European Baseball Players in American Education [Week 3]

Though early spring weather wreaked havoc with the schedules of several teams this week, only a few universities and high schools have yet to start their season. As such, we have an update for most of our 61 European baseballers active in American education. If you missed our introduction to these athletes, links are as follows: Part I Part II Part III.

The competition for four-year Player of the Week was stiff, with last week’s Co-Player of the Week Antoine Duplantis falling short despite the former hitting .389/.458/.556. A number of pitchers vied for Pitcher of the Week honours, including last week’s winner Paul Kirkpatrick, who allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 frames and struck out five. Eli Lingos, a Greek hopeful, whiffed seven in 5 2/3 two-run innings, and Nick Constantakos, another Greek-American, who twirled five shutout frames.

February 26-March 4
Four-Year University Players of the Week:
Tim Schaareman, the Netherlands
Dating back to last season, the Dutch native has an eye-popping 23-game hitting streak. Schaareman did plenty of damage with those hits, going 12-for-28 (.429) with three doubles and a triple (.607 slugging) The shortstop scored eight runs, stole four bases, walked four times, and struck out seven times.
Picture courtesy Park Athletics.

Four-Year University Pitcher of the Week:
Thomas Triantos, Greece
Triantos looked superb in a loss to San Jose State, spinning a pair of 1-2-3 innings and striking out two. The performance earned him his first start of the year and Triantos again looked good, throwing five shutout frames with two hits, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts, though the bullpen blew his lead in the bid for his first win of the season. The southpaw has appeared in four games this year and has an 0.93 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings.

Two-Year University Player of the Week:
Martin Mužík, Czech Republic
Mužík, who has won every one of our Two-Year Player of the Week awards, is one of the hottest JuCo players in America. This week he was 10-for-18 with four doubles, two walks, and only one strikeout. He scored three runs, drove in two, and was 1-for-2 on stolen bases. That herculean effort boosted his season line to .500/.542/.909 and he has K’d a since time in 48 plate appearances. Mužík appeared at catcher three times, first base twice, and had a bout as the Eagles’ DH.
Picture courtesy of Milujeme Baseball.

Two-Year Pitcher of the Week
Marius Balandis, Lithuania
Balandis (1-0) recovered from a rough start last week to dominate Iowa Lakes CC, tossing five shutout frames, allowing only three singles and a double while striking out four. For the year, he has a 4.82 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 9 1/3 frames, allowing batters a .216 average.

Maurizio Andretta, LHP (FR, Clarendon College [7-2], Tx.) [Bio]
Andretta tossed the final three innings of a Bulldogs’ 6-4 victory, earning a scorekeeper’s save. The southpaw gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits, including two home runs, and three walks, though Andretta did strike out four. On the season, the Italian has a 5.40 ERA and 1.70 WHIP, but has struck out 14.4 per nine innings and a .381 BABIP.

Jerremyh Angela, LHRP (SR, RV LSU-Shreveport (12-8), La.) [Bio]
Angela did not pitch in the Captains’ sweep of Texas College.

Thomas Armstrong, RHP (FR, Point Park University JV, Pa.) [Bio]
The team begins an 11-game schedule on Mar. 19.        

Marius Balandis, RHP (FR, Iowa Western Community College [6-2], Ia.) [Bio]
Balandis (1-0) recovered from a rough start last week to dominate Iowa Lakes CC, tossing five shutout frames, allowing only three singles and a double while striking out four. For the year, the Lithuanian native has a 4.82 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 9 1/3 frames, allowing batters a .216 average.

Matteo Bocchi, RHP (JR, No. 14 University of Texas [8-4], Tx.) [Bio]
Bocchi earned the mid-week start against Northwestern and was effectively wild, surrendering a single run on two hits, four walks, and a hit-by-pitch. The Italian right-hander struck out four, dropping his season ERA to 2.84.

Christian Bokich, RHRP (RS SR, Lee University [7-11], Tenn.) [Bio]
Bokich did not pitch this week, but as it turns out, he was recently a summer teammate with Nick Zouras, last week’s Co-Player of the Week.

Nolan Bond, RHP (JR, University of Houston [5-5], Tx.) [Bio]
Bond finally made his season debut on Tuesday and made it count, tossing 3 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings to allow Cougar bats to come-from-behind for the win. When Bond entered to start the fourth, Houston was down 3-0, but single runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh tied the game up before the Coogs walked off in the bottom of the ninth. The righty struck out three, allowing a walk and a hit batter, throwing 53 pitches.

 

Richard Brereton, UT-RHP (SO, Emory University [4-9], Ga.) [Bio]
The Eagles endured a rough week, losing all four of their games, but Brereton pitched superbly in the Eagles’ lone midweek contest, allowing only a solo homer as one of five hits and three walks. The righty whiffed seven in six frames. Brereton (1-3) pitched again on Sunday and took the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks, whiffing four. Brereton has struck out 28 and walked 11 in 25 innings (five starts) and is the only Emory pitcher to start more than three games. He has a mere .269 batting average against yet a .342 average on balls in play, suggesting his 5.40 ERA may be a bit high.

In four games in the lineup, two as the centerfielder, Brereton hit .267 (4-for-15) with five strikeouts, dropping his season line to .375/.434/.583. Of note is his .410 average against right-handers versus .222 when facing southpaws.

Martin Červinka, IF (FR, Wake Technical Community College [7-6], N.C.) [Bio]
Červinka started only three of the Eagles’ six games, all at the hot corner, and went 2-for-9 with five strikeouts and a walk. Still, the Czech native is a .296 hitter on the year, with an excellent .441 on-base percentage. Červinka has scored 10 runs in nine games and has stolen two bases.

Marek Chlup and Vojtěch Menšík, OF & IF (FR, North Carolina State University [10-2], N.C.)
Neither Czech has been placed on the roster yet and sources indicate to us that they may be starting in the autumn of 2019.

Josef Cihlář, RHP (FR, Odessa Junior College [7-10], Tx.) [Bio]
Cihlář had an uneven relief appearance on Friday, striking out three without walking a batter in his 3 2/3 innings, but allowing five runs, two earned, on four hits. The righty’s ERA is 8.22 on the season, though he has struck out eight in 7 2/3.

Cecil Comenencia, OF-C (SO, Reinhardt University [14-4], Ga.) [Bio]
Comenencia did not appear this week.

Nick Constantakos, RHP (SO, Charleston Southern University [5-7], S.C.) [Bio]
Constantakos (2-1) earned the win as the Buccaneers’ Friday starter, hurling five strong innings against the Citadel. The second-year starter scattered three hits and two walks, sending five down on strikes and lowering his ERA to 2.81. Constantakos’ WHIP is a mere 0.88 after three starts.

Conrad Cornell, OF (SO, Mercer University [9-2], Ga.) [Bio]
Mercer won all three of its games this week and Cornell appeared in all of the game, going 1-for-4 as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement. Though he struck out two times, he did steal a base. Cornell is 1-for-8 on the season.

Mikołaj Dąbrowski, RHP-IF (JR, Carnegie Schools-Riverside [2-0], Calif.) [Bio]
Carnegie-Riverside did not have any games this week.

Kevin Desmedt, RHP (SO, No. 18 University of Northwestern Ohio [13-10], Ohio) [Bio]
Desmedt made his season debut in an 11-1 victory over No. 20 Campbellsville University on Sunday, striking out a batter in a 1-2-3 inning to finish the game.

John Doxakis, RHP (SO, Texas A&M University [11-1], Tex.) [Bio]
Doxakis tossed 2 1/3 frames against Baylor on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks. While he did not strike out a batter, he did induce five groundball outs. The righty has a 1.17 ERA and 0.65 WHIP on the season and his bout with wildness over the weekend resulted in his first free passes of the season.

Max Draijer, IF (JR, Lewis-Clark State College [11-3], Ida.) [Bio]
Draijer started at shortstop in two of the Warriors’ four games and went 1-for-8 with a walk, a strikeout, and a run scored. On the season, he is a .235 hitter with a .350 on-base percentage.

Victor Draijer, OF (GR, Ouachita Baptist University [5-14], Ark.) [Bio]
Draijer went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in his only appearance this week, dropping his average to .200 in 10 games. Ouachita Baptist’s 5-4 win over Lyon College (Ark.) on Feb. 13 marked the first time this season two European nationals faced each other, as Lyon’s Brandon Giribaldie, a native of Willemstad, Curaçao played second and went 2-for-3 with a walk. The two clubs clash again on Mar. 20.

Antoine Duplantis, OF (JR, No. 16 Louisiana State University [8-4], La.) [Bio]
Duplantis, last week’s Four-Year Co-Player of the Week, picked up where he left off, stroking a .389 average (7-for-18), scoring five runs and driving in four. He drove in two runs via sacrifice flies and ripped a four-bagger for two more. A Swedish national teamer, Duplantis was walked four times, including once intentionally, struck out only twice, and was 1-for-2 on swipes. The draft prospect is hitting .362/.458/.532 this season, with a superb 10-to-5 K-BB ratio, and is the only Tiger to start all 12 games this season.

Luke Duris, RHP (JR, Haverford College [0-2], Penn.) [Bio]
Duris earned the start in the second game of the Fords’ Opening Day doubleheader and had an uneven performance, lasting 3 2/3 frames and allowing two runs, none earned, on two hits and five walks. The righty, who pitched for France in last summer’s Universiade, sent down one on strikes. Haverford received votes in Collegiate Baseball’s NCAA Division III preseason poll.

Cyprien Dussenne, RHP (SO, Crowder College [12-4], Mo.) [Bio]
Dussenne has yet to pitch this season.

Dominic Golubiewski, RHRP (SR, University of Dayton [1-7], Ohio) [Bio]
Golubiewski did not pitch in either of the Flyers’ blowout losses to No. 5 Arkansas, even when nine pitchers appeared during a game in which the weather was described as “Wet ‘n’ wild”.

Sammy Häckl, C (FR, Arizona Western College [13-8], Ariz.) [Bio]
Häckl appeared in only one of the Matadors’ four contest this week, going 0-for-4 with a walk and two Ks as the DH.

Daniel Harrington, RHRP (SO, Columbia University [1-7], N.Y.) [Bio]
Harrington appeared twice during the Lions’ trip to Tampa, debuting on Friday by allowing a run on two hits to close out a 13-1 loss. On Sunday, he secured the final two outs of a 13-6 loss, striking out a batter in each appearance.

Tobias Holmelund, 3B-1B-OF (FR, Potomac State College [4-4], W.V.) [Bio]
After making his university debut last week, Holmelund did not appear this week.

Lukas Holub, RHP (JR, Oklahoma Panhandle State University [8-13], Okla.) [Bio]
Holub did not appear this week. On Mar. 6 and Apr. 10, Holub’s Aggies will play a doubleheader against NW Oklahoma State, which features the Netherlands’s Jorin van Amstel.

Bart in den Kleef, C (JR, University of Redlands [10-3], Calif.) [Bio]
Redlands ran its winning streak to five with three victories this week, but in den Kleef did not appear after playing in four of the previous 10 contests.

Myles Janson, RHP-C (JR,John Carroll HS [0-0], Md.) [link]
Janson’s Patriots have one more exhibition this Wednesday before starting their regular season. Janson made his American debut last week with a scoreless frame.

Martin Kalabek, RHP (FR, Columbia College [8-4], Mo.) [Bio]
Kalabek did not appear this week.

Nick Kanavas, OF (RS-SR, Kent State University [6-3], Ohio) [Bio]
Kanavas extended his season-long hitting streak to nine and was 3-for-11 on the week, adding a double, walk, and three stolen bases. The Greek hopeful is hitting .366/.386/.415 on the season with five swipes.

Paul Kirkpatrick, RHP (SR, Western Kentucky University [5-7], Ky.) [Bio]
Last year’s Four-Year Pitcher of the Week followed his efforts up with another strong performance, though Kirkpatrick took an exceptionally unlucky loss against West Virginia. The finalist gave up five earned runs in 6 1/3, but only two were earned. Kirkpatrick surrendered only six hits and a hit batter, while striking out five. The Great Britain national teamer has been one of—if not the most valuable—pitcher for the Hilltoppers this season, with a 2.70 ERA and 0.83 ERA in 13 1/3 frames, limiting opposing batters to a .208 average and a single walk on the campaign.

Eli Lingos, LHP (SR, Arizona State University [6-6], Ariz.) [Bio]
Lingos (2-1) had, by far, his best start of the season on Saturday, tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing only one run on two hits and two walks. The southpaw sent down seven on strikes and needed only 76 pitches to earn the win. Lingos has a 3.63 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 17 1/3 frames and boasts an 18-to-5 K-BB ratio.

Martin Mužík, C-1B (SO, Wake Technical Community College [7-6], N.C.) [Bio]
Mužík, who has won every one of our Two-Year Player of the Week awards, is one of the hottest JuCo players in America. This week he was 10-for-18 with four doubles, two walks, and only one strikeout. He scored three runs, drove in two, and was 1-for-2 on stolen bases. Mužík appeared at catcher three times, first base twice, and had a bout as the Eagles’ DH. That herculean effort boosted his season line to .500/.542/.909 and he has K’d a since time in 48 plate appearances. He is 26^th in average in NJCAA I, though only one player above him has more at bats. Mužík is ranked No. 30 in OPS in NJCAA I, though only two of those players have more at bats.

Jan Nebenfuhr, RHP (FR, Arizona Western College [13-8], Ariz.) [Bio]
Nebenfuhr did not pitch this week.

Nick Niarchos, IF-RHP (JR, High Point University [5-6], N.C.) [Bio]
Niarchos made his season debut on the mound in a 10-0 loss to No. 10 North Carolina on Tuesday. The two-way player tossed a scoreless inning, throwing 12 pitches in a 1-2-3 frame and striking out one.

Martin Nicolay, C (FR, Averett University [3-13], Va.) [Bio]
Averett did not appear in any of the Cougars’ four contests this week and has yet to make his university debut.

Nick Pantos, RHP (FR, No. 20 Frederick Community College [4-0], Md.) [Bio]
Pantos did not play in the only game of the week for the Cougars.

Andrew Papantonis, IF (FR, No. 18 University of Virginia [8-4], Va.) [Bio]
On Wednesday, Cavalier pitching combined for an 11-inning no-hitter, the sixth no-no in UVA history. On Saturday, Papantonis made his university debut in ignominious fashion as he was plunked as a pinch hitter and came out of the game for a pinch runner.

Daniel Patrice, SS-P-1B (JR, Thiel College [0-2], Pa.) [Bio]
Thiel started its nine-game schedule at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers by dropping a doubleheader to Bluffton University. Patrice went 0-for-7 and had three errors as he converts to first base.

Hayden Platt, C (SR, Elon University [5-7], N.C.) [Bio]
Platt had a tough week, going 0-for-5 with a walk and a RBI as he has ceded time to freshman backstop Matt Oldham. A Preseason All-Conference Honourable Mention after a .311/.430/.557 line in 2017, Platt is hitting .179/.281/.214 this year.

Axel Poesmans, C (SR, Mid-American Christian University [14-7], Okla.) [Bio]
Poesmans had a tough week at the plate, going 2-for-16 with two RBI, though all of his safeties and ribbies came in the last game of seven. He excelled defensively, though, fielding 36 chances cleanly. He has a .985 fielding mark this year and has thrown out 21.7 percent of runners attempting to steal. Poesmans batting line as MACU’s starting catcher is .220/.255/.260.

Matthew Rienzi, RHP (SO, St. Joseph’s College-Brooklyn [0-0], N.Y.) [Bio]
Both of the Bears’ doubleheaders this past weekend were cancelled, so Tuesday marks the new season opener for SJC.

Gabriel Rincónes Jr, OF-RHP (HS JR, Plant High School [4-1], Fla.) [Bio]
Rincónes started all three of the Panthers’ games this week, going 2-for-8 with two walks and three RBI. Though he has yet to hit for extra bases, the Scottish high schooler has reached base at a .438 clip with a .250 average. Rincónes has struck out three times and walked in as many plate appearances in 16 trips to the plate.

Julian Rip, OF (SO, Hutchinson Community College [7-6], Kan.) [Bio]
Rip blasted his second home run of the year in the first game of the Blue Dragons’ Tuesday doubleheader, driving in three and adding two walks. After that 1-for-3 start to the week, he appeared in three of the other four games, but went 0-for-8 with two strikeouts. Rip has played mostly in right this season, but started one game in centre as well. His line overall sits at .143/.250/.476 and he has truck out in 10 of 21 at bats.

Tim Schaareman, SS (SR, Park University [6-5], Mo.) [Bio]
The Pirates had an exceptionally busy week, playing seven games, and Schaareman had an MVP-calibre week, hitting safely in all seven contests. Dating back to last season, the Dutch native has an eye-popping 23-game hitting streak. Schaareman did plenty of damage with those hits, going 12-for-28 (.429) with three doubles and a triple (.607 slugging) The shortstop scored eight runs, stole four bases, walked four times, and struck out seven times. In the field, he handled 29 chances with three errors, though all three came in one game. On the season, Schaareman is slashing .439/.520/.561.

Ari Sechopoulos, 1B (SO, College of Charleston [10-2], S.C.) [Bio]
The Courgars ran their winning streak to seven with five victories this week and Sechopoulos appeared in every game, though only two were as the starter. The first-sacker went 0-for-5 with two walks and a strikeout, lowering his average to .211/.400/.526.

Nolan Soliveres, C (SO, Hillsborough Community College [8-13], Fla.) [Bio]
Soliveres did not appear in HCC’s lone game this week.

Alex Sollecito, RHP-IF
No information is available for the younger of the Sollecito brothers.

Matteo Sollecito, RHP-SS-1B (JR, St. Peter’s Prep School [0-0], N.J.)
St. Peter’s begins its 2018 pre-season schedule on Mar. 9.

Bor Starc, OF (FR, Clarendon Community College [6-1], Tx.) [Bio]
Starc did not appear this week.

Joakim Svedheim, RHP (SO, Potomac State College [1-2], W.V.) [Bio]
Svedheim did not appear this week.

Thomas Triantos, LHP (SO, Cal Poly State University [5-7], Calif.) [Bio]
Triantos looked superb in a loss to San Jose State, spinning a pair of 1-2-3 innings and striking out two. The performance earned him his first start of the year and Triantos again looked good, throwing five shutout frames with two hits, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts, though the bullpen blew his lead in the bid for his first win of the season. The southpaw has appeared in four games this year and has an 0.93 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings.

Charles Tsintolas, C (SO, George Washington University [5-6], D.C.) [Bio]
After a 1-4 week to open the season, the Colonials had a 4-2 week, though Tsintolas did not appear.

Jorin van Amstel, DH-UT (JR, Northwestern Oklahoma State University [8-10], Okla.) [Bio]
Van Amstel has been off to a sizzling start, but after a huge game against Fort Hays St. (Kan.), the designated hitter cooled off for a weekend set with Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Overall, van Amstel was 3-for-15 (.200) with four strikeouts, doing all his damage in the midweek game, ripping a homer, double, and a single, driving in three, and scoring three times. Still, the Dutch native is slashing .361/.425/.556 in 2018.

Timo van Lingen, RHP (RS SO, Hutchinson Community College [7-6], Kan.) [Bio]
Van Lingen did not appear in any of the Blue Dragons’ three doubleheaders this week.

Dylan Verdonk, RHRP (SO, Seton Hall University [4-5], N.J.) [Bio]
Verdonk did not pitch this week or, indeed, this season.

Antoine Villard, RHP (FR, Arizona Western Community College [13-8], Ariz.) [Bio]
Villard got four outs in a 3-1 loss to South Mountain CC on Tuesday, sending down a pair on strikes, but gave up a run on two free passes and a hit. The French righty has struck out 10 in 6 2/3 with a 5.40 this year.

Frédéric Walter, 3B (FR, Seminole State College [5-6], Okla.) [Bio]
Astonishingly, the Trojans lost a 35-18 game on Thursday as part of a 2-3 week. Walter went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his only appearance of the week, lowering his average to .071 with three Ks in 14 at bats.

James Wood, LHP (JR, Concord University [4-5], W.V.) [Bio]
Wood has yet to appear this season.

Nick Zouras, C (JR, Illinois State University [5-4], Ill.) [Bio]
Zouras, our Four-Year Co-Player of the Week last time out, had a solid week, going 4-for-14 (.286) with two runs and four RBI. He struck out twice and drew a base on balls, though he committed an error in his only start behind the plate. For the season, the Greek hopeful is stroking the ball to the tune of a .390/.444/.585 line.

Coaches
Terrance Whittle, Head Coach (First Season, Stillman College [3-10], Ala.) [Bio]
The Tigers went 0-4 this week.

Previous editions of this feature include:
Week 2 [Link]