At the time of his selection, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior right-handed pitcher had led the Fighting Irish (20-1) to the Class 4A sectional tournament. Russell owned a 4-1 record, a 1.23 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 34 innings through 21 games. The state's
Russell has maintained a B average in the classroom.
He assisted victims and helped rebuild area damaged by a tornado in Henryville, Ind. and has also volunteered locally as a youth baseball coach and camp counselor.
