Northville’s Nori rare northerner recruited by elite SEC baseball program
Dante Nori exults after ripping a game-clinching triple against Salem.
Voted by NCAA baseball fans in 2022 as the nation’s best program, Mississippi State University rarely spreads its recruiting blanket as far north as Michigan.
With just one player on its 2023 roster who hails from a state north of Tennessee (Zionsville, Indiana’s Nate Dohm), the Diamond Dawgs made an exception when it recently secured a commitment from Northville’s Dante’ Nori, a multi-talented outfielder who is a member of the Class of 2024.
Nori, who initially committed to Arizona State University as an eighth-grader before de-committing following a coaching shake-up at ASU, said he initially connected with MSU’s coaching staff at a premier showcase tournament in Atlanta.
“I got to meet coaches Kyle Cheesebrough and Chris Lemonis in Atlanta (in 2021),” Nori said. “After a couple of Zoom calls and a visit to the campus, I committed.
“I loved the atmosphere down there and the campus is beautiful.”
Life-long passion for baseball
As a youth, Nori lived in Canton before moving with his family to California and Colorado before the Noris ultimately settled in Northville.
He said baseball has been his No. 1 sport for as long as he can remember.
“Ever since I picked up a baseball bat for the first time, I started dreaming of playing for a Division 1 program someday,” he said.
“I’ve definitely put in the work. I try to get 100% better every single day. That’s kind of the motto I live by.”
High praise for Northville
Nori said attending a top-notch academic and athletic school like Northville High School has been nothing but beneficial in his journey.
“I’ve learned how to be a better person and how to win here,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better academic or athletic high school experience.”
Nori said his initial plans are to study business at MSU.
Nori’s skill set on the diamond is multi-dimensional. A left-handed hitter with decent power, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound outfielder’s speed is what first caught the attention of D1 college coaches.
“They saw me run a 60 (yard dash) and that’s when (MSU) first offered me,” Nori told 247sports.com.
“Other than working gap to gap in the batter’s box, it’s my work on the base paths. I’m very aggressive and use my speed to my advantage.”
In addition to MSU, Nori sparked interest from elite programs Oregon, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama and Arizona.
