awesome dude. He is always smiling, but that doesn’t mean he’s soft when it comes to baseball,” Huisman said. “He’s a solid infielder and hitter who has potential to help us a lot in both areas. There’s competition in the infield this year, which will be exciting to watch. I know Nico will give it his all and be a great teammate in the process.”

Also coming to Trinity this fall is Jacob Hutcherson of Winona Lake, Ind. The left-handed pitcher and first baseman comes from Warsaw Community High School, where he played baseball and earned scholar-athlete recognition each year. On the field, he maintained a .341 batting average, a .965 fielding percentage and a 1.84 ERA over his last two seasons. For travel ball, he was a member of Attack Baseball, where he finished with one of the top batting averages on his team. Hutcherson plans to major in exercise science while at Trinity.

“Jacob is a talented dual-position player who has done very well at both first base and on the mound,” Huisman said. “I’m thrilled with the amount of young talent we have on the team, and Jacob definitely adds to that. He is a great young man and very excited to begin his collegiate career. We’re excited to have him join us.”

Also joining the Trolls’ roster is Gil Loza of Burbank, Ill. The infielder transferred from Simpson University after playing at Moraine Valley Community College, where he earned his associate’s degree. Prior to his collegiate career, Loza attended Reavis High School, where he was an all-conference selection. He also earned the Ron Czarnecki Baseball Scholarship Award. For travel ball, Loza played for the Illinois Chargers, the Midwest Havoc and the Southland Vikings. At Trinity, he plans to major in physical education.

“We got lucky with Gil, who came to Trinity last year as a regular student despite playing three years at other institutions,” Huisman said. “The plan since then was always for him to join us this year for his final season of competition. It’s been hard for both sides to be patient! Gil loves to play ball and works very hard. I love him in the infield and can’t wait to see his progress with the bat. My only wish is we had him for more years!”

Alexander Sateikis of Oak Lawn, Ill. will also join the Trolls this fall. The right-handed pitcher comes from Harold L. Richards High School, where he played on the varsity team for two seasons. For travel ball, he played for the Burbank Nationals. At Trinity, he plans to major in psychology.

“Xander pitched for a former Troll at Richards, Tyler Fortier, so I know he will be a competitor for us like Tyler was,” Huisman said. “He threw well his last two years in high school and was a major factor in their success. It takes a lot of mental toughness to come to college and pitch well right away. There’s a lot to learn, including handling failure. I can’t wait to see what he can do.”

The final recruit joining the Trolls is Angel Toscana of Mexico City, Mexico. The infielder comes to Palos Heights from Morton Community College after playing a season at Southeastern Community College. During the 2019-20 season, he earned the All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Sophomore of the Year, and threw a perfect game in 2017. Toscana also played in three Mexican National Olympic tournaments, where he represented Mexico City. At Trinity, he plans to major in recreation and sport management.

“Angel comes to us from Morton Community College, where we have been lucky enough to get a few talented players,” Huisman said. “He continues that tradition as he is a solid infielder and hitter. Beyond that, he is a great person that I’ve enjoyed getting to know. There’s no doubt he will do special things for this program. I’m looking forward to learning from each other.”

The baseball team finished their season early due to COVID-19 with an 8-9 record.