Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
2017 Summer Baseball Roundup
9/6/2017 1:02:00 PM | Baseball
The Eagles had ten players participate in summer leagues across the country
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The end of summer also means the end of the summer baseball leagues around the country. This offseason, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team had 10 of its players participate in six different leagues spread across six states.
Starting on the East Coast, junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) picked up where he left off at the Mid-American Conference Tournament in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. The infielder was a league all-star and was also named to the all-league second team. He helped his squad, the Alexandria Aces, to a playoff appearance after batting .303 in 37 games, which included a team-high 47 hits, as well as four doubles, a triple, and a home run. While he didn't have as many RBI opportunities, finishing with 13, he helped his team most by getting on base, drawing 13 walks and getting hit by pitch six times, resulting in 31 runs scored. He also tied his team's lead with nine stolen bases.
Eastern had another all-star in the form of redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) who earned the honors in the Great Lakes Collegiate Baseball League for the Grand Lake Mariners. The slugger batted .309 in 31 games, totaling 30 hits, including a team-high 10 doubles and three homers. He drove in 18 runs and scored 25 more, while also drawing 10 walks and stealing five bags. His efforts helped his squad to the GLCBL Championship series, where the Mariners were defeated two games to one in the best-of-three series.
Another participant in the GLCBL was sophomore Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) who was a member of the Irish Hills Leprechauns. The infielder had a productive summer, finishing with team-highs in hits (44) and runs (30), while also knocking in 20 runs and stealing nine bags. Hager was the Leprechauns' go-to guy as he ended the summer with the team's most games played with 41, the most at bats with 165, and finished with a .267 batting average.
EMU's most productive freshman in 2016, sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), continued to produce in the prestigious Jayhawk League in Kansas for the Hays Larks. He appeared in 23 games for the Larks, finishing with a .325 batting average, including 27 hits, seven doubles, and seven RBIs. The backstop and infielder played primarily behind the plate for Hays, throwing out half of the base stealers he faced, pegging out eight of 16. His efforts helped the Larks to a 30-12 overall record and a third place finish at the National Baseball Congress Tournament.
A pair of Eagle sophomores were the only players to also be teammates this summer, as Zachary Owings (Saline,Mich.-Saline) and Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) both played on the Chillicothe Paints in the Prospect League. Owings produced in limited action, hitting .319 in 21 games, including four doubles, a triple, and a home run. He also knocked in 10 and scored 12 runs, while drawing nine walks. Peggs, meanwhile, saw a little more time, playing in 34 games in the infield. He finished with 25 hits, including four doubles, to go along with nine RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Eastern's lone senior in a summer league was Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic) who ventured out west to play in the California Collegiate League. The veteran was both an outfielder and pitcher for the Long Beach Legends. On the bump, DeVenney appeared in seven games, making one start. The righty finished with a 2-0 record and a 2.60 ERA in 17.1 innings, striking out 13. In the field, DeVenney appeared in 18 more games, totaling seven hits, including a double, two triples, a home run, five runs scored, and four RBIs.
Redshirt junior Alex Wolanski (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) also joined Schuemann out east, playing in the Cal Ripken League for the Baltimore Dodgers. The catcher appeared in 14 games, totaling five hits, two RBIs, nine runs, and six walks.
The final two EMU players, redshirt sophomore Joey Sweigart (Saline, Mich.-Saline) and redshirt freshman Mike Monahan (Saline, Mich.-Saline) played in local Michigan leagues, which did not keep statistics. Before moving back closer to home, Monahan began his season with the Cincinnati Steam in the GLCBL, where he played in two games. In those two games, Monahan hit a home run to go along with two walks, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
Starting on the East Coast, junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) picked up where he left off at the Mid-American Conference Tournament in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. The infielder was a league all-star and was also named to the all-league second team. He helped his squad, the Alexandria Aces, to a playoff appearance after batting .303 in 37 games, which included a team-high 47 hits, as well as four doubles, a triple, and a home run. While he didn't have as many RBI opportunities, finishing with 13, he helped his team most by getting on base, drawing 13 walks and getting hit by pitch six times, resulting in 31 runs scored. He also tied his team's lead with nine stolen bases.
Eastern had another all-star in the form of redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) who earned the honors in the Great Lakes Collegiate Baseball League for the Grand Lake Mariners. The slugger batted .309 in 31 games, totaling 30 hits, including a team-high 10 doubles and three homers. He drove in 18 runs and scored 25 more, while also drawing 10 walks and stealing five bags. His efforts helped his squad to the GLCBL Championship series, where the Mariners were defeated two games to one in the best-of-three series.
Another participant in the GLCBL was sophomore Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) who was a member of the Irish Hills Leprechauns. The infielder had a productive summer, finishing with team-highs in hits (44) and runs (30), while also knocking in 20 runs and stealing nine bags. Hager was the Leprechauns' go-to guy as he ended the summer with the team's most games played with 41, the most at bats with 165, and finished with a .267 batting average.
EMU's most productive freshman in 2016, sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), continued to produce in the prestigious Jayhawk League in Kansas for the Hays Larks. He appeared in 23 games for the Larks, finishing with a .325 batting average, including 27 hits, seven doubles, and seven RBIs. The backstop and infielder played primarily behind the plate for Hays, throwing out half of the base stealers he faced, pegging out eight of 16. His efforts helped the Larks to a 30-12 overall record and a third place finish at the National Baseball Congress Tournament.
A pair of Eagle sophomores were the only players to also be teammates this summer, as Zachary Owings (Saline,Mich.-Saline) and Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) both played on the Chillicothe Paints in the Prospect League. Owings produced in limited action, hitting .319 in 21 games, including four doubles, a triple, and a home run. He also knocked in 10 and scored 12 runs, while drawing nine walks. Peggs, meanwhile, saw a little more time, playing in 34 games in the infield. He finished with 25 hits, including four doubles, to go along with nine RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Eastern's lone senior in a summer league was Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic) who ventured out west to play in the California Collegiate League. The veteran was both an outfielder and pitcher for the Long Beach Legends. On the bump, DeVenney appeared in seven games, making one start. The righty finished with a 2-0 record and a 2.60 ERA in 17.1 innings, striking out 13. In the field, DeVenney appeared in 18 more games, totaling seven hits, including a double, two triples, a home run, five runs scored, and four RBIs.
Redshirt junior Alex Wolanski (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) also joined Schuemann out east, playing in the Cal Ripken League for the Baltimore Dodgers. The catcher appeared in 14 games, totaling five hits, two RBIs, nine runs, and six walks.
The final two EMU players, redshirt sophomore Joey Sweigart (Saline, Mich.-Saline) and redshirt freshman Mike Monahan (Saline, Mich.-Saline) played in local Michigan leagues, which did not keep statistics. Before moving back closer to home, Monahan began his season with the Cincinnati Steam in the GLCBL, where he played in two games. In those two games, Monahan hit a home run to go along with two walks, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
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