Wild Things sign Butler grad Fennell
good things to say about him on and off the field,” said Buccilli, a graduate of Franklin Regional High. “Our roster is made up of undrafted college seniors and minorleague free-agents. We sign them to professional contracts and give them the platform to showcase their abilities. The next step is being scouted and signed by an affiliated club . ... Our league is strong in moving players to the next level. Forty to 60 players from the Frontier League are signed with minorleague affiliates.”
At Wild Things Park, which is also the home of California (Pa.) baseball, Fennell should fit in comfortably. It was there that he blossomed into a Division II superstar.
His 223 career hits were second all time at Cal and his 175 runs tied for first. A three-time All-PSAC West honoree (including two firstteam selections), his 27 career triples were one shy of the Division II national record. He led the NCAA, all divisions, with seven his senior year.
“We watched Mick mature over the years,” said Buccilli, who signed former Montour and Pitt pitcher Sam Mersing to the team in September. “He did some amazing things in this park.”
While at Cal, Fennell became known for performing a cartwheel-to-backflip maneuver (It can be viewed on YouTube) as he made his way to center field. It was a nod to former Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith, who did something similar in the ‘80s.
Fennell, unfortunately, never got the opportunity to meet Smith while with the Cardinals — “I had hoped to at some point,” he said. — yet he returned home with a wealth of memories.
“I got to travel on a bus to places like Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin,” he said. “I developed so many friendships there. I also have a championship ring. I can always look back and say, ‘I won a championship in professional baseball.’”
And who knows? Perhaps he’ll do so again some day.
“I turn 24 on April 30, so if a [major league] team would reach out, they’re not going to start me from the beginning,” said Fennell, who graduated with a 3.2 grade-point average in sports management. “The best-case scenario is that I play well, don’t lose a step and control what I can control. That’s the best way to approach this opportunity.”