Pitchers Highlight Bullfrogs' Six All-Star Selections
Published on July 16, 2012 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Green Bay Rockers News Release
After a second-place finish in a first-half dominated by pitching, five Bullfrogs pitchers and one position player learned last Friday that they have been honored with selections the Northwoods League All-Star Game.
Starting pitchers Bradley Wallace (Arkansas State), Bryce Bellin (Minnesota State), Taylor Black (Texas State), and Zak Hermans (Princeton) will join closing pitcher Will Landsheft (Drury University) and second-baseman Justin Seager (UNC Charlotte) in representing the Bullfrogs at the Northwoods League All-Star Game at Warner Park in Madison next Tuesday, July 24.
The fact that five Green Bay pitchers were given the All-Star nod comes with with little surprise. Their team ERA of 2.70 is tops in the league by nearly an entire run, and is only one half of a run higher than the best single-season team ERA in the 19 year history of the Northwoods League (Madison's 2006 club holds the record with an ERA of 2.17).
Bullfrogs' first-year pitching coach Matt Hiserman said that his job has been made easy by the skilled pitching staff that he's been surrounded by all season long.
"Not only are they very talented, but Coach (Jordan) Bischel did a great job getting a great group of guys here who are going to work hard and really put in the time and effort to do well on the field," he said.
Hiserman explained his main focus with the staff has been working with them mentally to build on their previous performances.
"It's not so much working with them, it's just trying to get them out of their own head a lot of times," he said. "A lot of them you're just trying to get to repeat it, and to just work on consistency, whether it's in their pregame or in-game routine."
One pitcher who has repeated time and time again has been right-hander Bradley Wallace. Wallace's 1.29 ERA is best in the Northwoods League by nearly an entire run, and his 51 strikeouts are good for third best in the league. After a rough spring season at Arkansas State in which Wallace went 3-1 with an 8.29 ERA (fittingly exactly seven runs higher than his current ERA), he said he is honored to be able to represent the Red Wolves as an All-Star in one of the top summer collegiate leagues in the country.
"To be able to come here and pretty much reverse everything that happened and make the All-Star Game, it means a lot to me and it means a lot to the coaches at Arkansas State, as well," Wallace beamed.
Other pitchers on the Bullfrogs staff are not strangers to awards. Opening night starter Zak Hermans was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Year for his performance during his junior season at Princeton. Despite these accolades, the second-year Bullfrog expressed pride that he has been able to improve from his 3.98 ERA in the Northwoods League last season.
"Last year I felt that I didn't pitch that well in this league," Hermans said. "To be able to come out and build off of what I did in the spring has been a goal of mine. I can't say I was necessarily expecting to make the All-Star team, but it's a big honor."
While throwing 43 innings (more than any other Bullfrog), Hermans has compiled a 3-1 record with an ERA of 2.30, third in the Northwoods League. Even more promising is that he hitting his stride as the season progresses. In two appearances in the month of July, Hermans is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and, perhaps most impressively, he has struck out 19 batters while walking none.
Texas State's Taylor Black has been another anchor in the Bullfrogs' star-studded rotation. He is tied for the team lead with four wins on the season, and his 2.48 ERA would qualify for fourth best in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. Black was an All-Star in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball league last summer, but admits that getting the same honor in the Northwoods League is a more fulfilling feeling.
"I came in here not expecting to make it, honestly," Black said. "It was a big surprise to me, but it feels great knowing that I'm one of the top pitchers in this league and I'm honored to be there with my teammates and everyone else in the league."
With dozens of professional scouts sure to be at the game, Black may be harboring an unusual advantage that could aid his performance. Monday night will already be his third start at Warner Park in Madison, the site of this year's game. Black has fared well at "The Duck Pond", widely known as a hitter's park, going 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his previous two starts. Black simply shrugged off this fact and said his approach will remain the same.
"I think if anything it will just help me be more focused and more determined," Black said. "I'll do the small things better, the little things better. I'll have a small window to perform at my best level so I'll just go out there and do my best."
Right-hander Bryce Bellin's biggest accolades to this point in his career have been team honors. His team at Minnesota State-Mankato advanced to the Division II College World Series in the 2012 season, and Bellin expressed with altruistic pride that this his ability to thrive in a league dominated by NCAA Division I players is a further symbol of success for his Division II school.
"I think it says a lot about the program," Bellin said. "We have a great group of guys at Minnesota State, and a very competitive pitching staff. It just shows that any guy at any given point in time can come out and compete and give it their all."
Joining Bellin as one of four non-Division I players on the South Division All-Star roster is Drury University product Will Landsheft. Much like Bellin, Landsheft said that the differences between Division I and Division II aren't as wide-ranged as the public makes them out to be, and his success this summer proves it.
"Coming to compete with all of these Division I guys isn't a whole lot different than Division II," Landsheft explained. "It's all the support that you get from your coaches back at school, your coaches here, your friends and family. You just feed off of that and play up to the level of your competition."
A starter during the collegiate season, Landsheft has succeeded as the closer on a winning club this summer, maintaining a 2.21 ERA and earning six saves for the Bullfrogs so far this season. Again, he credits his support system on his success in the new role.
"It took a little adjusting, but with the help of people like Coach Hiserman and also being able to use resources like Harry (Stanwyck) and other people who have been in the closing role before, I felt like I could fall into pretty quickly," Landsheft said.
Second-baseman Justin Seager joins the five pitchers as the lone Bullfrogs' position player on the Northwoods League All-Star roster. Seager's bat has led the Bullfrogs offensively throughout the season. His 18 doubles lead the league (not to mention have him well on the way to breaking the Northwoods League record of 25), and he has paced the Bullfrogs with 31 RBIs thus far on the season.
The brother of Seattle Mariners third-baseman Kyle Seager and Los Angeles Dodgers first-round draft pick Corey Seager, the "middle Seager" says he's thrilled to be performing well and making a name for himself, too.
"I'm trying to get my name out there too," Seager said. "It doesn't hurt with those two around, being in that company, but I've got to make a name for myself."
He's on the right track. Offensively, the numbers speak for themselves, but perhaps his most valuable asset is his versatility. A fixture in the middle of the Bullfrogs' lineup all season, Seager has played in 40 out of 45 games (more than any other Bullfrog), and has played all over the field defensively. In addition to 21 games at second base, Seager has played 14 games at first base, four games at third base, and one game as the designated hitter. And all of this bouncing around while only committing four errors.
"It's definitely tough," Seager said. "It's a lot of games in not a lot of days. I've played around in a couple of positions, but I like to play in different positions sometimes. Whatever I have to do to be in the lineup, because I like being in the lineup."
Third-year manager Jordan Bischel said the team's league-most six All-Stars is an attribution to how well the team has played all season.
"For the most part we've had a good club all year," Bischel said. "We've been able to string a lot of wins together and we've had an outstanding pitching staff. And usually when you have a good team, those individuals get rewarded and they did here and I'm obviously happy for them."
While excited for the players, Bischel stayed grounded. Five pitchers, especially four starters, making the All-Star team creates a difficult situation for him to manage his way around. Bischel said he may have to adjust the rotation to make sure everyone is available to pitch in the game.
"It's going to create a little bit of a challenge," Bischel said. "Having four starters named, we're going to have to plan around the All-Star Game to make sure those guys are fresh enough to throw an inning in that game, they deserve to throw. They have lots of scouts there and it's a fun experience."
The Bullfrogs are off to a 4-6 start in the second half of the season, five games back of first-place Wisconsin. Still, amongst the All-Star selections, there is excitement and hopefulness surrounding the team. With six all stars, Green Bay has proven that its one of the most talented clubs in the entire Northwoods League.
"The All-Star Game is only halfway and I'm excited to see what they can do in the second half," Hiserman said.
The All-Star Game is July 24 at 7:35 PM at Warner Park in Madison.
Please call 920-497-7225 or log on to www.greenbaybullfrogs.com for more information.
The Bullfrogs are a part of the 16-team Northwoods League. The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate League in North America.
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