KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball program completed a busy few months of summer ball action as a total of 18 Broncos competed across a variety of summer leagues.
Collegiate summer baseball leagues feature student-athletes who have attended college for at least a year and have one year of eligibility remaining. The wooden-bat leagues typically run for eight to ten weeks from June to August and feature some of the best talent in D1 baseball.
Below is a list of the 18 Broncos who played in summer ball and their list of accomplishments:
GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGE LEAGUE
Muskegon Clippers
Blake Dunn
With the Clippers, Dunn posted a .329 batting average while posting a 4.26 ERA with 25 strikeouts and a league best eight saves. Dunn was near automatic on the base paths going 20-for-21 in steal attempts which ranked fifth in the league. Dunn earned Second Team All-League honors and was selected to the Northern Division All-Star game.
Conner Henderson
Henderson ended the season ranking ninth on the Clippers with a .264 batting average. Over the final 15 games, Henderson got hot from the plate finishing with a .370 clip. Henderson ranked fifth in the league with 18 stolen bases. The Vicksburg, Mich., native finished the season with 18 runs scored, three doubles, one home run and 14 RBIs.
Jimmy Roche
In his second summer with the Clippers, Roche led the team in hits (59), home runs (9), RBIs (40), doubles (12), OPS (.980) and slugging percentage (.587). Roche finished the summer ranking second in the league in home runs and fifth in RBIs. Roche was named First Team All-GLCBL as a shortstop and selected as a Northern Division All-Star.
Lake Erie Monarchs
Brenden Lovell
Lovell for the Monarchs posted a 2-1 record with a 4.19 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched and recorded 33 strikeouts. Lovell went at least three innings and had at least two strikeouts in eight of the 14 games on the mound for the Monarchs.
Jack Huisman
Huisman pitched in 10 games, earning four starts for the Monarchs. Huisman had a 1-0 record with a 4.26 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched. In his last four outings, Huisman posted 20 strikeouts and 10 walks. Over his last 19 innings, Huisman held opponents to a .250 batting average.
Sean O'Keefe
O'Keefe played in 27 games, ranking fourth on the team with a 305 batting average with one home run and 15 RBIs. O'Keefe collected nine doubles on the year which ranked seventh in the league. The Saline, Mich., native saw time on the mound as well, recording 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Saginaw Sugar Beets
Cooper Marshall
In 38 games, Marshall ranked third on the team with a .364 batting average while recording a team-high seven home runs along with 34 RBIs. Early into the season, Marshall enjoyed a 17-game hitting streak and earned Second Team All-League honors while representing the Northern Division in the All-Star game.
Connor Charping
Charping led the Sugar Beets at the plate with a .372 batting average which ranked fifth in the league. Charping recorded seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 33 RBIs while also registering a team-high 22 stolen bases. Charping garnered First Team All-League honors and was selected to the Northern Division All-Star team.
Ryan Missal
Missal hit .275 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and 11 RBIs in 38 games. Missal was 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts and recorded at least one hit in five of his final nine games.
** Marshall, Charping and Missal helped lead the Sugar Beets to a Northern Division Championship in their inaugural season. The Sugar Beets fell to Southern Ohio in the Great Lakes Championship Series to earn runner-up honors.
PROSPECTS LEAGUE
Chillicothe Paints
Drew Devine
Devine ranked fourth on the Paints with 48 games played and collected 10 doubles, one triple and 21 RBIs. Devine led the team with seven stolen bases and drew 28 walks, ranking fourth on the team. The Marshall, Mich., native was one of the best defensive shortstops in the league posting a .959 fielding percentage.
Zach Mehelich
In 14 appearances, Mehelich posted a 3-4 record with a 4.50 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched. Mehelich struck out 29 batters and held opponents to a .286 batting average. Mehelich's best outing came against Danville where he earned the win in relief going 3.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out seven.
Chris Modrzynski
The LHP posted a 4-2 record over the summer for the Paints with a 2.47 ERA in 58.1 innings pitched. Modrzynski ranked first in the league in innings pitched and was second in the league in ERA. Modrzynski's four victories ranked third on the team and fourth in the Prospects League.
HAMPTONS COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
West Hampton Aviators
Tyler Thorington
Thorington had a stellar summer for the Aviators, going a perfect 3-0 with a 1.87 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched. Thorington was runner-up for Pitcher of the Year in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League after leading the league in strikeouts and ERA. Thorington led the Aviators in ERA (1.87), innings pitched (33.2) and strikeouts (46).
Ethan Hajdukovic
Hajdukovic had a .307 batting average in 140 at-bats for the Aviators. Hajdukovic set the Aviator record with 14 doubles and was three shy of the league record. Hajudkovic hit four home runs and posted 28 RBIs while being selected to the Hamptons League All-Star game.
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE
Madison Mallards
Jesse Forestell
Forestell helped lead the Mallards to a franchise record 49 wins and a Northwoods League playoff appearance. Forestell had a .261 batting average with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs and 24 RBIs. The Chicago, Ill., native caught the second most innings in the league (349.0) and had a stellar .994 fielding percentage.
M.I.N.K LEAGUE
Jefferson City Renegades
Logan Hudson
Hudson had a stellar summer with the Renegades, leading the team with a .367 batting average along with 10 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBIs. Overall, Hudson led the M.I.N.K league in batting average, walks, OBP and runs scored while finishing fifth in doubles and home runs to represent the South Division in the All-Star game.
Upon completion of his summer with the Renegades, Hudson was invited to play with the Clarinda A's, competing in the National Baseball Congress World Series. The A's were eliminated after three games with Hudson hitting .400.
Justin McIntyre
In 38 games, McIntyre registered a .338 batting average with 32 runs scored, 10 doubles, one home run and 28 RBIs. Amongst the league, McIntyre was fifth in doubles, seventh in batting average, ninth in runs scored and tenth in RBIs. McIntyre was a perfect 20-for-20 in the stolen base department.
NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Vermont Mountaineers
Nate Grys
Grys finished the summer with a .303 batting average along with 16 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 31 RBIs. Grys broke the Mountaineers record for doubles in a season which was previously held by AJ Pollock of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Grys' 16 doubles were two shy of the league record set by Ben Roberts back in 2013.
The Madison Heights, Mich., native finished the summer ranking second in the league in triples and sixth in RBIs. Grys was named the starting left fielder in the New England College Baseball League All-Star game.
