By Sean Duncan 

Ryan Koziol, who’s the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Class of 2012, has been cleared by the IHSA and will be eligible to play at Providence Catholic HS this spring. The official ruling was delivered Thursday by the IHSA.

The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Koziol had been an impact two-way player at Brother Rice HS since his freshman year. Koziol transferred from Brother Rice to Providence over the summer.

Koziol, who's verbally committed to the University of Arizona, is the best two-way prospect in the state. This summer, the right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitting shortstop was one of the final cuts to make USA Baseball’s 18-U national team.

With Koziol, Providence Catholic will once again be one of the best teams in the state. The Celtics finished runner-up in Class 4A after falling to Lyons Township in the 2011 championship game.

On the mound, Koziol features an easy 87-91 mph fastball and command of three pitches. At the plate, Koziol is a pure left-handed hitter who should help fill the void left by 2011 PBR Player of the Year Sam Travis, C Dan Potempa, SS Joe Houlihan and 2B Kevin DeFilippis.