Find Your 2006 Baseball Wolverines C Summer Search
6/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. C Members of Rich Maloney's University of Michigan baseball team members are spread across the country for summer action and Wolverine fans can check out several leagues to follow their favorites.
There are three Wolverines playing for the Glens Falls Golden Eagles in the New York Collegiate Baseball League led by second team All-Big Ten first baseman Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) along with RHPs Ben Jenzen (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) and Dan Lentz (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice).
In the Great Lakes League the Grand Lake Mariners in Celina, Ohio feature three Wolverines including P/OF Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS), the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Tournament and a member of the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team as selected by Collegiate Baseball, along with infielder Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi) and LHP Mike Wilson (Pickering, Ont./Pine Ridge Secondary).
Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St.Clair) is playing in the Northwoods Lague with the Alexandria Beetles in Alexandria, Minn.
Second baseman/outfielder Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) is playing with the Chatham A's in the Cape Cod League while infielder/catcher Tim Kalczynski (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) is playing with the Michigan Rams in the Livonia Wood Bat League and infielder Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) is playing with the Midland Redskins in Ohio.
RHP Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake) is in the New England Collegiate Baseball League playing in Massachusetts for the Pittsfield Dukes coached by former Wolverine RHP Tim Leveque (2000-03).
Professional Updates
Three members of Michigan's 2006 Big Ten championship team have started their pro careers including catcher Jeff Kunkel (2003-06) with Detroit's New York Penn League team in Oneonta, N.Y. and LHP Paul Hammond (2003-06) with Detroit's Rookie League team in Lakeland, Fla. LHP Drew Taylor (2003, 05-06) is in the Toronto farm system playing in the Appalachian League for the Pulaski Blue Jays in Virginia.
Former Wolverines playing in the Major Leagues are catcher Mike Matheny (1989-91) with the San Francisco Giants and RHP J.J. Putz (1996-99) with the Seattle Mariners.
LHP Rich Hill (2000-02), who has seen action in the Majors this season with the Chicago Cubs, is currently in AAA with the Iowa Cubs. Other Wolverines in AAA include veteran infielder Bobby Scales (1996-99) with the Scranton-Wilkes Barrie Red Barons in the Philadelphia organization and RHP Bobby Korecky (1999-2002) with the Rochester (N.Y.) Red Wings in the Minnesota organization.
Former U-M players in the AA Eastern League include infielder Scott Tousa (1998-2001) playing for Detroit's Erie SeaWolves team and catcher David Parrish (1998-2000) with Pittsburgh's Altoona Curve team.
AA Wolverines in the Southern League are 2B Chris Getz (2004-05) playing for the Birmingham Barons in the Chicago White Sox organization and catcher Jake Fox (2001-03) in the Chicago Cubs system who was just called up to the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx in Jackson, Tenn. Fox, who was leading the league in homers (16) and RBI (61) when he was called up, played in the Florida State League (A) all-star game as a member of the Daytona Cubs just before he was called up.
Former Wolverines playing A level baseball in the Florida State League include RHP Jim Brauer (2001-02, 04-05) in the Florida Marlins organization with the Jupiter Hammerheads and Brandon Roberts (2001-04), playing as J.D. Roberts, for the Sarasota Reds in the Cincinnati organization.
RHP Derek Feldkamp (2003-05) is playing in the Tampa Bay organization for the Visalia Oaks in the California League, while RHP Michael Penn (2003-05) is in the Midwest League pitching in Iowa for the Burlington Bees in the Kansas City system and LHP Clayton Richard (2005) is in the Chicago White Sox organization playing for the Kannapolis Intimidators in the South Atlantic League.
Mike Cervenak (1996-99), an all-star at AAA a year ago in the San Francisco organization, is playing professional ball in Korea in 2006.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
