By Zach Kaplan
Penn State University
July 9, 2018
HARWICH– As he digs his cleats into the batter’s box at Whitehouse Field, Michael Toglia (UCLA) stares back at the pitcher, waiting for something to hit.
On a 2-0 count, Toglia drives the ball deep into the right field corner, depositing it right over the wall, giving Cotuit an early lead, while providing Toglia’s third home run in as many games.
“Just saw the fastball down the middle, and booted it out,” said Toglia after the game. “Feels great to drive one out like that.”
Michael Toglia’s (UCLA) bat has heated up, with three home runs in as many games for Cotuit.
With his recent surge, Toglia is now tied for the team lead with three home runs. In the last three games, he has upped his batting average .52 points, with four hits and five RBI’s to show for it. As a second-year Kettleer, Toglia is having a similar resurgence to the second half he had a year ago, something Coach Roberts is taking notice towards.
“This is like the second half of last year if you look back statistically,” said Roberts. “Its great to see because having him in the middle of the lineup is really good for us. I’m happy for [Toglia] because he’s a tremendous prospect, and we want scouts to see that talent come out.”
In 2017, Toglia was second on the team with a .310 batting average, with six home runs and 25 RBI’s in 35 games. While he had not been on pace for similar numbers earlier this season, it seems like he’s catching fire at exactly the right time for Cotuit.
“Its nice to see a couple hits drop, and its also nice to see the team with two wins in a row,” said Toglia. “Hopefully that continues tomorrow.”
Toglia, a rising junior, hails from Gig Harbor, WA, and hit .336 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI’s in 59 games for the Bruins this past season. In 2017, he was named a Freshman All-American after hitting .261 in his first collegiate season. Toglia hopes his recent success can be a sign of things to come, both for him and the Kettleers.
Michael and the rest of the Kettleers will head to Doran Park in Bourne on Monday, as they take on the Bourne Braves. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.