BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - A total of eleven Gardner-Webb baseball players will participate in summer league baseball to hone their skills during the collegiate offseason.

Three pitchers, Joe Miceli, Devin Pressley and Tyler Switalski, along with eight position players, Nick Capozzi, Brian Daker, Matt Ilgenfritz, Wade Kelly, Ryan Kennell, Carter Ruff, Max Smyley, and Joe Stanzione, will play across five different leagues in three states this summer.

Switalski will have to earn his spot on the roster, as he was invited to compete with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Switalski was one of just 56 non-draft eligible college baseball players selected from all three NCAA levels, NAIA, and junior college baseball to earn an invite to the training camp to be held in Cary, N.C. The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp will feature 56 of the premier non-draft eligible college players for a four-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series in North Carolina from June 25-28. USA Baseball will name a final, 26-man Collegiate National Team roster after Training Camp that will represent the United States in friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30-July 12.

The left-handed pitcher is coming off a successful second season in Boiling Springs, as Switalski earned Second Team All-Big South honors and was a two-time Big South Pitcher of the Week award winner. As the number two starter for the Runnin' Bulldogs, Switalski posted an 8-5 record, tied for the second most victories by a pitcher within the Big South. The Waynesburg, Pa. native notched a 5.60 ERA over 80.1 innings struck out 80 batters. His ERA was the fifth-best in the conference, while his 80 strikeouts ranked inside the top-150 in all of NCAA Division-I baseball. Switalksi was also clutch down the stretch, as he helped clinch a Big South Conference Tournament berth against Charleston Southern after going 6.2 innings and allowing just three runs in the Runnin' Bulldogs 15-10 win over the Bucs on May 19.

Switalski is the first Gardner-Webb baseball player to be selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp. 

Two Runnin' Bulldogs will play close to Boiling Springs, as Wade Kelly and Devin Pressley will compete with the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League. So far, Kelly has been phenomenal at the plate for the Owls, batting a .308 AVG with five runs, one double, and an RBI. He has also been a speedster on the basepaths, going a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases. Recently, Kelly went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a pair of runs scored vs Boone on June 17.

As for Pressley, the pitcher recovered from a bumpy start for his best outing of the season so far vs Holly Springs, going 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits, zero runs, and striking out eight batters. This season, Pressley has pitched twelve innings, with 17 strikeouts and a 4.50 ERA.

Another Dog finds their way to the CPL, as Joe Miceli will play for the Morehead City Marlins. Miceli made his mark on opening day against Wilmington, as he struck out three of the first five batters he faced. Recently, the junior earned his first save of the season at Wilmington on June 12, giving up two hits and striking out a pair of batters in two innings pitched to preserve the 5-4 win for the Marlins. In 10.1 innings pitched so far this season, Miceli has a 0.87 ERA and twelve strikeouts.

Up north in the Appalachian League, Ryan Kennell will look to make his mark for the Pulaski River Turtles. Kennell has yet to see action for the Turtles, but he was solid for Gardner-Webb this season, as he batted .280 with a .410 on-base percentage while scoring ten runs as a true freshman.

Two Runnin' Bulldogs make their way to the Front Royal Cardinals in the Valley League, as Nick Capozzi and Carter Ruff have made splashes early in the summer league season. Ruff currently has the second-highest batting average on the team of eligible batters, hitting .250 with six runs scored, three doubles, and three RBI. Capozzi has also hit well for the Cardinals, batting .229 with six runs, three doubles, a triple, and five RBI. Capozzi also has a pair of stolen bases.
 
Max Smyley joins the duo in the Valley League, but with the Waynesboro Generals. While Smyley has just four hits so far this season, he has been crucial to the Generals, having scored four runs and swiping a bag so far this season. He also has a pair of RBI.

A trio of Dogs round out the summer league list in the Cal Ripken Senior League, as Brian Daker, Matt Ilgenfritz, and Joe Stanzione will all play for the Southern Maryland Senators. Ilgenfritz has done well so far, batting .237 with four doubles, five runs, a pair of home runs, and nine RBI. He has also swiped three bags and has an on-base percentage of .341. On June 17 at Big Train, Ilgenfritz went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and a stolen base.

Stanzione has seen considerable action for the Senators this summer, batting .207 with a pair of doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored. Stanzione was also successful at Big Train on June 17, going 1-for-2 with one run and an RBI.

Daker has seen limited action for Southern Maryland thus far with just eight at-bats. He has made the most of his opportunities however, with an on-base percentage of .364, having drawn three walks.

Links to schedules for all of the summer league teams that Gardner-Webb baseball players will be competing with are available at gwusports.com. For more information on Gardner-Webb baseball, including information on baseball camps at Gardner-Webb this summer, fans can head over to gwusports.com or follow the Gardner-Webb baseball team on Twitter at @GWUBaseball or on Instagram at @gwubaseball 

Summer League Dogs

US Collegiate National Team
Tyler Switalski

Coastal Plain League
Wade Kelly - Forest City Owls
Devin Pressley - Forest City Owls
Joe Miceli - Morehead City Marlins

Appalachian League
Ryan Kennell - Pulaski River Turtles

Valley League 
Nick Capozzi - Front Royal Cardinals
Carter Ruff - Front Royal Cardinals
Max Smyley - Waynesboro Generals

Cal Ripken Senior League
Brian Daker - Southern Maryland Senators
Matt Ilgenfritz - Southern Maryland Senators
Joe Stanzione - Southern Maryland Senators