Team News

Chicago, Ill. – Aug. 8, 2016 – The Midwest Collegiate League has released its 2016 all-league team and postseason awards.

 

The season concluded on Sunday afternoon with the Northwest Indiana Oilmen beating the DuPage County Hounds 7-1 in Game 3 of the best-of-three MCL Championship Series.

 

The Hounds won the league’s regular season title, but came up short in their effort to repeat as league champions. The Oilmen finished third in the regular season, but they utilized a 4-1 postseason mark to nail down their second league title and first since 2012.

 

The 2016 MCL awards and all-league team are based on voting by the league’s managers, broadcasters and official scorers. Awards are based exclusively on the regular season. Postseason performance is not taken into consideration.

 

Most Valuable Player – Tyler Sroczynski, Northwest Indiana Oilmen

 

Stats: .356 AVG, .457 OBP, 7 HR, 32 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 20 BB

Resume: The Trinity Christian College outfielder impressed everyone who saw him play this summer en route to winning the league’s top individual honor for the second consecutive year. He dominated the MVP voting, with only one vote cast for a player other than Sroczyznski (Joliet’s Cody Grosse). Over the course of the summer, Sroczynski rewrote the Oilmen record books, establishing team marks for home runs, stolen bases and run scored. He also matched the league home run record. Sroczynski averaged an RBI or run scored in 51.2 percent of his plate appearances this season.

 

Pitcher of the Year – Mitch Weis, Bloomington Bobcats  

 

Stats: 2-3, 2.31 ERA, 8 G, 7 GS, 13 BB, 57 SO, 54 2/3 IP

Resume: An outstanding strikeout-to-walk ratio helped Mitch Weis dominate during his first season in the MCL. The Illinois State right-hander was the biggest bright spot on a Bobcat team that was playing the franchise’s first season since 2002. He led the league in ERA among pitchers with more than 30 innings.

 

Reliever of the Year – Hunter Clark, Northwest Indiana Oilmen

 

Stats: 1-1, 2 SV, 0.75 ERA, 20 BB, 22 SO, 16 G, 24 IP

Resume: The Eastern Illinois lefty did not allow an earned run in his first 20 innings this season. He played a valuable role out of the bullpen for the eventual MCL champion Oilmen. After being touched for an unearned run in each of his first two outings of the year, Clark heaved 18 straight scoreless innings.

 

Manager of the Year – Tom Barry, Joliet Admirals

 

Resume: In his second season at the helm, Barry guided the franchise to its first winning season since moving to Joliet. The Admirals finished in second place in the regular season standings at 27-20, a significant improvement from last year’s 15-23 team. When Barry was hired to manage the Admirals in 2015, they were a league bottom-dweller that had finished 2014 at 11-30 and 12 games out of the final playoff spot.  

 

2016 MCL All-League Team

 

OF – Tyler Sroczynski, NWI Oilmen / Trinity Christian: .356 AVG, .457 OBP, 7 HR, 32 RBIs, 53 runs, 20 BB, 22 SB

OF – Brandon Post, DuPage County Hounds / Lewis University: .359 AVG, 2 HR, 33 RBIs, .425 OBP

OF – Brendan Brundage, Joliet Admirals / USC Upstate: .335 AVG, 33 RBIs, .400 OBP, 17 SB

1B – Austin Blazevic, Southland Vikings / Kaskaskia: .346 AVG, 31 RBIs, .447 OBP

2B – Cody Grosse, Joliet Admirals / Chicago State: .394 AVG, 22 RBIs, .487 OBP, 18 SB

SS – Joe Engel, DuPage County Hounds / Columbia University: .324 AVG, .430 OBP, 3 HR, 18 RBIs

3B – Stefano Belmonte, NWI Oilmen / Florida Gulf Coast: .402 AVG, 1 HR, 27 RBIs, .479 OBP

C – Mike Roberson, DuPage County Hounds / Mesa CC: .291 AVG, 2 HR, 28 RBIs, .374 OBP

SP – Mitch Weis, Bloomington Bobcats / Illinois State: 2-3, 2.31 ERA, 8 G, 7 GS, 13 BB, 57 SO, 54 2/3 IP

SP – Peter Hamot, DuPage County Hounds / Lewis University: 3-1, 14 BB, 38 SO, 2.43 ERA, 10 G, 8 GS, 44 1/3 IP 

SP – Christian Howell, NWI Oilmen / Minnesota State Mankato: 5-1, 2.66 ERA, 25 BB, 36 SO, 50 2/3 IP, 9 G, 8 GS

RP – Hunter Clark, NWI Oilmen / Eastern Illinois: 1-1, 2 SV, 0.75 ERA, 20 BB, 22 SO, 16 G, 24 IP

RP – Jordan Miller, Joliet Admirals / USC Upstate: 0-1, 7 SV, 2.16 ERA, 16 2/3 IP, 7 BB, 15 SO

RP – Tyler Swiggart, Joliet Admirals / George Washington: 3-3, 1 SV, 2.48 ERA, 5 BB, 28 SO, 18 G, 29 IP