Central Michigan University Athletics
Summer Stars: Chippewa Baseball Players Shine
9/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan baseball team enjoyed an outstanding season in 2015, winning their first Mid-American Conference regular-season championship since 2010.
Eight members of that team earned All-MAC honors, and much of that success carried over into the summer.
Five Chippewas were named All-Stars in their respective summer leagues, and six players who will join the program this fall took advantage of opportunities to strut their stuff on some big-time stages.
Nick Deeg, Robert Greenman, Alex Borglin, Logan Regnier and Zach McKinstry, each of whom played critical roles in the Chippewas' success last spring, were named All-Stars in their respective summer leagues.
In addition, redshirt freshman Dazon Cole, a CMU transfer, earned an All-Star nod and received an impressive rating from a highly respected scouting service.
"One of the important components of our program is the ability of the guys to go out in the summer and to work on their skills to get better," said CMU coach Steve Jaksa, who was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2015. "We had a tremendous summer in terms of guys not only getting better, but of playing at a very high level.
"That tells you that that's the kind of player you're trying to recruit, and amongst their peers, having that kind of year, that confidence carries over and when they come back here in the fall, they're ready to go, and they're hungry for us to accomplish what we're trying to do."
• Deeg, a junior left-hander, turned in an outstanding summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the premier summer league for college players.
Deeg helped the Hyannis Harbor Hawks to the league's West Division title, finishing 4-3 with a 2.04 earned run average. In 48 1/3 innings, Deeg struck out 46 while walking just 10. He was named to the league's Top Prospects list.
Deeg, who was named to the MAC All-Defensive Team last spring, joined an ever-growing list of Chippewas to have taken a star turn on 'the Cape,' as it is known, including former standout right-hander Jordan Foley, who is now playing in the New York Yankees farm system.
• In the Midwest-based Northwoods League, CMU's Alex Borglin, Logan Regnier and Zach McKinstry were each named All-Stars.
Borglin, a junior, hit .267 with three home runs, 39 RBI and 21 stolen bases in helping the Kenosh Kingfish to the league championship.
Regnier, a senior playing for the Madison Mallards, placed fourth in the league batting race with a .344 average. He scored 35 runs and drove in 15.
McKinstry, a sophomore, hit .280 with three homers and 21 RBI while playing for the Waterloo Bucks. He also scored 25 runs.
Regnier and McKinstry both earned Second Team All-MAC honors last spring, and McKinstry was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
• In the Great Lakes League, Chippewa catcher Robert Greenman and Cole both were named to the All-Star team.
Cole, playing for the Lake Erie Monarchs, hit .369 with three homers and 25 RBI. He also scored 31 runs, stole 15 bases, and was rated the No. 7 prospect in the league by Perfect Game, the world's largest baseball scouting organization.
Greenman, playing for the Grand Lakes Mariners, hit .281 with 21 RBI.
• Incoming freshman pitcher Michael Brettell, a right-hander from Fonthill, Ont., is currently playing in the Canadian National Team in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Under-18 Baseball World Cup in Osaka, Japan.
• Four incoming freshman played in the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association All Star Game at Comerica Park in Detroit in mid-June.
The game is a showcase for college-bound players in the state of Michigan. Pitcher Grant Wolfram of Hamilton and infielder/outfielder Jarod Burton of Mattawan played for the West squad, while catcher Evan Kratt of Richmond and outfielder Daniel Robinson of Grosse Pointe Woods were members of the East team.
Wolfram, a 6-foot-6 left-hander, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 17th round in June.
"We're very happy with what we did last year, but we're going to put that to rest and these guys are hungry to help us get ready for next year," Jaksa said. "We've got a really good nucleus of guys coming back who have already been here, and some who are just getting here new."
