All-Star Baseball Academy
SOL Player of the Week
for week ending May 3, 2014
(Players are selected by nomination of coaches as well as
SuburbanOneSports.com’s baseball writers based on their
performance the preceding week with the final selection
made by SuburbanOneSports.com’s baseball writers.)
Kyle Irwin, Senior, Upper Moreland High School
The senior leadoff hitter was 4-for-7 last week (.571) with a double, home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in a pair of Upper Moreland wins. He is hitting over .400 for the season and has averages over a stolen base a game. Even more important than his offensive production was his defensive performance in those two wins. The senior shortstop turned a double play that prevented a potentially big inning in the Golden Bears’ 1-0 win over Upper Dublin. His glove has been the glue in the Golden Bears’ infield.
Note from the coach:
“Offensively, he started out as our two hitter but has shown he’s definitely the best at the top of the lineup,” coach Ernie Rehr said. “He just seems to make really good decisions. When he’s on the base paths, he and I are on the same page. I think he gets a lot of that from his father, who’s our assistant coach. He has taught him really, really well. There’s a certain savviness about him on the base paths.
“Last year he was a starter and contributor, but this year – I think he looked around and didn’t see Robert Knox and didn’t see Matt Kohn and said ‘Wow, I’m that guy now.’ It took him a game or two, but ever since then, he’s brought his game up to a different level and certainly an elite level at the shortstop position that we haven’t seen for a long time. He’s playing absolutely fantastic.
“Defensively is where I feel as a coach he has made such an improvement. The biggest compliment I could give him or anyone is that he absolutely makes other players around him better defensively. We had to make a switch at second base, and we went with a senior who hasn’t played in our program for three years, and they’ve turned more double plays this year than I think the last two seasons combined. He’s just making the other players around him better.
“There have been at least three games this year where he has made plays that have changed the dynamic of the game. Last week we played Upper Dublin in a one-run game, and if you look at the stat sheet, you say, ‘Boy, Eddie Decker really made the game.’ Not taking anything away from Eddie Decker – he pitched great and knocked in the only run, but there was a double play made by Kyle that I would say most shortstops have no business making the play. He came up with it and made a stellar play, and without that, I would say they have a huge inning. We were figuring we were lucky to get one, and he ended up making two. There have been games where he changes the dynamic and the tone of the game because of a play he’s made.
“When he’s on a base, you can almost assume he’s going to get to the next base in some way. That changes the dynamic of how we can approach the game. It’s just been a huge lift for us.”
About Kyle:
Best memory playing baseball: Playing for the state championship last year at Penn State University.
Part of the game I enjoy most: Playing the field
My role model is: Chase Utley
Music on iPod: Country and Pop
Favorite food: Ribs
Favorite class: Math
Future plans: Heading to West Chester to earn a degree and after that land a successful job.
Four people I’d invite to a dinner party: They may not be considered famous, but if I could have four people at a dinner party, it would be my mom, dad, sister and mom mom.
SuburbanOneSports.com Honor Roll:
Cole Creighton, Neshaminy, threw five innings in a pair of games to earn wins over both Bensalem (11-1) and William Tennent (5-2), allowing a total of six hits and two runs (one earned) while walking two and striking out 12. At the plate, he was 2-for-3 and reached base seven times in eight plate appearances, contributing one RBI and scoring four runs. He drew four walks and was hit by a pitch.
Eddie Decker, Upper Moreland, threw a complete game shutout in the Golden Bears’ 1-0 win over Upper Dublin. He struck out nine and walked four, and he also had an RBI single to drive in the game’s only run.
John Fitz, Central Bucks West, allowed just two hits in a complete game 2-0 win over Central Bucks East. Of his 95 pitches, 65 went for strikes.
Blake Gular, Souderton, was 4-for-7 (.571 average) in Souderton’s wins over Hatboro-Horsham and Central Bucks West. The sophomore standout had three triples – all against CB West – as well as a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Gular is hitting .371 for the season.
Greg Paprocki, Council Rock South, contributed with his arm and his bat in the Golden Hawks’ 10-0 win over Truman, tossing a four-hit shutout while striking out nine in the abbreviated six-inning game. He also had two hits and two RBIs.
Calvin Salazar, Cheltenham, allowed five hits and struck out seven en route to a complete game win in the Panthers’ 3-2 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh. With the win, he upped his record to 6-0 in SOL games, and his earned run average remains under 1.00.
Tyler Shoultes, Pennridge, was 7-for-9 (.778 average) in Pennridge’s wins over Quakertown and Central Bucks West. Included were three doubles with three runs scored and four RBIs.
J.T. Vaughan, Norristown, returned from a five-week layoff due to a sprained elbow and went the distance to lead the Eagles to their first win, a 4-2 victory over Upper Dublin. He allowed just two hits and one earned run while walking four and fanning 10.
Eric Wesolowski, Pennridge, earned a pair of wins in relief, allowing just one unearned run in 7.1 innings of action against Central Bucks West and Quakertown. He entered the Rams’ 10-6 win over CB West in the first inning and allowed just one unearned run in six innings. For the week, he allowed just five hits while fanning eight and walking one.
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