UECU Player of the Week: Tyler Minick of Gov. Mifflin

By Mike Drago Last updated May 16, 2023

Before he stepped into the batter’s box for the first time as a senior Tyler Minick had already established himself as one of the best baseball players in Gov. Mifflin history.

He’s only added to that legacy this season, especially in the early stages of the postseason where he’s put on a power show to lead the Mustangs to the Berks Baseball League championship game.

Minick hit an inside-the-park homer in a 12-0 opening-round win over Brandywine Heights and added a pair of solo blasts in a 9-7 semifinal victory over Fleetwood at FirstEnergy Stadium. He went 4-for-5 with six runs scored and five RBIs in two games last week to earn Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week honors.

“He’s a special athlete,” said Mifflin coach Chris Hole of the 2022 Berks Player of the Year. “He does so much for our team.”

In 20 games, Minick has scored 30 runs and gone 21-for-21 in stolen base attempts. He’s batting .462, slugging .981 and has an OPS of 1.554, more than double the league average.

He shares the league lead in homers with Brandywine Heights’ Joe Crist, shares the league lead in runs scored with teammate Bryce Detwiler, is second to Muhlenberg’s Cam Burr (22) in steals and second to Exeter’s Deven Sheerin in slugging percentage (1.056).

Minick was Berks Player of the Year as a junior when he stole a team-leading 11 bases (in 12 attempts) and scored a team-high 28 runs (in just 73 plate appearances). He increased his on-base percentage by 135 points over his sophomore season and nearly doubled his slugging percentage, from .588 to 1.018.

He had a 1.634 OPS.

“He knows how to square up a baseball, and that’s come from a lot of reps,” Hole said. “There’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes. He’s just a true athlete. He runs well, and he’s got great agility.”

This is Minick’s first Player of the Week selection this season, and the fourth for the Mustangs. He was selected twice last season. Players considered for Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.

Also considered for Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week:

Christian Eckstein, Daniel Boone
Bryce Detwiler, Gov. Mifflin
Nick Hugo, Kutztown
Gio Cavanna, Muhlenberg
Sean Rosenberry, Muhlenberg
Josh Zolty, Twin Valley
Nick Fiorini, Wilson
Tommy Hunsicker, Wilson

Selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week this season:

April 3: Bryce Detwiler, Gov. Mifflin
pril 10: Alex Kelsey, Exeter
April 17: Bryce Detwiler, Gov. Mifflin
April 24: Joe Crist, Brandywine Heights
May 1: Alexander Velez, Gov. Mifflin
May 8: Cameron Burr, Muhlenberg
May 15: Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin

Selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week last season:

April 4: Kevin Lawlor, Berks Catholic
April 11: Conner Licklider, Hamburg
April 18: Luke Weller, Exeter
April 25: Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin
May 2: Tyler Minick, Gov. Mifflin
May 9: Luke Weller, Exeter
May 16: Kenay Rodriguez, Muhlenberg
May 23: Cam Burr, Muhlenberg