The 2020 Kalamazoo Growlers Season will feature the return of two players to the organization. Adam Wheaton and Jake Topolski will return to Homer Stryker Field this summer.

 

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RHP Adam Wheaton, 6’1”, (R/R) Junior, Trine University (NCAA- Division III)

Wheaton, a Kalamazoo native, will be in his third year with the Growlers organization. Over the course of his 2019 summer, the righty made nine starts and 11 total appearances with a 3.48 ERA. He amassed 62 innings, striking out 46 while only allowing 15 walks. One of Wheaton’s highlight performances came June 3 in a 3-0 victory over the Rockford Rivets in which Wheaton threw a four-hit, complete game shutout.

A starter in all of his 11 appearances for Trine University in 2019, Wheaton threw three complete games and led the team in innings pitched (58.1), strikeouts (61) and ERA by a starter (3.09). He finished 4-4 in his decisions and walked 13 batters all season.

During the 2018 summer, Wheaton appeared in 11 games, starting seven. He sat at a 3-3 record, throwing 31 K’s and a 3.69 ERA in 48.2 innings. Wheaton’s older brother, Ben, also donned a Growlers jersey at the same position.

Wheaton attended Hackett Central Catholic High School and earned the 2017 Kalamazoo Gazette Baseball Players of the Year honor during his senior year. He threw 68 innings, striking out 114 and only allowing three earned runs. 

 

INF Jake Topolski, 6’0”, (R/R) Sophomore, Duke University

Over the course of last summer, Topolski hit .227 over 58 regular season games. He collected 41 totals hits, including five doubles and three home runs, 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He walked 25 times and was hit by pitches on three occasions to bring his summer on-base percentage to .330. Defensively, Topolski was used primarily in the middle infield while also making a few starts at third base.

Topolski redshirted for Duke in 2019 and after the first series of this season, Topolski was used as a pinch-runner and scored in a 9-8 win over Army.

A Medford, N.J. native, Topolski was a three-sport athlete at Lenape High School in New Jersey playing baseball, football and basketball. He was the 2018 Courier Post Male Athlete of the Year. On the diamond, Topolski was ranked the number four shortstop in New Jersey and number 43 overall prospect by Perfect Game, while also being among Perfect Game’s Top 500 overall prospects. He hit .360 with 27 hits, seven home runs and 22 RBIs in his senior season and was a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.

 

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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26^th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Stars Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.growlershbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.