Baseball Wraps Up Successful Summer

Many members of the Kent State baseball team spent the summer playing in numerous collegiate leagues around the country. Here's a recap of how they faired and also an update on the 2013 MLB draft picks.

NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE:
Keene Swamp Bats- Tommy Monnot and John Birkbeck helped lead the Swamp Bats to a NECBL Championship in a 7-1 game three win. Monnot was a All-Star selection, finishing the summer batting .263 with 25 hits and 15 runs in 95 at-bats. He also had six doubles, two homeruns and nine RBI. Birkbeck ended 2-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 11 appearances, all in relief. In 26 innings he allowed 23 hits, 13 runs and only ten walks while striking out 28 batters.

CAPE COD LEAGUE:
Orleans Firebirds- Brian Clark went 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in the prestigious Cape Cod League, throwing a total of 20 innings with 18 hits, nine earned runs, five walks and 26 strikeouts against some of the best hitters in college baseball. The Firebirds fell just short of a championship, losing in the final game. They ended with a 28-22-1 record.

NORTHWOODS LEAGUE:
Lakeshore Chinooks- Sawyer Polen and Tim Faix helped the Chinooks to a 44-26 record and a Southern Division Second Half title. Polen was named a Northwoods All-Star and finished the season batting .248 with 69 hits, 50 runs and 40 RBI in 277 at-bats. He also had 13 doubles, a triple and six homeruns. Faix got back on the bump this summer, finishing with a 2-0 record and a 2.97 ERA through 45.1 innings, including six starts. He allowed 42 hits and 15 earned runs while striking out 33.

COASTAL PLAIN LEAGUE:
Forest City Owls- Jeff Revesz and Spencer Bryant spent the summer as Owls. Revesz batted .185 in 26 games with 81 at-bats. The catcher had 15 hits, nine runs, ten RBI, three doubles, and a triple and homerun each. Bryant posted a 5.19 ERA in 12 appearances, 17.1 innings. He allowed 17 hits, ten earned runs and nine walks while striking out ten.

PROSPECT LEAGUE:
Butler BlueSox- Alex Miklos and Jason Revesz were teammates for the BlueSox. MIklos batted .213 in 38 games, getting 141 at-bats with 30 hits, 24 runs, 12 RBI, five doubles and one homerun. He was tied for second on the team with 13 stolen bases. Revesz threw 11.1 innings on the mound in 11 relief appearances. He finished with a 5.55 ERA and allowed ten hits, seven earned runs and 14 walks compared to ten strikeouts.

Chillicothe Paints- Justin Wagler and Nick Jensen-Clagg helped the Paints earn a second place East Division finish in the Prospect League. Wagler hit .240 in the summer season in 129 at-bats. He had 31 hits, 16 runs, eight RBI, four doubles and two stolen bases. Jensen-Clagg did well as a starter, posting a 2.44 ERA in 11 appearances, ten of which were starts. He pitched a team second-best 55.1 innings with 35 hits, 15 earned runs, 29 walks and 43 strikeouts with a 5-2 record.

GREAT LAKES LEAGUE:
Lake Erie Monarchs- Aaron Tadian stepped into a starting role for the Monarchs, going 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA in six starts. He pitched 26 innings allowing 33 hits, 11 earned runs and six walks while striking out 11 and throwing one complete game on the season.

Hamilton Joes- Curtis Olvey and Eli Martin both suited up for the Joes this summer. Olvey hit .170 in 88 at-bats with 15 hits, nine runs, seven RBI, five doubles and one triple. He also stole four bases. Martin ended the season with a 3.37 ERA in 13 relief appearances. He allowed 20 hits, 11 earned runs and 14 walks with 25 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.

2013 MLB DRAFT PICKS

Tyler Skulina began his professional career for the Boise Hawks. In eight games (two starts), he had a 1.20 ERA through 15 innings with nine hits, two earned runs and three walks against him while striking out ten. He was promoted to the Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League where he now has a 0-2 record and 9.31 ERA in four starts. He has allowed 14 hits, ten earned runs, six walks and has struck out nine batters.

Taylor Williams is in the Rookie Pioneer League with the Helena Brewers. He has a 2-1 record with a 3.86 ERA. Williams has allowed 36 hits, 16 earned runs, 13 walks and has 38 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.

Derek Toadvine is playing professionally with the Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Penn League. He is currently batting .239 in 180 at-bats with 43 hits, 17 runs, six RBI, five doubles, one triple and six stolen bases.

George Roberts was quickly promoted after hitting .300 in ten at-bats with two runs, two RBI, a double and a triple for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Rookie League club. He is now with the Hillsboro Hops where he is batting .247 in 170 at-bats with 42 hits, 24 runs, 21 RBI, seven doubles, one triple, four homeruns and three stolen bases.

Despite being drafted this past spring by the Cincinnati Reds, RHP Eric Dorsch will remain at Kent State.

Three incoming freshman were also selected in the 2013 MLB Draft but have chosen to join the Golden Flashes. LHP Eric Lauer was the 505^th overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays, RHP Andy Ravel was the 630^th selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Conner Simonetti was the 1065^th overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds.

Kent State baseball has also announced the addition of three other student-athletes to the 2014 team: OF Luke Burch, LHP Patrick Dayton and C Reilly Hawkins. Burch is a transfer from Ashland University where he hit .380 in his freshman season in 50 at-bats with 19 hits, 11 runs, ten RBI and a double. Dayton comes from La Jolla High School in La Jolla, Calif., where he went 5-4 his senior year with a 2,35 ERA in ten starts, including three complete games while walking 18 and striking out 48. Hawkins joins the Golden Flashes from nearby Chardon, Ohio, where he batted near .450 and helped the team to a sectional title.

Kent State will look to repeat as Mid-American Conference champions and rebound from a disappointing 2013 MAC Tournament this spring with the addition of a strong incoming recruiting class, seasoned returners and a new coaching staff under Head Coach Jeff Duncan. The fall season will begin with the start of classes on Monday (Aug. 26). Stay connected on kentstatesports.com or follow @KentStBaseball on Twitter and Facebook.

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