By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, Ohio---Michael Finch (Norwalk/Norwalk, Ohio), a sophomore LHP for the Owens Community College baseball team, has signed with Wheeling Jesuit University to continue his playing career.

Finch, who is in his third year at Owens after medically reshirting last season, is having a breakout year on the mound. In six games, he has posted a 1.80 ERA over 25 innings with 42 strikeouts. He is averaging 15.1 strikeouts per game, and he has posted strikeout totals of 11, 10 and nine in three of his six outings.

Prior to being injured last season, Finch was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three innings. He had also jumped out to a 7-for-17 (.412) start at the plate with six runs, two doubles, one RBI, six walks and two stolen bases over six games.

As a freshman, he only pitched 10.2 innings, but struck out 10. It was at the plate where he made his biggest impact. In 44 games, he hit .315 (39-for-124) with 21 runs, eight doubles, one home run, 17 RBI, six walks and nine stolen bases. He also hit .300 in conference play.

Prior to Owens, Finch earned First Team All-Northern Ohio League and Second Team All-Ohio honors at Norwalk (OH) High School.

Finch becomes the second baseball student-athlete to sign with a four-year school so far this year. He joins Zach Bobbitt (Oldham County/Oldham County, K.Y.), who signed with Cincinnati Christian University last week.

The Owens baseball team is currently 23-10 overall and 6-2 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play. They have won six straight, are only two games back of first place in the conference and will play conference leader Cuyahoga Community College next weekend to close the conference season. This weekend, however, the team will first play Lakeland Community College at 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Wheeling Jesuit University is an NCAA Division II school located in Wheeling, West Virginia. 

Notes

Finch also becomes the 13th student-athlete at Owens to sign with a four-year school so far this year. He joins Lakyn Gulley (NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University), Jacey Gray (NCAA Division I University of Detroit Mercy), Macy Reigelsperger (NCAA Division I University of Tennessee at Martin), Xavier Cochran (NCAA Division I University of Albany), Erika Hartings (NCAA Division II Francis Marion University), Bjion Campbell (NCAA Division II Saginaw Valley State University), Dilyn Good (NCAA Division II Walsh University), Cooper Huslig (NCAA Division II Northwood University), Deanna Smith (NAIA Shawnee State University), Taylor Purcell (NAIA Madonna University) and Lexi Williams (NAIA Ohio Christian University) and Zach Bobbitt (NAIA Cincinnati Christian University).