By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---The Express baseball program has five more players moving on to four-year schools from their 2011-12 sophomore class.
Ryan Hotmer, a 1B/RHP from Lake HS in Millbury, OH, will attend Saginaw Valley State University, Daniel Heatherly, a RHP/IF from Trenton HS in Trenton, MI, will attend Adrian College, Jeff Davis, a RHP from St. Francis HS in Toledo, OH will attend Adrian College, Michael Louis, an OF from Normandy HS in Parma, OH, will attend the University of Findlay, and Clayton Ruch, a RHP/OF from Eastwood HS in Pemberville, OH, will attend Wayne State University.
Hotmer hit a team-high .329 this past season while adding 15 runs, 14 doubles, one triple, 18 walks and 24 RBIs. In his two-year career, he hit .348 with 33 runs, 81 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 44 RBIs. While getting a team-high 48 hits his sophomore year, he started 76 games for the Express over the last two years.
On the mound, Hotmer registered a 3.86 ERA this past year while appearing in six games. In 9.1 innings pitched, he allowed six hits, four runs and six walks while striking out three. In his two-year career, he was 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA while allowing 17 hits, seven runs and 10 walks in 23 innings pitched. He struck out 16 and recorded two saves in his Express career.
Saginaw Valley State University is an NCAA D-II school that competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). They were 26-26 overall last year.
Heatherly was fourth on the team in batting average this past year at .273, while leading the team in RBIs with 26. He added 27 runs, 36 hits, eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 10 walks. In his two-year career, he hit .281 with 38 runs, 48 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 38 RBIs.
On the mound, Heatherly finished with a 1-0 record and an 8.59 ERA this past year with five strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. In his two years with the Express, he was 2-1 with a 7.56 ERA in 15 appearances and struck out 16 in 16.2 innings pitched.
Davis went 1-3 with an 11.48 ERA this past year in 13.1 innings, but compiled a 2-4 record with a 6.27 ERA in his two-year career. He struck out 26 in 33 innings in his two years with the Express.
Adrian College competes at the NCAA D-III level. They finished 37-10 last year with a 24-4 record in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Their season ended with a loss in the NCAA D-III Mideast Regional.
Louis hit .214 this past year with 16 runs, 22 hits, five doubles, one triple, one home run, eight walks and 11 RBIs. In his two-year career, he hit .211 with 24 runs, 32 hits, seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 14 walks and 22 RBIs.
The University of Findlay is an NCAA D-II school that also competes in the GLIAC. They finished 20-29 overall last year and 13-23 in the GLIAC.
Clayton Ruch, the submariner who set the single season saves record in his only year with the Express after transferring from Cleveland State, compiled a team-best 1.93 ERA and seven saves despite an 0-2 record. He allowed only eight hits, five runs (three earned) and seven walks while striking out 13 over 14 innings pitched.
At the plate, Ruch hit .215 with 11 runs, 20 hits, two doubles, one triple, 15 walks and 10 RBIs in 79 at bats.
Wayne State is also an NCAA D-II school that competes in the GLIAC. They finished 34-21 overall last season and 21-13 in the GLIAC.
The five signings mean that a total of nine sophomore from this past year's team will play at the four-year level. Jordan Basinger (Siena Heights), Chris Ward (Grand Valley State), Andrew Joseph (Northwood University, MI), and Joe Sickler (University of Findlay) previously announced their decisions.