July 2, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – A little over a month into summer ball, several University of Notre Dame baseball players have enjoyed successful summers as they continue to hone their skills while playing with and against other student-athletes from around the country.
Just some of the highlights from the summer so far include:
- Rising senior Robert Youngdahl has been ultra steady for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League ââ’¬¦ the New Brighton, Minn., native has produced four two-hit efforts in just seven games and has three doubles, five RBI, two walks, six runs and a .321 average ââ’¬¦ Harwich tops the league with a 12-6 record.
- Rising junior Nick McCarty is 2-0 with a 3.57 ERA in 27.2 innings for the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League ââ’¬¦ most impressively he has 20 strikeouts to just five walks in five outings.
- In the same league, rising senior Blaise Lezynski is tied for second on the team in RBI (14) for the Rochester Honkers ââ’¬¦ he also has three doubles, a triple and one homer to go along with 13 runs scored.
- Three Irish student-athletes with the first name of Ryan are leading the way for the Kalamazoo Growlers of the Northwoods League ââ’¬¦ Ryan Lidge has been crushing the ball at the plate as he has an impressive .361 average in 20 games ââ’¬¦ his splits include .410 OBP, .486 SLG and .896 OPS ââ’¬¦ the Barrington, Ill., native has 26 hits, 10 runs, three doubles, two homers, 14 RBI and five walks ââ’¬¦ two recent big games include a 4-for-5 effort with three RBI against Kenosha June 29 and a 3-for-4 outing with a double, homer and three RBI June 27 against Wisconsin.
- Joining Lidge in Kalamazoo are rising senior Ryan Bull and rising sophomore Ryan Smoyer ââ’¬¦ Bull has shown patience at the plate as he has 13 walks to go along with a .287 average and .448 slugging percentage ââ’¬¦ the Eden Prairie, Minn., native has 25 hits, 16 runs, three homers and 13 RBI ââ’¬¦ against Kenosha June 24, he went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI.
- Smoyer, meanwhile, has been arguably the top pitcher on the Growlers’ staff this summer as he has earned four of the team’s 13 wins and also racked up two saves ââ’¬¦ he sports a 2.62 ERA in a team-high 37.2 innings of work ââ’¬¦ he has picked up a win in all four starts this summer.
- In the New England Collegiate Baseball League, rising senior RHP Cristian Torres has allowed no extra base hits in 7.1 innings of work for the North Adams SteepleCats ââ’¬¦ he sports a 1.22 ERA and a 1-0 record with one save.
- Torres’ Irish and SteepleCats teammate Kyle Richardson was named honorable mention NEBCL Player of the Week a couple of weeks ago after going 5-for-13 with a double, homer, four RBI, two runs and four stolen bases.
- Out west, rising senior Phil Mosey was shut down for the summer with a sore wrist but not before he batted .345 with 10 hits, seven runs, a double, two homers, six RBI and three walks in eight games for the Redding Colt 45’s.
- One new addition to the Colt 45’s roster is rising junior Zak Kutsulis ââ’¬¦ the Homer Glen, Ill., native has played in one game and did pretty decent as he racked up two hits, including a triple, four RBI and three runs scored in four at-bats.
- Rising sophomore Chris Melillo has been tearing up the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League as he leads the Quakertown Blazers and is second in the league in average (.404) to go along with 19 hits, five doubles, two homers, 14 RBI, five walks and six runs scored.
- In the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, rising sophomore Kyle Fiala is second on the Lake Erie Monarchs in average (.347) and has a double, a triple, five RBI, two walks and three runs scored this summer.
- Last but not least, rising sophomore Jim Orwick had a couple of solid outings before being shut down for the summer with shoulder soreness as he went two innings and gave up just one hit and a walk while striking out four for the Monarchs.
For more information on the Notre Dame baseball team, remember to follow the Irish on Facebook (/NDBaseball) and Twitter (@NDBaseball).
Complete List Of Irish Summer Ball Locations
(Links to league and team pages when available)
Harwich Mariners
Cavan Biggio Robert Youngdahl
Kalamazoo Growlers
Ryan Bull Ryan Lidge Ryan Smoyer
Rochester Honkers
Blaise Lezynski
Alexandria Blue Anchors
Ricky Sanchez
New England Collegiate Baseball League
New Bedford Bay Sox
Conor Biggio Scott Tully
North Adams SteepleCats
Kyle Richardson Cristian Torres
Far West League
Redding Colt 45’s
Joey Cresta Jack Flaherty
Zak Kutsulis
Phil Mosey (Not active)
NW Indiana Oilmen
Kevin DeFilippis
Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League
Quakertown Blazers
Chris Melillo
Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League
Lake Erie Monarchs
Kyle Fiala Kyle Rubbinaccio
Jim Orwick (Not active)
Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks
James Nevant
Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League
North Fork Ospreys
Connor Hale
–Russell Dorn, Assistant Media Relations Director
–ND–