By Dylan Groce, Mizzou Strategic Communications Intern
COLUMBIA, Mo. - As the summer months hit full swing, it is time to start looking at where the Mizzou baseball team members are playing their summer ball. Below is an update on each Tigers and what they have done so far this summer.
Brandon Baker - Relief Pitcher - Sophomore
Baker will be making his way to Danbury, Conn., to play in the New England Collegiate League along with current Tiger teammates Lake Dabney (LHP) and Jack Klages (C). This league has produced some high caliber talent in the past with current big league alums Matt Adams (STL), Mike Olt (CHC), and Stephen Strasburg (WAS).
Shane Benes - INF/DH - Freshman
Benes had a great comeback from injury earlier this year, and turned enough heads late in the season to receive an invite to the Cape Cod Baseball League, founded in 1885. Benes will join current Tiger teammates Bryce Montes de Oca (RHP) and Austin Tribby (LHP) later in the month of June. Benes finished his freshman season starting in all 19 games that he played as the DH, while hitting .225 in 71 at bats with two homeruns and four doubles.
Brett Bond - Catcher - Freshman
Bond will be joining teammate Jerry Houston (INF) on the defending MINK League champion St. Joseph Mustangs team later in the month of June. Bond took home Freshman of the Week honors for the SEC in early May, and finished the year second on the team in batting average at .294, while knocking in five homeruns and 25 RBI.
Liam Carter - Relief Pitcher - Freshman
Carter has joined fellow freshman pitcher Nolan Gromacki on the LaCrosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. Carter is tied for the team lead along with Gromacki in appearances so far in the season with four. He has pitched 8.2 innings, giving up seven hits, five runs (two earned), five walks and 11 strikeouts. Carter has posted one win and one save in his appearances with an impressive 2.07 ERA.
Lake Dabney - Relief Pitcher - Freshman
Dabney will be joining Brandon Baker and Jack Klages in Danbury, Conn., of the New England Collegiate League for the summer. He led all freshmen in appearances this year for the Tigers and posted an impressive 1.17 ERA in 23.0 innings pitched, while giving up only one extra base hit all season. Dabney also gained a win while striking out 12 batters and walking just five over the span of the season.
Alex Del Rio - Catcher/OF/DH - Freshman
Del Rio joins fellow freshman Trey Harris in Sedalia to play for the Bombers in the MINK League. He started two of the six games he appeared in this season for the Tigers, and will provide solid depth for the lineup next year for his sophomore season, as he posted a .333 on-base percentage this year. Del Rio has been serving as DH for Sedalia through two games played this summer, seeing eight at bats, good for three hits including one double. In last Wednesday night's game (June 3), Del Rio went one for four with two runs batted in.
Nolan Gromacki - Relief Pitcher - Freshman
Gromacki joins freshman teammate Liam Carter in the Northwoods League to pitch for the LaCrosse Loggers. Gromacki shares the team lead for appearances with Carter at four. He also has seven innings pitched, while giving up six hits, six runs, and striking out seven.
Trey Harris - OF - Freshman
Harris joins Alex Del Rio in Sedalia of the MINK League to play right field. Harris has already had some bumps and bruises to start off his summer, as he took a curveball to the chin in his first at-bat of the season. He has played six games, compiling 15 at-bats, good for six runs scored, six RBI, and seven hits, three of those going for doubles and one triple. The Georgia native also holds an impressive .467 batting average and is slugging .800 with a 1.452 OPS.
Jerry Houston - INF - Sophomore
Houston is playing his summer ball in St. Joseph, Mo., as part of the MINK League. So far on the season, he has played in five games and accumulated 11 at bats, with two runs scored, one hit, one walk, and one stolen base.
Ryan Howard - INF - Sophomore
Howard is currently playing in the Northwoods League for the Wisconsin Woodchucks. After hitting two homeruns in his first two at bats for the summer, Howard has gone on to score five runs, have six hits including one double, bring in two RBI, walk twice, and commit no errors in the field. Howard is posting an impressive .400 batting average for the Woodchucks in 15 at bats.
Jack Klages - Catcher - Sophomore
Klages is joining teammates Brandon Baker and Lake Dabney in Danbury, Conn., this summer. An impressive league and team that has been home to Tigers in previous years such as Zach Lavy, Jake Ring, Logan Pearson, and Andrew Schwaab (all in 2014). Klages provided solid back up for Brett Bond during his injury, and posted a .231 batting average in 26 games, with one homerun, and six doubles, in 65 at bats.
Ryan Lee - Relief Pitcher - Junior
Lee joins teammates Alex Del Rio and Trey Harris in Sedalia to play for the Bombers over the summer. Lee so far has earned one win in one game started, pitching four innings in that start, while striking out five and walking only one.
Bryce Montes de Oca - Relief Pitcher - Freshman
Montes de Oca will be joining the Falmouth Commodores this week to play alongside teammates Austin Tribby (LHP) and Shane Benes (INF/DH). Montes de Oca pitched eight innings for the Tigers this season giving up only one extra base hit and posting an impressive .107 batting average against.
Jake Ring - OF - Sophomore
Ring will join the Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plain League, the league has produced MLB talent to the likes of Ryan Zimmerman (WAS) and Justin Verlander (DET) in the past. Ring was a sabermetrics machine during the Tigers 2015 campaign, posting a Runs Created figure of 38.40 runs on the season, and a batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of .343. He started all 58 games that he played in while hitting four homeruns, 15 doubles and three triples.
Austin Tribby - Relief Pitcher - Junior
Tribby will join the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League and current teammates Shane Benes (INF/DH) and Bryce Montes de Oca (RHP) early next week. This season Tribby was second in the SEC for appearances and led the team with 31 on the season, in 35.1 innings pitched, he struck out 36 batters, and walked 13.
Mizzou Student Staff
Aron Salzberg - Sophomore Student Manager
"Salzy" will be working as an intern for the Falmouth Commodores this season, joining Mizzou Tigers Shane Benes, Bryce Montes de Oca, and Austin Tribby. He will also be splitting time working for OnDeck Digital, which is a baseball video based company run by former big leaguer Randy Flores.
Andrew Hrabe - Junior Student Manager
Hrabe will be joining fellow manager Aron Salzberg in Cape Cod for the summer, while working for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, previous summer team of Peter Fairbanks. He will also be splitting time as an intern for OnDeck Digital with Salzberg.
Matt Anderson - Senior Student Manager
Anderson will be serving as an intern for the Kansas City Sports Commission in Kansas City, Mo for his summer.
Dylan Wilcox - Senior Student Manager
Wilcox has returned to his position as a Clubhouse Assistant for the Detroit Tigers this summer. We are happy that he will have fellow Mizzou baseball alum Ian Kinslerthere to help him represent us well.