Wooden bat leagues open summer doors to Baseball

College athletics is a year-round process. When school resumes, nearly every team -- not just the fall sports teams -- will meet and begin practice. The players who have worked out during the summer will have an advantage. Baseball, even though the competitive season is in the spring, is one of the programs that uses the fall to gauge progress. Fortunately for Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon, most of his players spent the summer on the diamond. "A lot of guys are playing a lot of baseball," Seddon said this summer. "The biggest thing is that they need to be ready in September." Being ready in September requires preparation in June, July and August. The Quakers put in hard work in various summer leagues throughout the country. Each year, premiere summer leagues -- including the Cape Cod, Alaskan, Jayhawk and Valley Leagues -- invite top college players to compete. In the past, Penn players have performed well in these leagues. 1992 grad Doug Glanville believes his Cape Cod League performance was a factor in the Cubs selecting him in the first round of the draft. Despite the fact that Penn was well represented at these leagues in the past, no current Red and Blue sluggers were accepted into these top wooden bat leagues this summer. Instead, Penn baseball players spent time in less acclaimed leagues, such as the Atlantic Coast Baseball League. "These leagues aren't at the same level as the Cape or the Alaskan League," Seddon explained. Leagues like the ACBL, however, still provide competition and a chance for improvement. Junior pitcher Sean McDonald, whose goal is to be accepted into the Cape Cod League next year, is hoping to improve his worth on the mound this season. A second-team All-Ivy League selection last season, McDonald's four victories led all Penn hurlers. He was also second on the team with 33 strikeouts and a 4.38 ERA. The highlight of McDonald's season came on April 18 when he tossed the first no-hitter by a Penn pitcher since 1992, a 4-0 win over Cornell. McDonald spent the summer in the ACBL, pitching for the West Deptford (N.J.) Storm. "I'm enjoying playing in a wooden bat league for the first time in my life," said McDonald, who also played in a few national amateur tournaments. McDonald is not the only Quaker in the ACBL. Junior catcher Ralph Vasami also gained summer experience as a member of the New York Generals. McDonlad's Storm split a doubleheader with Vasami's Generals this summer. McDonald earned a save in the Storm's win, getting Vasami to ground out. Last season, Vasami saw limited time as a backup to Dave Corleto, batting .276 in only 29 at-bats. With Corleto's graduation, Vasami will be expected to take on a larger role this season. His experience in the ACBL should help acclimate him to frequent action. Like Vasami, many Quakers will need to take on larger roles, as the Red and Blue lost several top performers to graduation. Without the services of first team All-Ivy League players Drew Corradini and Mark Nagata, as well as leaders Armen Simonian and Joe Carlon, Seddon's team will need underclassmen to make significant contributions. "We'll be a very young team next year," Seddon said. The young players, however, will not be rusty when they come to Bower Field. All members of the recruiting class of 2002 played summer ball. Many were with their American Legion teams. While the ACBL and the American Legion teams are the choice for many Quakers, members of the Penn team are represented in other leagues throughout the country. Jim Mullen, who finished last season with a .327 batting average, played for a Penndel League team in Narberth, Pa., as well as for the Delaware Gulls in the ACBL. Travis Putnam, who is expected to take over for Carlon at second base, played in a wooden bat league in Los Angeles. Randy Ferrell played in Maryland with a Baltimore Orioles-sponsored program. Right fielder Kevin McCabe played for the Fort Washington Generals in the Delco League, and pitcher Matt Hepler was on a team near his home in Illinois. Wherever they may be this summer, the Quakers will soon be together in University City. When they meet as a team, the importance of the summer leagues will be clear. "The best aspect of the summer league is that you are playing with players from all different schools," McDonald noted. "We converse, and I've picked up a few things that I think will be beneficial to our program at Penn." Like McDonald, many Penn baseball players hope to return to Bower Field improved from last season.

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