Baseball

Joliet, Ill. – June 14, 2020 – The Joliet Generals have announced 11 position player additions and six returning players to the roster for the 2020 Midwest Collegiate League season. 

Bryan Fox (Roosevelt), Zach Farris (Tusculum) and Michael Bieterman (Roosevelt) will combine forces as newcomers behind the plate. Corey Vondra (Aurora University), Jack Enright (Loras College) and Michael Vaca (Triton College) will serve as additions to the outfield. Eddie Lovell (Belmont), Anson Wright (Northwood University), Brandon Micetich (Eastern Illinois), Daniel Gutierrez (Chicago State) and Thomas Schroeder (Triton College) reinforce the General infield.

Returning Generals

Ben Jung (Wisconsin Oshkosh) returns for his third season with the Generals as an outfielder. The Downers Grove, Ill. native led the 2019 Generals in batting average (.418) and tied for the lead in OBP (.515) among qualified hitters on the team in 14 games. Jung finished third on the Generals in stolen bases (eight) and was not caught stealing during the 2019 campaign. Jung hit .273 with one home run and five RBIs in 2018. The speedster also participates in track & field at Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Rocco Pascente (Marshall) returns for his second season as a catcher for the Generals. The Aurora, Ill. native hit .247 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in the 2019 campaign. Pascente caught 149 1/3 innings for the Generals in 22 games.

Connor Olson (Elgin Community College) begins his second season with the Generals in 2020 and a middle infielder and outfielder. Olson slashed .366/.446/.479 in 2019 in 19 games last summer.

Jack Howard (Webber International) looks to complete a full 2020 season with the Generals after appearing twice in 2019. The Plainfield, Ill. native will earn time as a first baseman for the Generals in 2020. 

Jack Ferraro (Triton College) returns in the middle of the infield and outfield for the Generals in 2020. The LaGrange, Ill. native earned the slash line .301/.418/384 in 18 games in 2019. Ferraro had a fielding percentage of .960 while appearing 16 times in the outfield and recorded 10 putouts on all 10 opportunities on July 3 against the DuPage County Hounds.

Bryant Diel (University of Northwestern Ohio) returns for his second season with the Generals, this time as an outfielder and first baseman. The South Elgin, Ill. native appeared in 24 Generals games as an outfielder in 2019, hitting two home runs, driving in 18 and batting .267. Diel stole seven basses without being caught in 2019. 

New Generals

Fox joins the Generals following his sophomore year at Roosevelt. The Homer Glen, Ill. native appeared in seven games in the 2020 season, turning in a slash line of .286/.357/.412.

Farris recently announced his commitment to Tusculum University following a season at Elgin Community College. Farris hit .276 with seven RBI in 27 games. Farris ranked 34th in the NJCAA in runners caught stealing with nine.

Bieterman appeared in five games in the 2020 season for Robert Morris (Ill.), which since merged with Roosevelt. The Wood Dale, Ill. native hit .313 in those five games. Bieterman has also spent time at Southern Illinois, Heartland Community College and Abilene Christian. Bieterman will serve as a utility man in addition to his duties behind the plate.

Vondra hit .257 with eight RBIs while starting 11 games in the 2020 season with Aurora. The Downers Grove, Ill. native spent his freshman and sophomore campaigns at College of DuPage, where he led the Chaparrals in RBIs (35) and played in all but one game in 2019.

Enright appeared in four games for Loras College in his 2020 sophomore season. The Chicago, Ill. native will spend time in the outfield for the Generals.

Vaca spent his freshman season at Triton College in 2020. The native of Bartlett, Ill. was named to an all-conference team and earned Bartlett High School’s MVP award following the 2019 season. Vaca will spend time on the mound in addition to his time in the outfield for the 2020 Generals.

Lovell finished his high school career in 2020. The Orland Park, Ill. native will continue his career at Belmont in the fall 2020. Lovell will play in the center of the diamond for the Generals as a middle infielder and centerfielder. 

Wright attends Northwood University in Midland, Mich. as an automotive marketing major. The Griffith, Ind. native won three IHSAA sectional titles at Griffith High School in three varsity seasons with the Panthers. 

Micetich finished his high school career in 2020. The Joliet, Ill. native will begin his collegiate career at Eastern Illinois in the fall of 2020. Micetich will serve as an infielder for the Generals.

Gutierrez played his sophomore season at Chicago State in 2020. The Chicago Heights, Ill. native started three games for the Cougars, reaching base six times in 16 plate appearances. 

Schroeder played his freshman season at Triton College in 2020. The St. Charles, Ill. native will play in the infield for the Generals.

The 2020 edition of the Joliet Generals will open the MCL season on July 4.