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In his eighth season at Northern Illinois, Steve Joslyn's tenure equals that of head coach Ed Mathey, and his hard work and dedication to the program earned him a new title in April of 2008 - Associate Head Coach. With a new title came new responsibility, as Joslyn took on the role of recruiting coordinator, in addition to his duties as the team's third base coach. He also coordinates the placement of Huskie players into summer leagues, coaches team defense and coordinates the annual NIU baseball camps.
Joslyn worked incredibly hard during the past offseason to help bring in the largest recruiting class of Mathey's career at NIU, as the Huskies inked 11 outstanding, talented players from the high school class of 2010, including Mathey's first recruit from the state of Arizona in right-handed pitcher/outfielder Trey Lange. While NIU will have to wait another year before feeling the impact of the 2010 class, last year's class, although it lacks in quantity with just three players, will provide an impact this season. The 2009 class that Joslyn helped bring in features one of the most athletic specimens in Mathey's tenure in infielder Jayme Wells, a two-time unanimous first team all-conference selection in infielder/outfielder Cody Jacobson and California all-state honoree in catcher/infielder Ben Etcheverry, brother of Huskie junior infielder Joe Etcheverry. In 2008, Joslyn's efforts helped Northern Illinois set a Division I era record with a .963 fielding percentage, equaling the top mark in school history. The Huskies racked up a school-best .615 Mid-American Conference winning percentage and matched the school record for league wins with 16. His impact was also felt on the recruiting trail in 2008, as Joslyn was a key figure in collecting a recruiting class that ranked 65th in the nation which was the best in the MAC and state of Illinois. Joslyn has helped many Huskies develop into premiere players who have gone on to earn pro contracts with the latest being shortstop Bobby Stevens, who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 16th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft. Nearly every graduating outfielder tutored by Joslyn at Northern Illinois has signed a professional baseball contract, including his most recent protégé, Jeff Thomas, who joined the Can-Am League after earning second-team All-MAC honors in 2008. Thomas led the Huskies with a .350 batting average along with 16 steals, 10 doubles, two homeruns and 34 RBI. Under Joslyn, the trio of Mike Santoro, Jeremy Busch and Eric Sansouci each signed professionally after the 2005 season. Santoro signed with the San Francisco Giants after being chosen in the 2004 draft while Busch and Sansouci joined Frontier League teams. Busch earned first team All-MAC honors in 2005 after hitting a team-best .340. With Joslyn's guidance, Northern Illinois has placed players in several of the top summer collegiate leagues across the country including the Cape Cod, Northwoods, Coastal Plains, Cal Ripken Sr., Central Illinois Collegiate, Ben Johnson and Prospect leagues. In past years, NIU has sent players to the Alaska, New England Collegiate and Great Lakes leagues. Joslyn was instrumental in sending pitcher Brandon Copp and shortstop Bobby Stevens to the Cape Cod League in 2007, one year after Copp became the first Northern Illinois player in nearly two decades to play in the prestigious league. During this past summer, three Huskies garnered all-star nods, as Alex Jones represented the KC Bandits of the Ben Johnson Baseball League, Jordin Hood represented the Quincy Gems of the Prospect League and Chuck Lukanen represented the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League. In 2007, three Huskie pitchers, Andy Deain, Matt Jernstad and Dave Nykiel, earned all-star selections in the Central Illinois Collegiate League and outfielder Pat Minogue helped lead his team to a runner-up finish in the Cal Ripken Sr., Collegiate League. In 2006, five Northern Illinois players earned all-star selections during the summer and the Huskies dominated the CICL's postseason awards. Scott Simon was named MVP, Matt German earned the Fireman of the Year award, Bobby Stevens was Tournament MVP and Trevor Feeney earned the second-half top pitcher award. "Jocko" had his own success in the CICL, serving as an assistant for the Quincy Gems during the summer of 2005 and helped the team capture the league championship. The Oswego native aided the Northern Illinois recruiting efforts that produced nationally-ranked classes by Collegiate Baseball in 2005 and 2006. He also directs the NIU summer and winter baseball camps. Joslyn began his college baseball coaching career at his alma mater, North Central College, where he first worked with Mathey in 1996 and immediately helped guide the Cardinals to the CCIW title. Two years later, NCC generated a 28-15-1 record, a runner-up finish at the NCAA Central Regional and a No. 15 final national ranking by Collegiate Baseball. Prior to coaching baseball at the college level, Joslyn had great success as a high school basketball coach. Following the completion of his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation at North Central, Joslyn spent two seasons as a teacher and an assistant coach for football, basketball, and baseball at his prep alma mater, Oswego High School. In 1989, Joslyn gained his first head coaching job, accepting the lead position at West Pike High School. After capturing the school's first regional basketball title and a school-record 28 wins, Joslyn led West Pike to its finest season in 1994-95. That year, the Cardinals earned the state's top-ranking, posted a 32-2 record, and finished third at the IHSA Championships as Joslyn earned his second consecutive Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District 17 Coach of the Year award. After compiling a 135-24 record in six seasons at West Pike, Joslyn accepted the head coaching position at Downers Grove North in 1995-96. Within his first three years, Joslyn reached the IHSA Sweet Sixteen, claiming regional and sectional titles after recording the school's first 20-win season and conference championship. Two seasons later, Joslyn earned his second IBCA District 7 Coach of the Year award after he guided North to a 26-3 record and third-straight conference title. THE JOSLYN FILE |
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