Eric Jokisch comes from Virginia, Ill. a town of just 1,728 people and a high school with just 123 students.
Nevertheless, the Northwestern University left-hander continues to prove that he's a big-time talent.
As a member of the Virginia/A-C Central baseball team, Jokisch put numbers that were just positively silly. At the end of his junior year, Jokisch struck out 21 batters and walked none in a regional semifinal victory -- but it wasn't a perfect game. Rather, two hitters reached on dropped third strikes and another tomahawked a solo home run.
As a senior, he posted numbers of 9-0 with a 0.94 ERA and 141 strikeouts AND hit .658 with 41 RBIs for the Redbirds.
After choosing Northwestern University, Jokisch proved that his numbers were no small-town fluke. As a freshman, Jokish posted a record of 8-2 with a 4.17 ERA and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, as well as Freshman All-American honors from Louisville Slugger and Ping!
As a sophomore, those numbers lipped to 4-7 with a 5.48 ERA, but Jokisch has regained his form in the Cape Cod League.
Playing for the Harwich Mariners, Jokisch is 1-2 with a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings for the Mariners. Those numbers helped him earn a berth as an alternate on the East All-Star team.
Not bad for a small-town kid.
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