MCL All-League Honorees / Summer Ball Info / Boilers in Pro Ball
Aug. 21 Update: Nolan Daniel was named a first-team all-league relief pitcher in the Coastal Plain League.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's Ryan Howe was recognized for his summer ball success with an all-league honor as the top third baseman in the Midwest Collegiate League this year.
Mike Bolton Jr. and Howe were teammates this summer with the MCL Minutemen, a composite team created to complete the six-team league in Northwest Indiana and the south suburbs of Chicago. Both Boilermakers played in over 20 games for the Minutemen. Bolton led the league with 14 stolen bases.
Howe ranked second in the MCL with 28 RBI while posting a strong slash line of .318/.460/.533 in 26 games. He led his team in extra-base hits (13) and scored 20 runs while recording more walks (19) than strikeouts (16). He was also highlighted for his defensive excellence at third base.
Howe was an Opening Day starter for Purdue at third base during the abbreviated 2020 campaign. He went on to make three starts at second base and three at third before the season was shut down after 14 games. As a freshman in 2019, he made a team-high 36 starts at second base and was the team's defensive MVP.
SUMMER BALL TEAM SUCCESS
• Connor Ayers' Turf Monsters team defeated Kyle Wade's Snapping Turtles squad in the tournament championship game for the College Summer League at Grand Park. Like the league's all-star game, the title game was held at Victory Field in Downtown Indianapolis. In the semifinals, the Turf Monsters rallied to defeat a Park Rangers team that featured fellow Boilermakers Ben Nisle, Jack Firestone and Tanner Haston.
• Ricky Castro helped the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters take the regular-season title in the Wisconsin-Illinois pod of the Northwoods League. The Rapids Rafters' 32 wins and .744 winning percentage (32-11) were both the best among the 22 teams that competed this summer in the Northwoods League, which featured six different pods from North Dakota to Michigan. Castro pitched in nine games, his final appearance coming on Aug. 7 before returning to campus for the fall semester. He recorded 15 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched.
• Incoming right-hander Nolan Daniel was an elite reliever for the Savannah Bananas of the Coastal Plain League. He racked up 26 strikeouts vs. 15 hits allowed in 20 1/3 innings, averaging 11.5 Ks per nine innings while compiling a 1.77 ERA, earning first-team all-CPL honors as a relief pitcher. He also won all four of his decisions to share the lead league in victories, helping Savannah win a CPL-high 16 games.
ALUMNI IN PRO BALL
• Josh Lindblom (2007-08) is averaging a 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings over his first four starts with the Milwaukee Brewers, a career-best mark at the big league level. He has fanned a career-high eight batters in each of his last two starts against the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, both division leaders. For the season, he has racked up 28 strikeouts vs. 17 hits allowed in 17 2/3 innings. He earned his first career MLB win as a starter on Aug. 6 with five innings of two-run ball at the Chicago White Sox, striking out the first five batters of the game in order. Lindblom also started the series finale Sunday on the North Side as the Brewers won again to finish the season with a 6-3 record in Chicago this season. In his two starts in the Windy City, Lindblom posted eight zeros in his 10 innings while registering 15 strikeouts vs. seven hits allowed.
• Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) is 9-for-24 with two doubles and six RBI in his first season with Boston Red Sox. He hit safely in his first five games in which he batted. He also made his fifth career appearance on the mound Aug. 13 vs. Tampa Bay, retiring two batters to end the top of the ninth inning. In the bottom half of the frame, he recorded an RBI single while batting as the Red Sox's active pitcher. Boston had lost the designated hitter earlier in the ninth when a different position player took the mound. With the universal DH in effect across both the American and National Leagues, Plawecki is the only MLB player to register a hit as a game's active pitcher as of Aug. 17 this season.
• Nick Wittgren (2011-12) has appeared in nine of the Cleveland Indians' first 22 games, ranking second on the team in appearances and helping his club post MLB-leading totals for ERA (2.68) and WHIP (1.01) as of Aug. 17. He has recorded 11 strikeouts vs. two walks and eight hits allowed.
Aug. 21 Update: Nolan Daniel was named a first-team all-league relief pitcher in the Coastal Plain League.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's Ryan Howe was recognized for his summer ball success with an all-league honor as the top third baseman in the Midwest Collegiate League this year.
Mike Bolton Jr. and Howe were teammates this summer with the MCL Minutemen, a composite team created to complete the six-team league in Northwest Indiana and the south suburbs of Chicago. Both Boilermakers played in over 20 games for the Minutemen. Bolton led the league with 14 stolen bases.
Howe ranked second in the MCL with 28 RBI while posting a strong slash line of .318/.460/.533 in 26 games. He led his team in extra-base hits (13) and scored 20 runs while recording more walks (19) than strikeouts (16). He was also highlighted for his defensive excellence at third base.
Howe was an Opening Day starter for Purdue at third base during the abbreviated 2020 campaign. He went on to make three starts at second base and three at third before the season was shut down after 14 games. As a freshman in 2019, he made a team-high 36 starts at second base and was the team's defensive MVP.
SUMMER BALL TEAM SUCCESS
• Connor Ayers' Turf Monsters team defeated Kyle Wade's Snapping Turtles squad in the tournament championship game for the College Summer League at Grand Park. Like the league's all-star game, the title game was held at Victory Field in Downtown Indianapolis. In the semifinals, the Turf Monsters rallied to defeat a Park Rangers team that featured fellow Boilermakers Ben Nisle, Jack Firestone and Tanner Haston.
• Ricky Castro helped the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters take the regular-season title in the Wisconsin-Illinois pod of the Northwoods League. The Rapids Rafters' 32 wins and .744 winning percentage (32-11) were both the best among the 22 teams that competed this summer in the Northwoods League, which featured six different pods from North Dakota to Michigan. Castro pitched in nine games, his final appearance coming on Aug. 7 before returning to campus for the fall semester. He recorded 15 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched.
• Incoming right-hander Nolan Daniel was an elite reliever for the Savannah Bananas of the Coastal Plain League. He racked up 26 strikeouts vs. 15 hits allowed in 20 1/3 innings, averaging 11.5 Ks per nine innings while compiling a 1.77 ERA, earning first-team all-CPL honors as a relief pitcher. He also won all four of his decisions to share the lead league in victories, helping Savannah win a CPL-high 16 games.
ALUMNI IN PRO BALL
• Josh Lindblom (2007-08) is averaging a 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings over his first four starts with the Milwaukee Brewers, a career-best mark at the big league level. He has fanned a career-high eight batters in each of his last two starts against the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, both division leaders. For the season, he has racked up 28 strikeouts vs. 17 hits allowed in 17 2/3 innings. He earned his first career MLB win as a starter on Aug. 6 with five innings of two-run ball at the Chicago White Sox, striking out the first five batters of the game in order. Lindblom also started the series finale Sunday on the North Side as the Brewers won again to finish the season with a 6-3 record in Chicago this season. In his two starts in the Windy City, Lindblom posted eight zeros in his 10 innings while registering 15 strikeouts vs. seven hits allowed.
• Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) is 9-for-24 with two doubles and six RBI in his first season with Boston Red Sox. He hit safely in his first five games in which he batted. He also made his fifth career appearance on the mound Aug. 13 vs. Tampa Bay, retiring two batters to end the top of the ninth inning. In the bottom half of the frame, he recorded an RBI single while batting as the Red Sox's active pitcher. Boston had lost the designated hitter earlier in the ninth when a different position player took the mound. With the universal DH in effect across both the American and National Leagues, Plawecki is the only MLB player to register a hit as a game's active pitcher as of Aug. 17 this season.
• Nick Wittgren (2011-12) has appeared in nine of the Cleveland Indians' first 22 games, ranking second on the team in appearances and helping his club post MLB-leading totals for ERA (2.68) and WHIP (1.01) as of Aug. 17. He has recorded 11 strikeouts vs. two walks and eight hits allowed.