Tom Sox Media Guide 2018 DRAFT

65 #TOMSOX
2018 Media Guide
2017 in Review
A CHAMPIONSHIP CITY ONCE AGAIN
Two years off the heels of the University of Virginia’s first
College World Series championship, the Tom Sox propelled
themselves to their first championship in their short history.
Led by Valley Baseball League MVP Michael Wielansky
(Wooster), the ‘Sox took the 3-game finals series over the
back-to-back champion Strasburg Express 2-1 with an 8 th
inning clutch hit by Michael DeRenzi (Georgetown), which
scored Wielansky in a game that was a classic pitcher’s
duel. Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 8 th , DeRenzi’s hit proved
to be just one of many late-inning iconic moments in the
game. In the top of the 7 th inning, a strong play from
shortstop Bryce Windham (Old Dominion) to get the out of
Strasburg’s Jake Perry with the bases loaded was the
defining moment of the defense-heavy contest. All-VBL First
Teamer Rick Spiers (Randolph-Macon) got the win late in the
game, with 2.2 shutout innings allowing two hits and no
earned runs. A quality start by VCU Pitcher Connor Gillispie
(4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 K) set up the rest of the game, but
Strasburg’s Dylan Hall contested back with 5.1 scoreless
innings and 5 hits but allowing five walks. The defense
allowed one run in the first four innings for each team. Wake
Forest reliever Bobby Hearn pitched the middle inning for the
Tom Sox, throwing 2.1 innings of no-run, no-walk ball,
striking out three. Strasburg countered with Georgia
Southern pitcher Lawson Humphreys, who threw 0.2
innings, with two walks. Brandon Quaranta, also a 2-way
player, got the loss for the defending champs – without
allowing an earned run. In 2 innings, he allowed only one hit
and one run, walking two and striking out two – but it was
not enough. As pitcher Rick Spiers caught the final out – a
hard ground ball right to the mound – and ran over to first
base to get the unassisted play, a wave of emotion was felt
throughout the ballpark, both on and off the field. The Tom
Sox had done it – they had won their first Valley League
championship in only their third year of existence.
MIKE CARRIES THE TEAM
Named the Valley Baseball League MVP and a First Team
All-VBL at second base (not his primary position, which is
shortstop), ABCA Division III All-American Michael Wielansky
(College of Wooster) carried the Tom Sox on his back,
leading the league in batting average (.432), on base
percentage (.489), slugging percentage (.667), runs (38), and
doubles (18). Named a Perfect Game/Rawlings Summer
Collegiate First Team All-American, Wielansky played in 44
of the Sox’s 49 games, and when he was not playing for the
Sox, he was competing for the Valley League in the
Southern Collegiate Showcase in Kannapolis, North
Carolina. His 19 doubles were the most ever in the Valley
League’s history, and his average ranked among the highest
ever as well. He also lived up to his ABCA/Rawlings Division
III Gold Glove at shortstop with an incredible performance,
fielding a .948 percentage with eleven errors in 213 chances
at his secondary position, second base.
SLICK RICK
A force to be reckoned with on the mound and at the plate,
senior two-way player Rick Spiers (Randolph-Macon College)
was a top-5 player at both pitcher and outfielder for the Sox.
Batting in 32 games and pitching in 13 games (four starts),
Spiers kept a 0.74 ERA thru 36.2 innings while also
maintaining a .322 batting average in 121 at bats (thirdhighest
on the team). As with Wielansky, Spiers also
participated in the Southern Collegiate Showcase for the
VBL and threw four innings out of the bullpen, allowing no
runs and striking out four while walking two. Rick also got
the win for the South in the Valley League All-Star Game,
throwing one inning and allowing no runs and no walks.
PERFECT GAME’S SUMMER TEAM OF THE
YEAR
At the conclusion of the season, we were ecstatic when it
was announced that the Tom Sox were named the Perfect
Game/Rawlings Summer Collegiate Team of the Year,
beating out teams from the Cal Ripken League, West Coast
League, and Golden State League. Said Perfect Game:
“With a hometown man at the helm in Hunt and a
breakthrough season under their belts, the Tom Sox may
have the perfect mix to become a mainstay among the
college summer ranks for years to come.”
Said Tom Sox Director of Baseball Operations Mike
Paduano: “This is a huge honor for our organization and
everyone played a part in it from the temporary players we
had that turned into full-time guys all the way up ladder. It
was the best summer we could have imagined.”
THE ALL-ALL STAR TEAM
Having only four players named to the league all-star game
is already considered a huge honor, but seven – plus a
coach – is a huge success. Playing for the ‘Sox in the All-
Star game for the South Division were LHP Joe Burris
(Christopher Newport), RHP Sean McCracken (Johns Hopkins),
2-way player Rick Spiers (Randolph-Macon), Catchers
Brandon Johnson (Richmond) and Eric Jones (Davidson),
Infielders Vinnie Pasquantino (Old Dominion) and Michael
Wielansky (Wooster), and outfielder Kyle Battle (Old Dominion).
Also on the roster was head coach Corey Hunt, chosen for
having the highest record of all South Division coaches.
DON’T “MCCRACKEN” UP AT THE PLATE
Another key Division III player for the Tom Sox in 2017,
junior pitcher Sean McCracken (Johns Hopkins University) tore
up the rubber for the Tom Sox. In 48.2 innings, Sean
collected a 3-0 record and 2.22 ERA, striking out 36 while
walking just 12. His most dominant performance came early
in the season, where he went 7 innings and allowed no runs
and no walks on just three hits while striking out five,
working to a .125 opponent batting average. That was one
of his three wins of the season – the others came over
Purcellville in a doubleheader in which he pitched six of the
seven innings and in relief in the second game of the VBL
Finals at Strasburg, where he pitched 5 innings of 2-earned
run, two-hit ball. His other major accomplishment came in
the lab, where a valuable internship from Charlottesville’s
Hemoshear Therapeutics provided help to his Hopkins major
in Chemical and Bio-Molecular Engineering.
CINDERELLA COMES TO CHARLOTETSVILLE
Continuing off their dominating performances in the Regional
and Super Regional rounds of the 2017 NCAA Tournament
for Davidson College, teammates and long-time best friends
Eric Jones and Max Bazin were eager to continue playing
together in the summer. Before getting injured on July 4,
infielder Max Bazin hit .190 in 21 at bats (8 games), getting
four hits and scoring three runs. He also grabbed three
bases.
Eric Jones was a common sight on first base in the regular
season, with the junior working to a .400 on base
percentage and .791 OPS. He hit .315 in 92 regular season
at bats, hitting 7 doubles of 29 overall hits and 18 RBI. Also
dominating was his .462 average in the playoffs, going 6-13
with a double, home run, and three runs scored. A common
occurrence among the top of the NCAA RBI leaderboard in
2018, Jones looks to make a similar run for the Tom Sox this
summer.
TOM SOX PLACE SIX ON ALL-VBL TEAMS
Charlottesville continued the awards season placing six
players on All-Valley League teams, with three first teamers
and three second teamers. Wielansky took home the league
MVP, placing All-VBL First Team at second base. Also on
the first team were Randolph-Macon’s Rick Spiers (Utility) and
Johns Hopkins’ Sean McCracken (Starting Pitcher). On the
second team for the Tom Sox were Old Dominion’s Vinnie
Pasquantino (Designated Hitter), Christopher Newport’s Joe
Burris (Relief Pitcher), and Wake Forest’s Drew Loepprich
(Relief Pitcher).
WIELANSKY AND PASQUANTINO NAMED
TOP-10 PROSPECTS
Second Baseman Michael Wielansky (College of Wooster) and
First Baseman/Designated Hitter Vinnie Pasquantino (Old
Dominion University) placed on multiple prospect lists at the
conclusion of the summer.
Baseball America on Pasquantino (4 th of 10): “Pasquantino's
6-foot-4, 230-pound size is already major league ready and
his intensity and power potential were features of his
summer play. He hit .336/.401/.500 for the league champion
Tom Sox, with 13 of his 45 hits going for extra bases. He has
above-average hand-eye coordination, preferring contact to
hacking at bad pitches in search of extra-base hits. Those
will come in time. He had only 15 strikeouts vs. 14 walks in
31 league games. At a 7.0 60-yard time, his speed is
average. He’s a solid defender at first base.”
Perfect Game on Pasquantino (3 rd of 10): “Pasquantino is a
slugging lefthanded hitter that played for Perfect Game’s
Summer Collegiate Team of the Year, the Charlottesville
Tom Sox, and he profiles nicely with gap-to-gap power
production. The Old Dominion freshman has a very good
understanding of the strike zone with good plate discipline.
When considering both his freshman stats and those during
the summer, Pasquantino’s career strikeout-to-walk ratio is
nearly 1-to-1. He has as smooth, lefthanded swing and the
question will be just how much power he hits for. The 6-foot-
4, 230-pound frame is certainly indicative of future power
but how much he taps into will prove vital to his profile.”
D1Baseball on Pasquantino: “Vinnie Pasquantino was a
strong candidate for freshman All-America honors after
hitting .321 with 17 doubles for Old Dominion this spring.
He’s just a hitting machine who has kept it going this
summer for the Charlottesville Tom Sox, hitting
.356/.415/.490. Pasquantino has a fluid lefthanded stroke
that is tailor-made to rack up doubles in the gaps. He hit a
number of hard line drives this weekend, but he’ll need to
grow into more home run power in order to profile as a first
baseman.”
Baseball America on Wielansky (9 th of 10): Wielansky was
the most productive offensive player in the Valley League.
He dominated the offensive stat list, leading the league in
batting (.432), hits (67) and doubles (18) while adding four
triples and four home runs. On defense the 6-foot-2, 175-
pounder played mostly second base this summer after
playing shortstop in college this spring. His bat has carried
his game to this level thus far, but he needs to sharpen his
defense. He has enough speed (6.70-6.80 60-yard) to play
the outfield in the future. Just 12 D-III players were drafted in
2017, and Wielansky will have to hit his way there.”
Perfect Game on Wielansky (4 th of 10): “One of the biggest
stories on the summer league front was the offensive
production of Michael Wielansky, who attends the College of
Wooster at the D-III level and set the Valley League ablaze
with a .432 batting average. About 40 percent of Wielanksy’s
hits went for extra bases this summer, showing that he
wasn’t just a spray hitter. Playing shortstop for Wooster as a
freshman, the Valley League Player of the Year’s future in
professional baseball is likely at second base, however he
still shows smooth actions and soft hands up the middle
with the potential to be a strong defender at the position.”
HUNT TABBED AS VBL MANAGER OF THE
YEAR
Charlottesville’s Corey Hunt was named the VBL’s Maynard
“Mo” Weber Manager of the Year in his first season, leading
the Tom Sox to a dominant 32-10 record. Charlottesville
swept the past two pennant winners, Staunton and
Waynesboro, in the South playoffs. They are trying to stave
off elimination tonight however, after dropping Game 1 of
the finals to defending champs Strasburg.
Currently the head coach at nearby Monticello High School,
Hunt also played locally at MHS and the University of
Virginia.
While at the University of Virginia, Hunt batted .337 in 101
career at-bats, which included 27 runs scored and 19 RBIs.
In 2011, Hunt scored the winning run of the Charlottesville
Super Regional, to send the Cavaliers to the College World
Series. He coached the Monticello Mustangs to the 3A state
semifinals in 2015.