Issue date: 6/30/09 Section: Sports

Junior pitcher Josh Mueller is one of several Panthers competing NCAA-sanctioned wood-bat leagues. Mueller is playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Wareham Gateman. (file photo)

For a majority of the players returning to Eastern for the 2010 season, the end of the Panther's season over a month ago did not signal the end organized baseball for the summer.

A number of players will be competing in NCAA-sanctioned summer wood-bat leagues for the next few months. The athletes will be playing for teams as far away as New England and Texas, as well as for teams in the Chicagoland area.

Junior Josh Mueller will be pitching for the Wareham Gateman of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Mueller went 8-1 for the Panthers this year, on his way to earning All-region honors.

Junior Pitcher Matt Miller and senior outfielder Curt Restko will also be playing far from home; the two are teammates on the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League.

Three players will be staying more local, competing in the Prospect League (formerly the Central Illinois Collegiate League); pitcher Richie Derbak and catcher Ben Thoma are with the Quincy Gems, and infielder Cam Strang will be playing with the Richmond RiverRats. For this year, the Prospect League expanded from four to 12 teams.

Five players are competing in the Chicago area in the Chicago Suburban League. Infielder Zach Borenstein, Pitcher Mike Recchia, and catcher Gerik Wallsten will all suit up for the Lombard Orioles. Pitcher Mike Martin is with the Melrose Indians, and infielder Brad Schweigert is playing for the Crestwood Panthers.

Eastern recruit Brent McNeil, who signed a national letter of intent in the fall, will also be in action this summer. The junior-college transfer is pitching for the Grand Lake Mariners, in Ohio's Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.

In unrelated baseball news, another Panther recruit, shortstop Ryan Dineen, was a member of the 2009 Indiana Class 3A State Champion team at Andrean High School. Dineen aided the team in the win by going 3 for 3 with a double and a triple in the championship game.

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