Former IPFW Standouts Enjoying Professional Careers
7/1/2016 10:54:00 AM | Baseball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The IPFW baseball program, under the direction of eighth-year head coach Bobby Pierce, currently has four former team members playing professionally this summer. They include Chuck Weaver, Evan Miller, Kevin Wirth and Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece.
Weaver is playing for the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL), while Miller is playing for the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short Season Northwest League. Wirth is playing for the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL), while Valenzuela-Reece is playing for the Topeka Train Robbers of the Independent Pecos League.
"It's exciting to see our former student-athletes pursuing their dream, and it's exciting for our program to have so many playing professionally over the past few years," explained Pierce. "IPFW Baseball can now be recognized as a Division I program that sends its student-athletes on to professional baseball after their collegiate careers."
Weaver, who played for the Mastodons from 2012-13, is currently 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA through 73.2 innings with 63 strikeouts for the North Carolina-based Grasshoppers of the Miami Marlins organization. He has made 15 appearances with 12 starts, limiting opponents to a .227 batting average. A right-handed pitcher, Weaver is tied for first in the SAL for wins and ranked sixth in ERA.
Miller, who played at IPFW from 2015-16 and was recently drafted in the 22nd round of the Major League Draft by the San Diego Padres, is currently 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA through 5.0 innings with four strikeouts for the Washington state-based Dust Devils. A right-handed pitcher, he has made three appearances in relief, limiting opponents to a 1.11 batting average.
Wirth, who played for the Mastodons from 2013-14, has played in eight games and is currently batting .222 with one home run, one double, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Beavers of the USBL – metro Detroit's first independent pro baseball league. He is listed as a utility player on the team roster.
Valenzuela-Reece, who also played at IPFW from 2015-16, has played in seven games and is currently batting .133 with one home run, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Kansas-based Train Robbers. He is listed as a catcher on the team roster.
IPFW finished 2016 with a school-record of 33-26, its first 30-win season, fifth 25-win season and 12th 20-win season in program history. In addition to the school-record 33 wins, the Mastodons posted their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1998-99, winning 20 of their final 27 games. A late 12-game winning streak catapulted IPFW into its second-straight Summit League Tournament championship game appearance.
Weaver is playing for the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL), while Miller is playing for the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short Season Northwest League. Wirth is playing for the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL), while Valenzuela-Reece is playing for the Topeka Train Robbers of the Independent Pecos League.
"It's exciting to see our former student-athletes pursuing their dream, and it's exciting for our program to have so many playing professionally over the past few years," explained Pierce. "IPFW Baseball can now be recognized as a Division I program that sends its student-athletes on to professional baseball after their collegiate careers."
Weaver, who played for the Mastodons from 2012-13, is currently 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA through 73.2 innings with 63 strikeouts for the North Carolina-based Grasshoppers of the Miami Marlins organization. He has made 15 appearances with 12 starts, limiting opponents to a .227 batting average. A right-handed pitcher, Weaver is tied for first in the SAL for wins and ranked sixth in ERA.
Miller, who played at IPFW from 2015-16 and was recently drafted in the 22nd round of the Major League Draft by the San Diego Padres, is currently 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA through 5.0 innings with four strikeouts for the Washington state-based Dust Devils. A right-handed pitcher, he has made three appearances in relief, limiting opponents to a 1.11 batting average.
Wirth, who played for the Mastodons from 2013-14, has played in eight games and is currently batting .222 with one home run, one double, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Beavers of the USBL – metro Detroit's first independent pro baseball league. He is listed as a utility player on the team roster.
Valenzuela-Reece, who also played at IPFW from 2015-16, has played in seven games and is currently batting .133 with one home run, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Kansas-based Train Robbers. He is listed as a catcher on the team roster.
IPFW finished 2016 with a school-record of 33-26, its first 30-win season, fifth 25-win season and 12th 20-win season in program history. In addition to the school-record 33 wins, the Mastodons posted their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1998-99, winning 20 of their final 27 games. A late 12-game winning streak catapulted IPFW into its second-straight Summit League Tournament championship game appearance.
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