The
Amsterdam Mohawks, one of the most feared clubs in the Perfect Game
Collegiate Baseball League, have assembled another talented club in
2013. PG’s Allan Simpson wrote last week about the club’s
recent hot streak, and the Mohawks have seen plenty of production
from a trio of players from Auburn: Jordan Ebert, Trey Wingenter, and
Dylan Smith.
Ebert,
Wingenter, and Smith are all hoping to impress new Auburn coach Sunny
Golloway, previously the Head Coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, this
summer. Ebert was an everyday player prior to Golloway’s arrival,
but Smith and Wingenter have a chance to earn more playing time with
strong summers.
After
a hamstring injury on Opening Day, Smith missed just over a week.
It’s taken him a little while to really hit his stride, but he’s
quickly establishing himself as one of the top offensive prospects in
the league. Over his past six games, Smith is batting an incredible
.546, and he’s smacked two home runs and five doubles.
“He’s
got real power. Big, physical kid. Has a chance to be very good
hitter,” said long-time Amsterdam skipper Keith Griffin.
On
the mound, Wingenter might have the highest ceiling of any prospect
in the league. His fastball is routinely in the low-90s, checking in
as high as 94 this summer. The 6-foot-7 right-hander is really
focusing on development this summer. He played a small role out of
the bullpen at Auburn this past season, but he might be ready to take
on more responsible for Coach Golloway next season. Through five
starts, he has a 3.47 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings.
“It
feels good,” Wingenter said of his increased time on the mound.
“I’m starting to get more comfortable on the mound with each
start and as I’m staying in a routine, pitching every five days,
I’m really working on trying to get better every time out. It’s
definitely been nice to get out to a pretty quick start.”
Ebert
is happy to continue working on his game while spending a summer with
a couple of his teammates.
“It’s
just a lot of fun, getting to watch Trey pitch and he’s pitched so
well,” Ebert said of the time he and his Auburn teammates have had
in the PGCBL. “And Dylan has been tearing the cover off the ball
so it’s a lot of fun.”
Ebert’s
hitting a healthy .327 and getting on base a .368 clip, but it’s
his defensive versatility that has Coach Griffin excited for the rest
of the summer.
“We’ve
played him at four different positions; he’s played second, short,
third, and left,” said Griffin. “He’s done a nice job at all of
them. He can play a lot of positions, and he’s not the best guy at
any of them, but he’s credible (at all of them) and he does a nice
job, which is huge.”
In
Coach Golloway’s interaction with Ebert thus far, he’s stressed
that Auburn should be a slam dunk for a regional appearance every
single year.
“That’s
going to be our goal—not whether we’re going to a regional, but
whether we’re going to host a regional,” Ebert said.
For
now, the trio will focus on developing on the field and enjoying
their summer in upstate New York.
“It
was kind of a blessing to get both of them out here, living under the
same roof, across the country and on the same team and getting to
play with those guys every day,” Wingenter said of his summer
collegiate experience.
Next
season, each player has a chance to play a key role as Auburn
attempts to take the next step as a program.