Team News

The season finished with the DuPage County Hounds taking two of three in the MCL Championship series against the Lexington Snipes. After three consecutive years of postseason series resulting in nothing but sweeps, all three playoff sets went to a decisive third game this season.

The Hounds’ 2015 MCL all-league team members and postseason awards winners are listed below, with 2015 MCL statistics and notes on each player provided.

Outfield – Zac Taylor, DuPage County Hounds

Stats: .387 AVG, .418 OBP, 1 HR, 16 RBIs

Resume: An All-Star starter, Taylor was a steady force for the league-champion Hounds. He stole 11 bases, ranking second on the team to Joe Duncan, who led the league with 24. The Downers Grove native is entering his sophomore year at Division-I Houston.

First base – Trent Carrier, DuPage County Hounds

Stats: .328 AVG, .411 OBP, 2 HR, 24 RBIs

Resume: Carrier launched a home run in the clinching game of the MCL Championship Series, a 7-2 win over Lexington. The Anaheim, California native and Holy Names attendee complimented his offensive prowess with an ability to pitch, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 innings.

Second base – Ryan Fitzgerald, DuPage County Hounds

Stats: .333 AVG, 5 HR, 28 RBIs, .397 OBP

Resume: Fitzgerald recovered from a slow start to the season to make an impact during DuPage County’s run to the MCL regular season and postseason titles. He was right at the Mendoza line three weeks into the season and held a .254 average in early July. From there, he took off. Fitzgerald had at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 and had nine multi-hit games during that stretch, becoming perhaps the most vital player on a team loaded with talent. In addition, he batted .346 in the playoffs and scored seven runs in the six games.  

Catcher – Billy Hayes, DuPage County Hounds

Stats: .329 AVG, .390 OBP, 18 RBIs

Resume: While the catching position has not often been known to produce big offensive numbers in the MCL, the 2015 season proved to be the exception. Some of the league’s finest hitters – including Michigan City’s Jay Resendez and the Northwest Indiana trio of Joe Jumonville, Zack Jones and Josh Turnock – all made their home behind the plate. Leading the way was Hayes, who also did a strong job handling the league-champion Hounds pitching staff.

Pitcher of the Year – Tom Concklin, DuPage County Hounds

Inside the Decision: Although his ERA (2.36) was not quite as strong as Oilmen pitchers Keith Mahler or Enrique Zamora, it was Concklin who seemed to always come through at the right time while helping his team to a title. Concklin’s perfect 3-0 record and 26 strikeouts against 13 bases on balls bolstered his resume. He capped his season with six innings of two-run baseball in Game 1 of the MCL Finals, a 4-2 win over the Snipes.

Manager of the Year – Sean Osborne, DuPage County Hounds

Inside the Decision: It’s hard to argue with the success of the DuPage County Hounds. The Hounds put together their fourth straight winning season and earned a spot in the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. Osborne guided DuPage County to its second MCL regular season title and its first league championship. The Hounds used good defense, speed and fundamentally-sound baseball to claw their way to the league title.

Click here for the complete list of award winners:

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