Jesse Franks of Portage Northern has quietly become one of the top shortstops in Michigan.

Franks had a great Junior season, though you probably haven’t heard a lot about him.

This is probably to be expected as he played along side two of the top players in the state in Jack Livingston and Jake Engels.

But have no doubt, Franks was an important part of the Huskies team that went 30-6-2 and finished at #3 on the West Michigan Top 10 in 2010.

Portage Northern spent most of the season as #1 in the state and as high as 15th in the Nation, as ranked by USA Today.

Look for the Huskies to field a very good team again in 2011 and Franks will be the top player leading the way.

Last year, Franks hit .405 and had a strong.922 fielding average at shortstop.

For his efforts, he was named both All-Conference and All-District.

“Jesse is one of the most talented defensive shortstops I have seen”, says Huskies head coach Chris Andrews. “He ranks up with DJ Jarrad, who I coached, and is the starting shortstop at Oakland University“.

Franks anchored the #2 spot in the lineup for the powerful Husky offense last season and helped the team score lots of runs – but his glove is what really stands out.

“Jesse is one of the best middle infielders in state”, says Husky assistant coach Ron Bucher. “He has a slick glove and is really head and shoulders above most everyone at shortstop”.

Franks plays for the Midwest Bulls, who won the Purdue University 18U Tournament last summer as a 17U team. His strong performances with the Bulls has attracted the attention of the college recruiters.

He is starting to draw interest from many colleges and this will only increase as he leads the Huskies in 2011. He is being actively recruited by Heidelburg University and Ohio Dominican University.

Look for Jesse Franks to have a great Senior season as he begins to earn the recognition he deserves!