Beach Bums Sign Three At Tryout
November 17, 2010 - Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Traverse City Beach bums have announced the signing of three players out of a November 13th tryout held in Indianapolis, Indiana that yielded over 50 participants. The three signees are utility-man Brian Youchak, and right-handed pitchers Tom Kahl and Chris Smith.
Youchak, 24, is a 5'7" 180-pound utility-man from John Hopkins University. In 2010, Youchak was named the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III National Player of the Year when he hit .492 with 16 doubles, 16 home runs, 64 RBI and only 12 strikeouts in 199 at-bats. He finished the 2010 season ranked in the top 5 in the country in five different categories including 1st in hits (98) and runs scored (76) while leading the Blue Jays to the NCAA DIII World Series for the second time in his career. The left-handed hitting Youchak was also named an All-American following his sophomore season when he hit .467 with 21 doubles, 9 home runs, and 59 RBI. He spent the summer of 2009 with the Butler BlueSox of the Prospect Collegiate League, managed by Beach Bums' Director of Baseball Operations Jason Wuerfel, where he was named an All-Star while finishing second in the league in batting average ( 350) and fourth in on-base percentage (.431).
"Youchak is one of the most consistent hitters I've ever seen," Wuerfel said "His ability to make consistent, hard contact is almost uncanny, and he is nearly impossible to get off-balance. After being an outfielder for his entire career, he made the move to second base as a senior and I was really interested to see him work out as an infielder at the tryout. He exceeded my expectations defensively and he has a good shot at making our club in a utility role."
Kahl, 22, is a 6'0" 190-pound pitcher from Bay Shore, New York, and played collegiately at Dominican College. In 2009, Kahl was named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Pitcher of the Year after going 6-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 11 starts and 78.2 innings, racking up 87 strikeouts and yielding just 29 walks and 76 hits. Like Youchak, Kahl was named a Prospect League All-Star in the summer of 2009 while playing for the Butler BlueSox. For the BlueSox, Kahl was 4-3 with a 2.23 ERA in 66 innings with 63 strikeouts and just 22 walks.
"Kahl did not pitch during the 2010 college season and I wanted to bring him in to see if he still had the stuff I remembered while coaching him in 2009, Wuerfel said. "He didn't disappoint me at the tryout - his fastball was consistently in the upper 80s and his breaking ball was as sharp as ever. His stuff is good enough to pitch in our bullpen right now, but if he can continue to get in better shape and develop his change-up, he has a chance to crack our starting rotation in the spring."
Smith, 22, is a 6'3" 220-pound native of Louisville, Kentucky, who attended the 2010 Frontier League Tryout Camp following his senior season at Kentucky Wesleyan University and was drafted in the first round by the Lake Erie Crushers. Smith was strictly a position player while in college until his senior season, when he doubled as the team's closer and his potential became clear immediately while posting a 3-2 record and 8 saves in 15.1 innings with 13 strikeouts and just four walks.
"Smith has a power arm and was really impressive at the tryout," Wuerfel said. "He was consistently 89-91 mph on the gun with a sharp 81-82 mph slider. He is still young in his pitching career and his mechanics have really improved since I saw him throw at the Frontier League Tryout Camp last May. If he continues to develop this off-season and comes into camp with a little better command of his pitches, he has a chance to be a special player for us." The Traverse City Beach Bums members of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league with teams in seven midwest state. The Beach Bums are entering their sixth season of play in 2011 with the season schedule expected to be published by the end of November. Season tickets are now on sale -- please phone 231-943-0100.
Frontier League Stories from November 17, 2010
- Beach Bums Sign Three At Tryout - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Lanier and Carey Re-Sign with Normal CornBelters - Normal CornBelters
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