A Look Back at Toledo Baseball Summer
TOLEDO, OH - Several members of the Toledo baseball team experienced quality summers on the diamond. A total of 16 current players participated in collegiate leagues in a variety of states including Ohio, Michigan, New York and Kentucky.
Below is a quick summary of how the Rockets fared this summer broken down by individual leagues.
GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
Senior LHP Kyle Shaw, junior RHP Cameron Palmer, junior OF Jacob North and sophomore OF Anthony Smith played for the playoff participant Stark County Terriers. Shaw appeared in two games out of the bullpen and did not record a decision but was credited with a save and a 1.23 ERA. He surrendered one earned run on seven hits with five punchouts in 7.1 frames. Palmer started seven of eight games on the hill, finishing with a 3-3 record and a 4.10 ERA. He gave up 21 runs (17 earned) on 34 hits with a squad-best 42 strikeouts in a team-high 37.1 innings. North batted .293 (29-for-99) with 34 runs scored, 10 two-base hits, four roundtrippers and 19 RBI in 30 games. The Barberton, OH native also toed the rubber on 11 occasions this past summer (one start), finishing with a 1-1 record and a 6.85 ERA. North gave up 19 runs (18 earned) on 30 hits with 26 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. Smith hit .280 (35-for-125) wirth 19 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples, five home runs and 21 RBI in 34 contests. Earlier this summer, Palmer and Smith were selected to the GLSCL All-Star Game.
Sophomore RHP Alec Schmenk and sophomore RHP Andrew Marra played for the playoff participant Lake Erie Monarchs. Schmenk started seven of eight contests, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.73 ERA. He tied for the team lead in wins. The Perrysburg, OH native surrendered 17 runs (all earned) on 37 hits with a team-high 42 strikeouts in a squad-best 41.0 frames. Marra appeared out of the bullpen in eight of nine contests, tallying a 1-1 mark with a 5.50 ERA. He yielded 12 runs (11 earned) on 24 hits with 16 punchouts in 18.0 innings.
TRI-STATE LEAGUE
Senior OF Ben Hammer and junior INF Zack Michael were teammates for the Toledo Hawks. Hammer hit a team-high .455 (65-for-143) with a squad-best 49 runs scored, a team-tying best 15 doubles, a squad-tying best four triples, four home runs and 45 RBI in 50 games. He also finished with a stellar .699 slugging percentage, as well as 22 walks and 13 stolen bases. Michael batted .185 (24-for-130) with 27 runs scored, five doubles, two three-base hits, a team-high 26 walks and 15 RBI in a squad-best 55 contests.
MIDWEST COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
Junior LHP Ryan Wilkinson appeared in four games as a reliever for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen, posting a 1-1 mark with a 3.86 ERA. Wilkinson yielded 14 runs (nine earned) on 28 hits with 16 strikeouts in 21.0 innings.
PROSPECT LEAGUE
Sophomore OF Dan Zuchowski and junior C James Miglin played for the playoff participant Chillicothe Paints. Zuchowski was named one of the top prospects in the Prospect League, hitting .340 (68-for-200) with 14 two-base hits, eight roundtrippers and 44 RBI in 49 games. The 2012 Prospect League All-Star selection finished tied for 10th in the league in runs scored, tied for 13th in home runs, tied for 14th in doubles, 15th in batting average and tied for 16th in hits and RBI. Miglin batted .301 (22-for-73) with 11 runs scored, four doubles and seven RBI in 21 games.
Senior RHP Jared Locke started eight of nine games for the Butler Blue Sox, tallying a 3-2 record with a 3.64 ERA. Locke gave up 24 runs (19 earned) on 44 hits with a team-high 55 strikeouts in 47.0 innings, en route to being named to the Prospect League All-Star Game.
OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE
Junior OF Tyler Grogg hit a sparkling .402 (39-for-97) with 20 runs scored, two doubles, one triple, 16 RBI and a league-best 33 stolen bases for the Owensboro Oilers.
NEW YORK COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
Redshirt freshman C Lucas Sokol and redshirt freshman RHP Cory Finkler played for the Geneva Red Wings. Sokol batted .146 (7-for-48) with 11 runs scored, one double and seven RBI in 19 contests. Finkler saw action in eight games out of the bullpen and tallied a 0-1 record with a 13.00 ERA. He surrendered 22 runs (13 earned) on 24 hits with eight punchouts in 9.0 frames.
Sophomore INF Nate Langhals hit .324 (11-for-34) with seven runs scored, one double and five RBI in eight games for the Geneva Twins.
Below is a complete list of Rocker Summer League Participants:
Name, League, Team
Cory Finkler, New York, Geneva Red Wings
Tyler Grogg, Ohio Valley, Owensboro Oilers
Ben Hammer, Tri-State, Toledo Hawks
Nate Langhals, New York, Geneva Twins
Jared Locke, Prospect, Butler Blue Sox
Andrew Marra, Great Lakes, Lake Erie Monarchs
Zack Michael, Tri-State, Toledo Hawks
James Miglin, Prospect, Chillicothe Paints
Jacob North, Great Lakes, Stark County Terriers
Cameron Palmer, Great Lakes, Stark County Terriers
Alec Schmenk, Great Lakes, Lake Erie Monarchs
Kyle Shaw, Great Lakes, Stark County Terriers
Anthony Smith, Great Lakes, Stark County Terriers
Lucas Sokol, New York, Geneva Red Wings
Ryan Wilkinson, Midwest Collegiate, NW Indiana Oilmen
Dan Zuchowksi, Prospect, Chillicothe Paints
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