The Rockford RiverHawks announced Wednesday they have signed three Northern Illinois natives with common threads.

First baseman Scott Simon, middle infielder Doug Sanders and pitcher Charlie Hahn have agreed to 2009 contracts. Simon and Sanders both enjoyed collegiate success locally while Hahn played college ball in Chicago. Simon broke into pro ball two years ago as a teammate of Hahn with the Frontier League’s Southern Illinois Miners.

Simon, a 25-year-old McHenry resident, is a former Northern Illinois University player who completed his college career in 2007 as both the Huskies’ and Mid-American Conference’s all-time hit king.

Simon had 318 hits in four years with the Huskies. In 2003, he was second team all-MAC selection and a member of Collegiate Baseball magazine’s Freshman All-American team. In summer collegiate ball, he won the National Baseball Congress World Series Most Valuable Player Award in 2004 and was co-MVP of the Central Illinois Collegiate League in 2006.

In 2007, Simon hit .264 with a home run and 36 RBI in 201 at-bats with the Miners. He was traded last winter to Evansville, released in spring training and did not play in 2008.