Whiting, Ind. – June 14, 2020 – Ahead of their first season in the Midwest Collegiate League, the MCL Minutemen have announced the first 18 additions to their inaugural roster. With manager Jack Murphy at the helm, opening day is set for July 4 at Oil City Stadium against the Northwest Indiana Oilmen.
Joe Pruesser (Orland Park, Ill./Lewis) joins the Minutemen following an abbreviated first season at Lewis University. A Chicago-native rising senior, he played his high school baseball at Brother Rice before spending his first two collegiate seasons at South Suburban College. There, he was a staple in the outfield and at the top of the Bulldogs lineup. He held a .305 batting average in 50 games as a sophomore with two home runs, 22 runs batted in, 50 hits, 50 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Pruesser hit .302 with a .457 on-base percentage in 11 games last spring at Lewis before the rest of the season was shut down.
Cade Turner (Frankfort, Ill./UIS) graduated from Lincoln-Way East and will pitch for the Minutemen ahead of his freshman year at Illinois-Springfield. He was ranked as the 235th best prospect and 76th best RHP in the state of Illinois according to Prep Baseball Report. A member of the Cangelosi Sparks travel team, Turner logged 12 1/3 innings with a 1-0 record and a save as a junior at LWE.
Ryan Troxel (Valparaiso, Ind./St. Xavier) recently finished his freshman year at St. Xavier University, where he is teammates with Oilmen infielder Joe Rycerz. The 6-foot-2 right-hander took the mound three times with one start for the Cougars in the spring, pitching eight innings with eight strikeouts and one save. In 2019, he was the staff ace at Valparaiso High School under head coach Todd Evans.
Jacob Frencl (Frankfort, Ill./Southeastern CC) attended Lincoln-Way East alongside Cade Turner before attending Southeastern Community College last year. He worked 2/3 of an inning and did not allow an earned run in his first appearance for the Blackhawks, his only collegiate outing so far.
Cole Anderson (Homewood, Ill./Maryville) finished his senior year at Chicago Catholic League powerhouse St. Laurence this spring. The 6-foot-3 lefty signed to continue his baseball career at Maryville University where he’ll play for the Saints in the Division-II Great Lakes Conference beginning with the 2020-2021 academic and athletic year.
Mike Bolton Jr. (Calumet City, Ill./Purdue) returns to the MCL after an all-star 2019 season with the Northwest Indiana Oilmen. A three-year letterwinner at Brother Rice High School, he batted .367 and stole 55 bases over his final two seasons with the Crusaders, garnering First Team All-Catholic League honors. Bolton made nine appearances for Purdue in a shortened spring, picking up his first collegiate hit, a double, against Western Kentucky on March 8.
Local product Nick Fies (Munster, Ind./South Suburban CC) makes his way to the Minutemen after his freshman year at South Suburban Community College. He made 11 appearances for the Bulldogs before the season was shut down. Before that, he was a member of the Munster High School baseball team under head coach Bob Shinkan.
Ryan Missal (Lowell, Ind./Western Michigan) will patrol the Minutemen outfield ahead of his senior year at Western Michigan. An All-State honoree at Lowell High School, he had seen his playing time increase steadily over his first three seasons of collegiate baseball. Missal appeared in nine games with two starts in an abridged 15-game season.
Matthew Lelito (St. John, Ind./Kankakee CC) looks to make an impact both at the plate and on the mound for the Minutemen in 2020. A two-time state champion at Indiana powerhouse Andrean High School, he became a vital cog in the Kankakee Community College lineup last spring. Lelito batted .286 and tossed a scoreless inning in his six games for the Cavaliers.
Christian Pena (Davenport, Iowa/Eastern Illinois) is set to spend his final season of collegiate summer baseball with the Minutemen before he returns to Eastern Illinois for an extra year of eligibility. Following his transfer from Indian Hills Community College where he was named a First Team All-American, he had an instant impact at the Division I level. Pena started all 51 games as a junior, leading the Panthers with a .381 batting average and was a First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. He was named to the Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team and started 13 games in 2020 before the season was shut down.
Tyler Struck (Orland Park, Ill./Valparaiso) continues his stay in the region, making the short trip to play for the Minutemen from Valparaiso. He was ranked as the 93rd best prospect and 11th best catcher in Illinois in 2019 according to Perfect Game, helping Providence Catholic High School to a regional championship as a senior. In addition to his baseball accolades, he was also a member of National Honor Society and an Illinois state scholar.
Brad Miller (Oak Forest, Ill./UIS) heads to the MCL following a storied high school career at Oak Forest High School. He earned all-conference honors in his junior and senior seasons with an all-area honorable mention in 2019. Miller slashed .354/.462/.517 over his four years with the Bengals, leading them to a regional championship in 2017. COVID-19 shut down his freshman season at Illinois-Springfield before he was able to take the field.
Ryan McCoy (Frankfort, Ill./Wabash Valley JC) finished his senior year at Lincoln-Way East, along with Cade Turner and Jacob Frencl, before suiting up for the Minutemen. A utility player, McCoy has spent time at catcher, corner infield, corner outfield, and pitcher over his time in high school. He is set to attend Wabash Valley Junior College in the fall.
Brendan Collins (Lemont, Ill./UW-Parkside) looks to play a pivotal role in the Minutemen infield this summer. A St. Laurence High School grad, he never suited up for the Vikings baseball team, opting to play for travel team Hitters Baseball instead. After redshirting his first year in Parkside, Collins was set to suit up for the Rangers before the season was cut short.
Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Northern Illinois), another 2019 Midwest Collegiate League all-star, returns to the league, this time as a Minuteman. He finished first among qualified Oilmen hitters last season with a .368 batting average, mixing in two home runs, 27 RBIs, a .463 on-base percentage, and a .489 slugging percentage. Peters appeared in seven games for the Huskies this spring, including a two-hit performance against Boston College on Feb. 15.
Lukas Broske (West Bend, Wis./Lake Land) concluded his high school career at West Bend high school before taking the field for the Minutemen. A 6-foot-4, 205-pound corner infielder, Broske signed with Lake Land College and will enroll for the 2020-2021 academic and athletic year.
Brothers Brandon Laux (Frankfort, Ill./Kirkwood CC) and Tyler Laux (Frankfort, Ill./Prairie View A&M) join forces in the Midwest Collegiate League again this summer. Teammates on the Northwest Indiana Oilmen in 2019, the duo hopes to build on a productive summer with the league’s newest team. While Brandon appeared in five games, starting two, compiling 18 1/3 innings a year prior, Tyler made just two appearances, amassing 4 1/3 innings. Brandon pitched in two games in the spring at Kirkwood Community College in the spring, not allowing a single run or hit over 2 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Tyler made four starts for Prairie View A&M, going at least six innings in every outing.