The work of Eastern baseball players in summer leagues is paying off and coach Jim Schmitz said this is proof that these players are improving.

Cameron Berra, Adam Clark, Joe Greenfield, Nick Priessman and Tyler Schweigert, members of Eastern’s baseball team made it to the all-star team of their respective summer leagues.

Schmitz, head coach of the baseball team, said after last season individual improvement was one of the keys to improving as a team.

“It’s exciting to see the five or six guys working hard to develop and get better, so it says they are definitely trying to improve and if they do that and if everybody improves a little bit then we will be better as a team,” he said.

Schmitz said after last season’s record (18-33) it was clear that the team needed to work on their personal improvement.

“We talked about as a team we needed to get better, obviously they had a disappointing season, so summer league baseball is where they get to play a lot of games and develop,” Schmitz said. “Development is something we really push.”

He said he is pleased with this accomplishment because there are numerous teams in various leagues and this makes it more difficult for players to stand out. Schmitz said this development indicates that the programs recruiting is working and the players are improving.

Schmitz said that each league is different in how they decide who makes the all-star roster and it is probably done by the coaches voting on who should make the all-star team.

He said assistant coach Jason Belk is responsible for getting the players placed on their summer league teams, and it is a great deal of work and time spent on the phone. The work at placing players on summer leagues is accomplished the fall before they are to play on a summer league.

Cameron Berra, catcher and outfielder, said it is an honor to be named to the all-star team of St. Louis Area Collegiate League.

“It’s always pretty cool to be named an all-star and to be kind of like one of the top players in the league,” he said. “Also you get to play with and against the best players.”

Berra said he played on all-star teams in high school, but it is different than playing at the college level because at the high school level it is a lot of traveling and playing in tournaments.

He said on his all-star team there are two players for each potion and nine pitchers, one for each inning and one reserve.

He said he thinks he was named because he has been hitting well.

Marcus Smith can be reached at 581-7942

or masmith6@eiu.edu

Sophomore infielder Ryan Dineen sets himself to throw to first base during a game against Murray State Apr. 23 at Coaches Stadium. Dineen was named to the all-star squad for the Valley Baseball League, and the Valley Baseball League’s Southern Division Pl

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