Aug. 13, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - After helping to guide LMU to its first winning season since 2005, capped by a second-place finish and a spot in the West Coast Conference Championship Series, a handful of LMU players honed their skills in various summer baseball leagues over the past few months.

Jonathan Johnson highlights the list of players who dispersed throughout the country this summer, earning Team MVP (position player), an All-Star bid and a Golden Glove award for the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League. The native of Lakewood, Calif. batted .298 over 46 games played with five doubles, two triples, 31 runs scored and nine RBI. He reached base at a .418 clip, including drawing 22 walks and seven hit-by-pitches. Once on the bases, Johnson swiped seven bags to finish third on his team. His batting average placed him eighth overall in the Alaska Baseball League, while the 31 runs scored were third. Following the season with the Miners, Johnson was selected to join the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in Wichita, Kan. for the NBC World Series.

Joe Vierra and Case Miyahira were teammates this summer, playing for the Waimea Waves of the Hawai'i Collegiate League. Vierra had a solid summer, batting .313 with 34 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, a home run and 18 RBI. He slugged .418, walked 27 times and reached base at a .436 clip. On the bases, he was 11-for-13 in stolen base attempts. Miyahira also found significant playing time for the team, starting 34 games and batting .265 with 19 runs scored, eight doubles, 18 RBI and 22 walks. Also a threat on the bases, he swiped five bags over the summer. For their efforts, both players were named to the Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League All-Star team.

Shon Roe spent his summer playing for the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers of the Northwoods League. There, Roe bated .294 with two doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and 17 runs scored. Roe finished the season ranked second on his team in stolen bases, swiping six in nine attempts. Right-hander Jordan McClintick also found time in the Northwoods League, pitching for the La Crosse Loggers. McClintick, a native of Ardmore, Okla., is 3-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 24 games and 34 and two-thirds innings of work, as his team continues to play in the playoffs of the Northwoods League. Over that span, McClintick has notched a save and recorded 18 strikeouts working solely out of the bullpen. Ryan Hawthorne and Xavier Esquivel also found time on the mound in the Northwoods League, with the two playing for the Lunkers and St. Cloud River Bats, respectively. Hawthorne sported a 1-0 record with a 0.49 ERA in 18 and a third innings on the hill. The left-hander pitched in nine games, all in relief, and punched-out 19 batters, while walking just four, for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.75. Esquivel, who shined for St. Cloud last summer, tossed 14 innings of relief, appearing in 14 games. He accumulated a 1-0 record and a 4.50 ERA while collecting five saves and 22 strikeouts.

Joining Johnson in the Alaska were Evan Simonitsch, John Lally and Alex Gillingham. Simonitsch, who finished the year as LMU's starting centerfielder, batted .280 in 49 games played for the Alaska Goldpanners this summer. The Glendale, Calif. native collected 25 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs, 10 walks and 21 RBI. In addition, he was hit by 12 pitches en route to reaching base at a .362 pace. His 12 hit-by-pitches, along with his 10 stolen bases, led the team. Gillingham also played for the Goldpanners, earning a 2-3 record and a 4.30 ERA in 13 appearances (two starts) and 29 and a third innings of work. Gillingham recorded 21 strikeouts and walked 14 hitters. Lally, who played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, appeared in just three games (starting two) on the summer. Lally finished with a 0-1 record and a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings on the hill. The southpaw punched-out 11 batters and allowed just two earned runs over the span, holding opposing hitters to a .211 batting average.

Jason Wheeler pitched in seven games, including starting six, for the Palm Springs Power this summer. The lefty from Torrance, Calif. sported a 3.21 ERA in 28 innings of work en route to a 3-0 record. Wheeler recorded 29 strikeouts and held opponents to a .217 batting average. The lone Lion in the infamous Cape Cod League this year was Matt Koch. Koch played for the Orleans Firebirds, finding time in 34 games. He hit .191 in 94 at bats, collecting nine runs scored, three doubles, a home run and 11 RBI. He also drew seven walks and stole two bases in three attempts.

Trevor Gee also flew solo this summer, finding time in the New York Collegiate League for the Albany Dutchmen. Gee hit .194 in only 10 games played for the Dutchmen. The native of Glendale, Calif. managed one run scored and a RBI in 31 at bats. Alex Guthrie made a name for himself playing for the San Jose Seals of the Horizon Air Summer Series, earning second team All-Series honors at third base. Guthrie served primarily as a first baseman last year, but seems to have broaden his scope on the diamond this summer in strong fashion.

Following their successful summers, the Lions will return to LMU to prepare for the fall semester and the start of a new season at Page Stadium.