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Penguin baseball adds six as early signees
YOUNGSTOWN
Led by former Canfield catcher Jake Kucek and former Springfield pitcher Todd Kibby, the YSU baseball team added six players during the early signing period.
The others are infielders Jack Graham (Cranberry Township, Pa.), Matt Kurelja (Mifflinburg, Pa.) and Weston Weiss (Reynoldsburg) and pitcher Josh North (Barberton).
“We’re very excited to bring in this class that is full of good, solid, smart baseball players with a very good work ethic,” YSU coach Rich Pasquale. “We got better as a program with them coming in. I think all of these guys will contribute right away
Kibby was named the Vindicator’s Baseball Player of the Year in 2009 when he was a senior at Springfield High. That season he led the Tigers to their first trip to the state championship. He went 10-1 on the mound while batting .433 with two homers that season. Kibby signed with Bowling Green out of high school before playing at St. Petersburg College in Florida. Kibby was ranked 32nd on the Buckeye Scout’s Top 100 list in 2009.
“Todd is left-handed power arm who knows how to pitch,” Pasquale said. “He has an experienced arm, and he has a knack for getting hitters out.”
Kucek played at Southern Union Community College in Alabama and Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. At Canfield, Kucek was a two-time first-team all-conference player and helped lead the Cardinals to three straight conference titles. Canfield won the Division II state title in 2007, and Kucek was named the player of the game in the championship tilt. He was ranked 81st on the Buckeye Scout’s Top 100 list in 2009.
His father, Jack, pitched in the majors from 1974 to 1980 with the White Sox, Phillies and Blue Jays.
“Jake is very strong defensively behind the plate, and he has the ability to handle a pitching staff,” Pasquale said. “He has an impressive pop time, and he can shut down an opposing team’s running game. He can also come in with good velocity to close out games on the mound.”
Graham played primarily second base during his high school career at Seneca Valley High. He has earned two varsity letters in baseball while hitting .379 for his career. Graham also earned three letters in football and is an honor roll student.
Kurelja is a 6-foot-4 first baseman who hit .381 with two home runs and a .902 slugging percentage as a junior for Mifflinburg Area High.
North hit .303 with three home runs and two RBIs as Barberton’s starting shortstop. During the summer playing for the Summit County Vipers, he went 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA, two saves and 54 strikeouts in 46 innings on the mound. He was named to the United States Specialty Sports Association World Series first team.
Weiss hit .482 as a junior for the Raiders, and he has hit .413 overall during his prep career. Last year he was named first team All-Ohio Capital Conference and second-team all-district. Fourteen of his 45 hits were doubles, and he had 33 RBIs. As a sophomore, Weiss hit .400 and was a second-team all-conference pick.
The Penguins have also extended invitations to two more players who are expected to join the program as preferred walk-ons.