UC Irvine Trio Joins Pippins
November 14, 2015 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Wash. - For the third consecutive season, the Yakima Valley Pippins are excited to welcome athletes from UC Irvine, one of the better programs on the West Coast. Saturday, the club announced the additions of outfielder Mikey Filia and pitchers Mitchell Miller and Jordan Bocko.
Filia, an outfielder, is a native of Irvine, Calif., and starred at Irvine High School. He was named a first team all-Pacific Coast League player in 2015 and was rated the 67th best prospect in Orange County.
"Mikey is really athletic and strong even though he is only 5'9"," said Pippins manager Marcus McKimmy. "He was also a standout running back in high school. He will play center field in college as he is an above-average defender who can really run and throw from the outfield. I anticipate Mikey will be that thorn in your side when you play the Pippins. His older brother is a senior this year on the UCLA baseball team."
Miller is a right-handed pitcher from Merced High School in Merced, Calif. In his senior year, he not only received the team's Cy Young Award, but also earned Central California Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. In just 51 2/3 innings of work last year, he struck out 62 hitters.
"Mitchell just gets people out," said McKimmy. "He is smart, has a great awareness for a hitter's plan, and really works off his changeup. Whether we start him, or use him for several innings in the middle of a game, that is a good problem for our coaching staff to figure out. He has three college-level pitches and all the intangibles that allow you to trust him in any situation. We will not hesitate to use him when the game is on the line."
Like Filia and Miller, Bocko is also a freshman with the Anteaters. The Laguna Niguel, Calif., native comes to UC Irvine from Capistrano Valley High School. At CVHS, he earned South Coast League MVP honors as both a junior and a senior.
"Jordan has the highest upside of the group," said McKimmy. "His fastball is 87-89 mph with a good slider and change-up. He's a freshman this year who I expect to really mature by the time he arrives in the summer. He is a very good student with great makeup and character. Everyone I talk to about Jordan reiterates that he is a winner."
The Pippins' 2016 league schedule was released Oct. 27. Season ticket packages are currently on sale by calling 509-575-4487 or by visiting Hunky Shaw's Team Shop at 12 S. Second St. in the historic Larson Building in downtown Yakima.
• Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
West Coast League Stories from November 14, 2015
- UC Irvine Trio Joins Pippins - Yakima Valley Pippins
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
