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Baseball: South Elgin's Hankins commits to Central Michigan

Up side?

Somewhat raw, 6-foot-9, left-handed pitcher Tyler Hankins has plenty of that.

Now, the South Elgin senior has a college baseball program that wants to help him develop it.

Following a summerlong courtship Hankins texted the coaching staff at Central Michigan on Labor Day to accept the combined athletic/academic scholarship the Mid-American Conference program had offered.

"I'm really excited about it," said Hankins, a 17-year-old Bartlett resident who carries a 3.6 grade-point average. "It was kind of a relief getting it over with. I'm just really excited for our next baseball season here at South Elgin and then college. It should be fun." Also a three-year varsity basketball player at South Elgin who admits "baseball is my main sport; It's more exciting," Hankins was first seen by the Chippewas coaching staff at a Prep Baseball Report talent showcase in mid June.

The sides exchanged multiple text messages, and a Central Michigan coach saw the big lefty pitch again soon thereafter when Hankins' Express Baseball travel club played in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Hankins then made two visits to the Mount Pleasant, Mich., campus, accompanied on the first trip by his father, Leigh, on the second by his mother, Jackie.

Because the bulk of South Elgin's starting pitching assignments last season went to Max Keough (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) and Ryan Weiss (Wright State), Hankins appeared in only 5 games, starting 3 of them. Using his repertoire of a low-to-mid-80s fastball, curveball and changeup, he posted a 3-1 record with a 2.80 earned-run average. He struck out 8 and walked 8 in 20 innings.

"One of the biggest upsides with him is that he has a baseball mind," South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. "After high school, with him concentrating on only one sport, I can see him filling out and easily gaining another 2-3 miles per hour on his fastball. Once he incorporates a slide step, learns to throw over more and change speeds on his pitches, he'll be really tough. With that big step of his, he doesn't have to throw it 60 feet, 6 inches."

"I'm proud of him. He's such a good kid from a good family. And he's never shied away from hard work."

Hankins said he intends to study business at Central Michigan.

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