Patzman, Stanczyk, Berkovitz Commit to A’s for 2012
Posted: March 21, 2012
The outlook for the 2012 season took a giant step toward the rosy side as the Sheboygan A’s announce that three of their leading players will be returning for the 2012 season.
2011 Most Valuable Payer and 3-time leading hitter Tim Patzman, Most Valuable Pitcher Ben Stanczyk and Most Valuable Defensive player Grant Berkovitz all committed to the 2012 season. All are former UW-Milwaukee players.
Also signing on for 2012 are pitchers Dillion Engle and Sean Beuth.
The club is preparing to open its 50th season on Saturday May 26 when the Manistee Saints invade for a 4 p.m. doubleheader. The popular Buffalo Joe Band will entertain at the tailgate party which gets under way early in the afternoon.
Patzman, an outfielder, will be starting his sixth season with the A’s. He is a career .350 hitter in 226 games. He led the club in hitting in 2007, 2009 and 2011 and was elected MVP in 2008, 2009 and last year.
Berkovitz is a .320 career hitter in 248 games. He suffered an off-year at the plate last season as work commitments allowed him to play in only 26 games, but he committed only seven errors from the demanding shortstop position and was his teammates’ pick as the Most Valuable Defensive player. After his career at UWM he had a stint with the Reno Silver Sox of the Independent Golden League.
Stanczyk went 6-0 with a 1.90 earned run average last year and ran his career numbers with the A’s to 14-1 and 1.65. Plus, in limited appearances, he came in with a .521 batting average and is a .335 career hitter. 2012 will be his fourth season with the A’s. Following a great 2004 season at UW-Milwaukee (Horizon League Player and Pitcher of the Year), Stanczyk signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and posted a 20-14 record with a 3.91 ERA in 144 games. He got as high as AA Huntsville.
Also signing agreements to play this year are UW-Milwaukee left-handed pitcher Dillion Engle and Sean Beuth, a right-handed pitcher, who played in Milwaukee semi-pro leagues. Engle was a first team All-Greater Metro Conference and all-district honoree at West Allis Hale. Beuth also played at Hale.
A’s Notes
Sheboygan Athletic Club members will meet at Wildwood Baseball Park at 9 a.m. Saturday to begin the process of cleaning up the park for the upcoming season. The 2012 Wildwood season gets under way on March 30 when North hosts Green Bay Notre Dame. Volunteers will be welcomed.
The team is taking orders for season ticket renewal and first-time orders. Season ticket costs are $30 for general admission, $40 for grandstand and $50 for box seats. Tickets are currently being printed.
The Diamonds Youth Baseball organization is putting together a fund raiser on Friday night April 27 at Range Line Inn. Tickets sell for $40 per person or $75 per couple and include dinner, beverages (beer, wine, soft drinks) and a show by popular entertainer Pat McCurdy.
Group nights and group tailgate reservations are being received and dates are going quickly. Interested groups are urged to make reservations now.
The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). All Sheboygan A's home games are played at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan. Connect with the A's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
