Spartans In Summer Leagues Recap
8/31/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball players had a well-decorated summer, as several of them earned honors from their respective summer leagues and posted impressive statistics.
Justin Antoncic • INF • Southern Ohio Copperheads -- Earned second-team Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) honors as utility player ... named a GLSCL All-Star ... hit .308 with six doubles, 17 RBI and 15 stolen bases ... the 15 SB tied for seventh in GLSCL, tying Spartan teammate Bryce Kelley.
Marty Bechina • INF • Falmouth Commodores -- Earned the Manny Robello 10th Player Award for the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) ... named a Top 100 Prospect of the Cape Cod League ... named to the 2017 Year-End All-League Team ... participated in the Cape Cod League Home Run Derby ... hit .264 with eight doubles, two triples and eight HR, tallying 28 RBI ... the eight HR was second in the Cape Cod League, while the 28 RBI was tied for second in the league.
Zac Bianucci • LHP • Dupage Hounds -- Posted a 5.87 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 29 IP (1.10 K/inn.) yielding only 28 hits allowed.
Sam Benschoter • RHP • Lake Erie Monarchs -- Earned second-team Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) honors as closer ... named a GLSCL All-Star ... led the Great Lakes League with 11 saves ... posted a 2.34 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 15.1 IP (1.5 K/inn.).
Matt Clark • RHP • Lake Erie Monarchs -- Fired 12 strikeouts in 13.0 IP (0.9 K/inn.) in 11 appearances.
Evan Flohr • LHP • Fayetteville Swamp Dogs -- Chalked up 35 strikeouts in 32.0 IP (1.1 K/inn.) in 13 appearances, making three starts.
Bryce Kelley • OF • Muskegon Clippers -- Became the first Muskegon Clipper player to be selected to the Great Lakes League All-Star game ... batted .288 with eight doubles and three HR, logging 20 RBI and swiped 15 SB, ranking tied for seventh in the GLSCL with Spartan teammate Justin Antoncic.
Nic Lacayo • C • Ventura Halos -- Hit .321 with three doubles and six RBI.
Riley McCauley • RHP • Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox -- Recipient of the Russ Ford Outstanding Relief Pitcher Award for the Cape Cod League ... named to the 2017 Year-End All-League Team as well as the Cape Cod League All-Star game ... named a Top 100 Prospect of the Cape Cod League ... led the Cape Cod League with eight saves, posting a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 IP with 27 strikeouts (1.7 K/inn.) and logging a 2-0 record.
Zack McGuire • IF • Plymouth Pilgrims -- Posted a .278 average with five doubles and six HR, adding 19 RBI ... helped the Pilgrims to the NECBL playoffs.
Mike Mokma • RHP • Brazos Valley Bombers -- Helped the Bombers to their fifth-straight Texas Collegiate League championship, pitching game one of the championship series, going seven innings with four strikeouts to earn the win ... selected as starting pitcher of the TCL All-Star game ... led the TCL in ERA with a 2.62 ERA and was second in wins with five ... finished with a 5-2 record, with 33 strikeouts in 65.1 IP in 11 games, starting 10.
Bailey Peterson • INF • Grand River Loggers -- Led the Great Lakes League with 12 HR and was second in the league with 40 RBI along with seventh in batting, hitting .374, tallying seven doubles and one triple, adding 11 stolen bases ... was also tied for ninth in the league with 34 runs scored ... named Top Hitting Prospect in the GLSCL by Baseball America.
Caleb Sleeman • RHP • Lafayette Aviators -- Threw a no-hitter on July 23 ... helped the Aviators win the Prospect League title ... named a Prospect League All-Star ... tallied a 4.56 ERA in 12 appearances, making seven starts ... fired 40 strikeouts in 45.1 IP (.89 K/inn.) ... tallied a 4-2 record with one save.
Joe Stewart • OF • Dupage Hounds -- Named to the Midwest Collegiate League All-Star game ... hit .337 with a team-leading 16 doubles, two triples and one HR, while logging 29 RBI, which ranked fifth on the team.
Mitchell Tyranski • LHP • Lake Erie Monarchs -- Named to the Great Lakes All-Star game ... posted a 3.31 ERA in nine appearances, starting five and pitching one complete game ... posted a 3-2 record ... rang up 35 strikeouts in 35.1 IP (0.99 K/inn.).
Nathan Witt • RHP • Top Speed Baseball -- Posted a 1.42 ERA in seven appearances with 11 strikeouts in 6.1 IP (1.74 K/inn.) before getting drafted in the 17th round (pick number 520 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 Major League Draft.
