By PAUL GOTHAM
GENEVA, N.Y. — On June 3rd, Geneva Twins manager Andy Weeks needed to call upon his bullpen. With bases loaded, a run in and two outs he gave the ball to Kyle Monk (Emory). In a situation that played out several times over the rest of the summer, Monk put out the fire.
The right-hander induced a ground ball from the first batter he faced to end the eighth. He retired all three Niagara Power hitters in the ninth for a 4-1 Geneva win. It was the first of many saves on the season for the Cortlandt Manor, New York native.
“He did a great job,” Weeks said. “If our starters went deep, we knew we had a chance at the end with Kyle. We tried some different guys. Kyle was always the consistent one at the end of the game. We knew once we got that lead with an inning or two left, chances were really good that we would finish it and win the game.”
When the season was over, Monk matched a league record and for his efforts has earned the 2015 New York Collegiate Baseball League Reliever of the Year.
“It’s a pretty big honor, but it’s makes more of a statement about our team and how successful we were this year,” the junior hurler said. “Especially in the regular season, my teammates were able to get lead and get me the ball. Winning a lot of those games shows our perseverance.”
In 19 appearances, Monk threw 23 innings. He matched a league mark of 13 saves set by John Colella (Elmira ’10/Holy Cross) in 2010.
“He was our back-end guy in any situation we needed to put him in,” Weeks noted. “You knew you were going to get some quality innings out of him.”
Monk did not allow a run over a span of 11 appearances (11 innings pitched) during the middle of the season. He recorded six straight saves during that stretch helping the Twins clinch second place in the NYCBL’s Western Division and home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
“Every time we played Geneva I was just hoping that we wouldn’t be in a game where they had an opportunity for a save because I figured Monk would be coming into the game at that point,” Niagara Power manager Josh Rebandt stated.
Monk struck out 27 and walked one batter for the summer. He allowed 18 hits for a WHIP of .830. Opposing batters hit .217 against him.
“He just pounds the strike zone, and he’s good under pressure,” Rebandt added. “Those are the main qualities that a closer needs to have. That’s why he’s such a great closer and had such a great summer up here.”
In eight of his appearances, Monk set down all the batters he faced.
“I really wanted to work throwing a change-up to left-handed batters,Monk said. “That helped me mix up (my approach) throwing to lefties. Sometimes a side-arming right-hander can struggle against lefties. Having the change of velocity helped me be consistent and successful against righties and lefties in the back-end of the bullpen.”
Monk received ten first-place votes and finished with 79 points. The next closest was Christopher Pennell (Syracuse Jr. Chiefs/St. Thomas Aquinas) with three top nods and 74 points. Nick Campe (Olivet Nazarene), Matt Colon (Syracuse Salt Cats/Cumberland County), Nate Grant (Olean/St. Bonaventure), Breton LaRose (Genesee/Sacred Heart) and Kyle Taylor (Syracuse Salt Cats/Gloucester County Coll) all earned first-place votes.
2015 Reliever of the Year
Kyle Monk (10) 79
Christopher Pennell (3) 74
Nick Campe (2) 47
Michael Jordan (Hornell/Vanguard) 29
Kyle Taylor (1) 26
Others receiving votes: Joey Orlando (Oneonta/Binghamton), Cam Jack (Syracuse Salt Cats/Mt. Hood CC), Grant, LaRose, Colon, Tyler Saundry (Cortland/Niagara U), Jason Collingwood (Genesee/Greenville), Nate Lagos (Niagara/North Greenville) and Zack Tomasko (Geneva Red Wings/Elizabethtown).
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