August 2, 2012

BUFFALO, NY - As the 2012 summer baseball league schedule comes to the close, 11 Buffalo baseball players will cap off positive stints in leagues all over the country. Matt Pollock, Jason Kanzler, and Alex Baldock made their respective league's all-star games, while others earned valuable experience over the past few months.

In the Coastal Plains League, Kanzler has helped the Edenton (NC) Steamers to the top overall seed in the upcoming playoffs. An all-star honoree and a participant in the league's home run derby, Kanzler also received the CPL Hitter of the Week award. For the season, Jason enters the playoffs batting .305 with eight home runs, 31 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases.

Way out West, Pollock took part in the Pacific West League for the Top Speed Baseball team. He also earned player of the week honors, and has continued to hit for power and average after a breakout season for UB. He ranks second overall in the league in slugging percentage and triples, fourth in home runs, fifth in RBI, and ninth in batting average. Despite getting snubbed from the all-star game roster, Pollock has led Top Speed Baseball to 35 wins, most in the league. He also tried his hand as a pitcher, throwing one scoreless inning and striking out two batters in a blow out win for Top Speed.

Baldock made the all-star game for the New England Collegiate Baseball League's New Bedford Bay Sox. He carried over a solid end to the 2012 Mid-American Conference season into the summer, batting .286 with six home runs, 36 RBI, 23 walks and 11 doubles. He was a reserve for the East team in the NECBL All-Star Game.

Mike Burke completed his second season with the Lorain County Ironmen of the Prospect League, serving as a pitcher and fielder. In the batter's box, he batted .319 with 12 doubles, three home runs, and 17 RBI. On the mound, he started in six games and owned a 3.6/1 strikeout to walk ratio. As a reliever, he nailed down a save as well.

A quartet of Bulls found themselves in opposing dugouts, as Jon Mestas, Anthony Magovney, Tyler Mautner and Cory Folk played for four separate teams in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. Mestas had nine stolen bases, 17 RBI and as many walks as strikeouts for the Albany Dutchmen. Mautner returned to action after missing almost all of 2012 with a shoulder injury and had a team-high 28 RBI for the Cooperstown Hawkeyes. While he didn't make the all-star game, he was called upon to participate in the league's home run derby. On the mound, Magovney threw 13 innings over seven appearances for the Watertown Wizards, while Folk was an impressive performer for the Glen Falls Golden Eagles, throwing 44.1 innings and striking out 38 batters to earn a 3-0 record and a 4.67 earned run average.

Finally, three Bulls played in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Thomas Richards and Mike Scarcello teamed up on the Olean Oilers, and Justin Gonzalez played in 16 games for the Hornell Dodgers. Richards batted .286 with six home runs, seven doubles and 33 RBI, while Scarcello had four doubles, 15 RBI, and 17 walks. For the Dodgers, Gonzalez batted .256 with two doubles and six walks.

Various leagues will start up with respective playoffs in the coming days, with the UB standouts hoping to bring back a summer title to campus as they prepare for the 2013 campaign.