Alumni Roundup: Week Nine

April 16, 2024

We continue to check up on our college and pro alums in week nine of our alumni roundup. More impressive performances took place last week and this past weekend, which included accolades and record book showings.

Here’s a look into how our Tier alums did from April 8-April 14:

Tier Alum of the Week

Colin Summerhill (Northern Illinois) is chasing records in his senior season as a Huskie. This past week, Summerhill homered six times putting him at a season total of 15. That very number ties the NIU single-season record set by Mike Santoro in 2003.

Summerhill went 3-for-3 in the finale against Illinois on Sunday and drove in four. Despite the series loss, the Huskies posted a total of 22 runs in the three-game set. Summerhill is a 2020 high school grad out of Loyola Academy. He came to Top Tier in his 12U season in 2014. After a couple seasons at Triton CC, Summerhill had a stop at Troy before landing in Dekalb for his senior year.

With NIU opening up a five-game homestand starting Wednesday, April 17, Summerhill will have a chance to set the single-season record at the confines of his home turf.

Notable Performances

Graham Mastros (Saint Louis) continues to put together a great freshman season. This past week, Mastros had a total of six hits, four RBI and a homer. This all contributed to a 4-0 week for the Billikens. He’s hitting .321 which is among the Top-25 in the A-10. For the second time this season, Mastros was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week.


Lucas Spence (SIU-E) is now hitting .401 for the Cougars after a 7-for-18 week. He hit two homers in a series against Eastern Illinois this past weekend. He leads the SIUE team in average, total bases and slugging percentage. The former Blackhawk College standout is having a stellar junior season in Edwardsville.


Sam Antonacci (Coastal Carolina) collected seven hits on the week including a homer against Georgia Southern. He swiped two bags in the series win against the Eagles. Antonacci is hitting .409 and is the leadoff hitter for a No. 20-ranked Coastal Carolina squad.

Nick Giamarusti (Ohio State) helped the Buckeyes to a 2-1 week. His biggest contribution came against Iowa on Friday. He tallied two hits, one of which left the yard, and knocked in two. He also stole a base in the Friday opener bringing his season total to nine stolen bases. If the season ended today, Ohio State would make the Big Ten tournament. They have a 5-4 Big Ten record and a 17-15 overall record.

 

The Arizona Wildcats are rolling right now, and a large part of that is because of two Top Tier alums. Brendan Summerhill is hitting .346 and had yet another great week. He collected six hits beginning with a Monday contest at Stanford. He helped lift the Wildcats to a sweep over Louisiana Tech over the weekend. He had a pair of doubles in the opener on Friday along with a triple.

Jackson Kent is also a massive contributor to Arizona’s recent surge. He’s been nothing short of a true ace. On Friday night, Kent threw seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball. He allowed just five baserunners and struck out nine. In every way, Kent has embodied the definition of an ace and has the Cats rolling on Friday nights more times than not.


Vytas Valincius (Illinois) nearly hit for the cycle in a midweek against Illinois State. On Tuesday, April 9, Valincius fell a triple short of the cycle while collecting all other necessary requirements. He drove in four en route to a Fighting Illini win.


Khyle Radcliffe (Southern) had three hits and three RBI in a sweep over Grambling State. Radcliffe, former Tier Alum of the week, continues to be one of the top hitters in the SWAC.

Blake Wright (Clemson) and the Tigers slipped up a bit last week dropping three of four but rebounded in the Sunday finale against NC State. Wright tallied six hits over the week and homered against the Wolfpack. He’s hitting .314 on the season, and despite a long week, they’ll look to bounce back against Charlotte and Pittsburgh.

Daniel Pacella (Illinois State) had five hits last week and improved his average to .358. Pacella continues to be a bright spot in the Redbirds lineup day in and day out.

Nick Monile (Niagara) is continuing to put together a great freshman season. The Purple Eagles swept Mount St. Mary’s this weekend, and Monile had four hits including a long ball and triple in the series. He knocked in two runs, as well.

Colin Husko (Dubuque) has collected 14 hits in his last six games, adding a few doubles in that span. He’s upped his average to .387 and has brought his stolen base total to 16 while only striking out 13 times so far this season.

Aidan Miller (Clearwater Threshers) hit his first pro homer on Thursday, April 11. He’s hitting .286 with a total of eight hits and six RBI. He’s swiped five bags in seven games.

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