Boilers in Pro Ball | Jacksonville Suns | Wichita Wingnuts
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue baseball alumni and Greater Lafayette natives Dan Sattler and Nick Wittgren both got to experience championship celebrations on their home fields at the pro ball level this past weekend (Sept. 12-13) after their teams swept league championship series.
Wittgren (2011-12) was part of the Jacksonville Suns' championship team in the Double-A Southern League. The Miami Marlins affiliate swept Chattanooga (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) in the league finals, winning the title Friday (Sept. 12). It marked the second year in a row in which a Boilermaker was part of the championship team in the Southern League after Dan Black (2007-09) helped the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox affiliate) win the title last year.
Sattler (2004-07) was on the mound when the Wichita Wingnuts locked up the American Association (independent) championship Saturday (Sept. 13) night by finishing off a sweep of the Lincoln Saltdogs. Sattler faced seven batters in his two innings of relief in the championship series, striking out five. After being acquired in late August, the right-hander made nine appearances for Wichita between the end of the regular season and the playoffs. He surrendered just three hits while striking out 12 over eight innings.
Wittgren's Jacksonville team won its final 10 games of the regular season to take the second-half South Division title and then went 6-1 in the Southern League playoffs, losing only game two of the division series at the Mobile BayBears (Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate). Wittgren had 20 saves this season to push his MiLB career total to 59 since being selected in the ninth round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Marlins. But Jacksonville opted to use Matt Ramsey as its closer in the playoffs. The Tennessee alumnus worked 8 2/3 innings of scoreless relief during the late-season surge before finally giving up a run in the championship series clincher Friday.
Wittgren made two appearances in the division series against Mobile and got the final out of the eighth inning of the series-opening win at Chattanooga with the tying run at the plate.
Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) helped the Las Vegas 51s (New York Mets affiliate) qualify for the playoffs in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. But Las Vegas lost its series to the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate), three games to one, after taking the opener of the series. Plawecki homered in the game one victory.
Plawecki and Wittgren were two of the 10 Purdue alumni active in Minor League Baseball this season, including 2014 draftees Sean McHugh (2011-14) and Jordan Minch (2013-14).
Additionally, Sattler (St. Paul Saints and Wichita Wingnuts) and Andy Loomis (Gary RailCats) were both pitching in the American Association after recovering from injuries that cut short their 2013 MiLB seasons.
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Incredible night! Had a blast playing with my teammates this year and glad we could go out on top!!! http://t.co/lz1foeWFj9
-- Nick Wittgren (@N_Witt) September 13, 2014Pure enjoyment. So happy my momma and wife were here to share this experience â¤️âš¾️ pic.twitter.com/RfburWwhDq
- Daniel Sattler (@DanielPSattler) September 14, 2014