Gov. Mifflin’s Tyler Minick is UECU Player of the Week
Tyler Minick is the catalyst in Gov. Mifflin’s high-scoring lineup. He bats leadoff and usually gets things started, as he did last week in an early Berks League Division I showdown at Exeter.
After missing two games with a back strain, Minick returned to the lineup and hit the first pitch of the game for a double, igniting the Mustangs to a 6-3 win that kept them unbeaten and on top in the division.
He batted .700 for for the week in leading the Mustangs to three wins and earning Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week honors.
Facing Exeter’s Devin Sheerin, one of the toughest pitchers in the league, Minick went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
Two days later, in a 4-0 win over Fleetwood in the Berks County High School Showcase at Owls Field, Minick went 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.
He helped the Mustangs reach 13-0 by going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs in an 8-1 win at Carlisle Saturday.
For the week Minick went 7-for-10 with two extra-base hits, two RBIs, six runs scored and four stolen bases.
In 10 games this season Minick is batting .467 with 16 runs scored and 13 RBIs. He has homered three times.
Mifflin coach Chris Hole calls Minick a game-changer.
“Tyler works hard at all facets of his game,” said Hole. “He’s probably best known for what he does with the bat, but he runs so well, he has a great arm, great instincts, fielding ability. Tyler has the total package.”
Minick committed to play at the University of Connecticut after earning All-Berks honors as a sophomore.
He he batted .376 last year and scored a team-leading 28 runs in 28 games as the Mustangs went 21-7, won the league championship, reached the District 3 Class 6A final and made the PIAA Tournament. He drove in 21 runs and stole 20 bases.
Minick did most of his damage last season with a bum shoulder, injured on a slide against Muhlenberg April 26. He had to stop pitching — he had been 2-1 with an 0.98 ERA and 21 strikeouts over 21 innings before that — and had to stop playing the field.
His arm is sound this season, and he’s back in the field and on the mound. In four starts he’s 2-0 with an 0.88 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 16 innings.
Minick left Mifflin’s game April 13 vs. Reading High with a strained back. He sat out games against Garden Spot and Boyertown.
Minick is the fourth Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week for 2022 Berks baseball season, and the first from Gov. Mifflin. Teammate Alexander Velez was selected as Pitcher of the Week.
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 nominated for Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week:
- Chris Avram, Berks Catholic
- Brady Hannahoe, Exeter
- Luke Bensinger, Hamburg
- Nate Gilbert, Kutztown
- Cameron Burr, Muhlenberg
- Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
- Drew Campbell, Schuylkill Valley
- Nate Koenig, Wyomissing
Previously selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week:
- April 4: Kevin Lawlor, Berks Catholic
- April 11: Conner Licklider, Hamburg
- April 18: Luke Weller, Exeter
