University of Minnesota Athletics

2017 Summer League Wrap-Up

8/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Aug. 15, 2017

The University of Minnesota placed 14 student athletes across the nation in three collegiate leagues this summer: the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts, the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League in New York, and the Northwoods League here in the Midwest. With the regular season wrapping up officially this weekend, check out how Gopher Baseball fared during their summer campaigns.

The Maroon & Gold produced three All Stars, one in each league, and three additional Gophers competed in the Northwoods League's "Major League Dreams" Showcase. Hanson represented the MoonDogs in the NWL All-Star Game, senior Micah Coffey the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the CCBL, and senior Luke Pettersen the Saugerties Stallions in the PGCBL. Junior Nick Lackney and junior utility man Riley Smith displayed their talents in front of MLB scouts, while redshirt freshman Gabe Knowles was selected but did not compete at the event. Minnesota placed an incoming freshman into a summer league for the third consecutive season in rookie Danny Kapala, while senior Toby Hanson became Joe DiMaggio for the Mankato MoonDogs with a record 21-game hitting streak.

Junior infielder Terrin Vavra helped lead the Cotuit Kettleers to the Cape Cod postseason, while the St. Cloud Rox, featuring senior Jackson Rose and junior Jake Stevenson on the mound, and Willmar Stingers, with Lackney in its starting staff and appearances by Eduardo Estrada, Jr. and Eli Wilson during the season, each made the postseason in the Northwoods League. Pettersen and the Stallions also made an appearance in a one-game playoff in the PGCBL.

Cape Cod League
Micah Coffey (Hyannis Harbor Hawks) - Coffey played in 34 games for the Harbor Hawks, starting his season on June 15. He slashed .282/.336/.366 on the season with two home runs, five doubles, 12 RBIs, and 15 runs. A 4-for-5 night with a pair of RBIs against Cotuit back on June 29. He also went 1-for-2 for the West All-Star Team on July 22.

Terrin Vavra (Cotuit Kettleers) - Vavra opened his season with Cotuit on June 14 and played in 26 games including a pair of postseason outings. He batted .279/.351/.382 for the year, ripping four doubles and one home run, driving in 10 runs and scoring 12 times. In the postseason, he had three hits for the Kettleers.
Northwoods League
Eddie Estrada, Jr. (Willmar Stingers) - Estrada played 20 games during the season's first half for Willmar, batting 10-for-64 with one triple, three RBIs, and three runs. He added one stolen base and drew five walks.

Toby Hanson (Mankato MoonDogs) - Hanson starred for the MoonDogs during the season's first half but saw an injury sideline him after the All-Star Game. He failed to reach base in just one of his 29 games, concluding his season in the midst of a 21-game hitting streak including seven-straight games with multiple hits. He batted .442/.507/.625 for the year with two home runs, 14 doubles, a triple, 27 RBIs, and 31 runs scored during the regular season and concluded his season going 1-for-4 with a double for the North All-Star team.
Danny Kapala (Waterloo Bucks) - Kapala joined the Bucks in July, appearing in 12 games out of the Waterloo bullpen. He posted a 5.68 ERA in 12.2 innings, striking out 12. He struck out the side in 1.0 inning of work against La Crosse on August 10.
Gabe Knowles (Duluth Huskies) - Knowles appeared in 35 games in the Huskies outfield this season, ending his season back on August 7. He batted .241/.339/.278 for Duluth, lifting a home run and a double with 10 RBIs and 16 runs scored. He stole a pair of bases and drew 16 walks.
Nick Lackney (Willmar Stingers) - During the regular season, Lackney posted a 4.82 ERA in 11 games including a team-high 10 starts. He struck out 37 in 50.1 innings of work, earning the win in three of his final four appearances. His best start of the year came July 11 when he worked 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight against La Crosse. He worked one hitless inning at the Major League Dreams showcase, striking out one on August 8.
Cole McDevitt (Waterloo Bucks) - McDevitt appeared in just six games during his stay with the Bucks. He had two hits, two RBIs, and a run scored while striking out just once.

Jackson Rose (St. Cloud Rox) - Rose posted a 1.71 ERA in 18 games out of the Rox bullpen, finishing with a 1-0 record in 21.0 innings while striking out 28. He allowed a run in just two appearances. He struck out five in 2.0 innings of hitless ball against Duluth on July 29.
Riley Smith (Green Bay Bullfrogs) - Smith joined the Bullfrogs on June 27, batting .269/.340/.304 in 43 games on the season. He posted an eight-game hitting streak from July 25 - August 1, collecting 15 hits in that span. For the year, he had two doubles, two triples, six steals, 21 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. During the Major League Dreams showcase, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Jake Stevenson (St. Cloud Rox) - Stevenson made 14 appearances on the mound for the Rox including five starts, posting a 2-1 record and 3.34 ERA in 43.0 innings. He struck out 29 on the year but closed out his season with a highlight, punching out eight in 8.0 innings against Eau Claire on August.
Jack Wassel (Rockford Rivets) - Wassel cracked the line-up in seven games during an early-season stint with the Rivets. He had two hits and drew seven walks while scoring three runs.

Eli Wilson (Willmar Stingers) - Wilson opened the season with Willmar and played in 26 games during the first half. He collected 12 hits in 73 at-bats, scored 10 runs, and drove in nine. He went 1-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored on July 3 against Bismarck.
Perfect Game League
Luke Pettersen (Saugerties Stallions) - Pettersen batted .297/.382/.315 in 44 games for the Stallions, ripping three doubles. He drove in 17 runs, scored 29, and drew 16 walks while swiping 10 bags. He went 1-for-3 in the postseason with an RBI. During his All-Star showing, he went 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI, a run scored, and a walk.
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Players Mentioned

8

Micah Coffey

IF
/ Baseball
20

Toby Hanson

C
/ Baseball
17

Danny Kapala

LHP
/ Baseball
19

Gabe Knowles

OF
/ Baseball
28

Nick Lackney

LHP
/ Baseball
10

Cole McDevitt

C
/ Baseball
13

Luke Pettersen

IF
/ Baseball
37

Jackson Rose

RHP
/ Baseball
18

Riley Smith

INF/OF
/ Baseball
38

Jake Stevenson

RHP
/ Baseball
6

Terrin Vavra

INF
/ Baseball
30

Jack Wassel

INF
/ Baseball
4

Eli Wilson

C/INF
/ Baseball

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