Buckeye State Baseball

Player: Tyler Elkins

Position: Catcher

Year: Senior

School: Bowling Green

It can be argued no player more than Bowling Green catcher Tyler Elkins provided as much bang for the buck for his team in 2009. No position player on the list will have played fewer games on the Division I level than Elkins entering the 2010 season. No other player will be a .400-hitting catcher in the heart of a two-time defending conference champion’s line-up.

Those who are not familiar with Tyler Elkins, you now are introduced into one fast-rising senior. Mid-American Conference opponents you’re warned.

Out oh Hamilton, Ohio where he attended Hamilton High School, Elkins attended John Logan Junior College in Carterville, Illinois. During his two seasons there Elkins was a two-time All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference selection. In his sophomore season he led JLJC to a 41-17 record, reaching the Region 24 Finals, while batting .351 driving in 52 runs.

Then head coach Danny Schmitz and the Bowling Green Falcons came calling.

With a chance to return to his native Buckeye State, Elkins decided to take on Division I competition for his final two years of eligibility. Unfortunately two years at the northwest Ohio  university turned into three.

Elkins missed the entire 2008 season due to injury.

Unsure of how the prolonged layoff, and adjustment to facing stiffer competition night in and night out, you can’t blame Falcon faithful for not being sure of what to expect out of their catcher as they defended their MAC-East crown. We’re still not sure anyone expected the season Elkins finished with, a season in which he garnered second-team All-MAC honors.

Starting 37 games, 25 behind the plate, nine at first base, and three as Bowling Green’s DH, Elkins tortured opposing pitchers. Absolutely tortured them. In 165 at-bats, Elkins collected 67 hits for a .407 average. Not bad for a player sitting out a year and jumping into DI competition for the first time. In fact not bad for anyone as the .407 mark was second-best among all MAC players.

Of the 67 hits, 18 were of extra-bases; 16 doubles, with a triple and home run. In total Elkins collected 88 total bases for a .533 slugging percentage, driving in 31 runs, scoring 35 of his own.

The high batting average played a pivotal role in Elkins’ .454 on-base percentage, as Elkins walked 11 times via base on balls, and another six times courtesy a hit by pitch. Elkins wasn’t active once on the bases successfully steal two of just five attempts. While making contact at such an incredulous pace, Elkins grounded into six twin-killings.

As the part-time catcher, Elkins threw out 20% of attempting stolen bases, seven in 35 attempts. Between the backstop and first base Elkins committed nine errors in 293 chances for a .969 fielding percentage.

The peripherals aren’t bad, but the contact hitting ability of Elkins is where his game rises above others. Elkins finished with a team-leading 14 game hitting streak as a junior. Finished third amongst Falcons with 21 multi-hit games, again noting he started just 35 in total. When all was said and done Bowling Green was 16-9 with Elkins behind the plate, and 15-9 with him batting third in the lineup.

With a season of Division I baseball under his belt, the sky is the limit for Elkins as he enters his senior campaign. He hasn’t racked up the gaudy numbers that those around him on the list has and he isn’t a surefire draft pick as some of his peers are. However if you’re piecing together a Division I baseball team, its hard to not start with an outstanding consistent-hitting catcher who has shown an advanced learning curve as Elkins did in 2009.