07/12/2016 9:36 AM -
TUESDAY’S GAME:
MCL BLUE ALL-STARS
at MCL WHITE ALL-STARS
July 12, 2016 • 7:20 p.m. • Whiting, Ind.
Radio: AM 1230 WJOB, 104.7 FM (7 p.m. pregame)
Online: NWIOilmen.com, wjob1230.com
Pitching Matchup
White’s Sam Geraci (NWI Oilmen / Illinois Springfield / Steger, Ill.) vs. Blue’s Seth Rosenberg (Joliet Admirals / Northern Kentucky / Niles, Ill.)
For Starters
The sixth annual Midwest Collegiate League All-Star Game takes center stage on Tuesday night at Oil City Stadium. The league’s brightest stars will be on display as the league furthers its mission of developing players that are ready to play at the professional level. This year, the league is divided into the MCL White All-Stars (Northwest Indiana Oilmen, Southland Vikings and Bloomington Bobcats) and the MCL Blue All-Stars (Joliet Admirals, DuPage County Hounds and Michigan City Lakers).
Inside the MCL White All-Stars
Oilmen infielder Stefano Belmonte returns for his second MCL All-Star Game after he was the only player on the South with a multi-hit game last season. Belmonte leads the MCL in hitting at .398, just ahead of teammate Tommy Szczasny at .395. Oilmen outfielder Tyler Sroczynski is back for another appearance after swiping four bases in only five innings last season. Sroczynski leads the league in home runs with four, triples with three and runs scored with 35. On Saturday, Sroczynski passed Leiff Clarkson’s single-season Oilmen franchise record for runs scored of 34, which was established in 2013. Sam Geraci will get the start and work the first inning by virtue of his 4-0 record and 1.11 ERA. Geraci has the best ERA of any starting pitcher in the MCL. The White All-Stars will be managed by former Lexington Snipes manager Billy DuBois, who guided his team to the MCL Championship Series last year.
Inside the MCL Blue All-Stars
DuPage County’s Tyler Tesmond will be featured in the middle of the blue batting order. He leads the league in RBIs with 26, followed closely by Joliet’s Brenden Brundage with 25. DuPage’s Dane Toppel leads the league in on-base percentage at .495. Colin Willis was originally named to the MCL All-Star team, but he has left the MCL to join the Eastside Diamond Hoppers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League. He was replaced on the Blue roster by Max Kerr. Lakers’ pitcher Chad Mateja leads the league in strikeouts with 42. Starting pitcher Seth Rosenberg leads the Joliet pitching staff with a 3.06 ERA and 2-2 record in 32 1/3 innings, six starts. Rosenberg has struck out 32 and issued 11 walks this season. The Blue All-Stars will be managed by Ben Caple, who represents the defending MCL champion and first-place DuPage County Hounds.
All-Star Game History
This marks the first year of a new MCL All-Star division with the Blue All-Stars taking on the White All-Stars. The teams are named after the colors that appear in the league’s logo. The White All-Stars will be the home team and Blue will be the visitors. In previous years, the All-Star Game has pitted the North against the South. The South defeated the North 10-3 last season, its fourth straight win in the MCL Midsummer Classic. Joe Kennedy (Lakers / Eastern Michigan / Dyer, Ind.) was last year’s MCL All-Star Game MVP. Oddly enough, the South also beat the North in 2014 by the same score of 10-3. Southland slugger Jeff Boehm (UIC) notched MVP honors by cracking a two-run homer. The South won 12-4 in 2013 and 3-2 in 2012. The only North victory came in extra innings in 2011 when the North (Chicago Zephyrs and Rockford Foresters) nipped the South (Southland Vikings and Will County CrackerJacks) 8-7 in extra innings.
Click "download attachment" to view full MCL All-Star Game Notes.
