Steven Keelon had the first overall pick of the 2020 WILL Opening Day Tournament draft and he selected Chris Sarnowkski. Joining the 2019 teammates will be Matt Morgan and Ed Cottrill.
Steven Keelon will be looking for a bounce back season from the rubber in 2020. In previous years, he was regarded as one of the top pitchers in the league. In 2017, he threw 105 innings with a 4.90 ERA and league best 30 strikeouts. Then in 2018, he split the pitching duties on his team and tossed 45 innings, where he posted a 1.33 ERA, with a league best 0.73 WHIP. However, in 2019 he gave up 30 earned runs in just 17+ innings pitched, ranking second from the bottom in ERA. In a bright spot from 2019, he struck out the second most batters in the league (14). In the box, Keelon has been known to be able to hold his own. Last season, he belted five home runs and hit for a .375 average in 24 at bats.
Chris Sarnowski was the number one overall pick and the pitching rule change had to be a big factor in it. Sarnowski is a veteran in the fast pitch scene and has experience at the highest level in both scuff ball, at Mid Atlantic Wiffle, and clean ball, at the NWLA Tournament. The clean ball skills will be the ones he needs for the 2020 WILL season. At MAW, he led the organization in wins (10), had a 1.06 ERA, and struck out 162 over 63 innings. At the NWLA, he threw in just one game, and KWL had their bats working that game. Sarnowski struck out 12 of the 15 outs, but also gave up eight hits and walked seven, allowing seven earned runs. In his first season in the WILL last year, he was alongside Keelon on the 100 Thieves. Sarnowski tossed 13+ innings with a 5.63 ERA. From the plate, he hit .333 with four home runs in 15 at bats.
Matt Morgan spent 2019 with the Plumbers, where he hit .259 with four home runs. He has not thrown an inning in the WILL, and likely will not see his first come this Sunday. However, he will be a main part of the Assasins defense. Morgan made a diving catch to save the game against the Roman Noodles in a regular season matchup last season. With the ability to drive the ball, teams will need to be wary of him every time he steps in the box.
Ed Cottrill fell just short of a championship in his last appearance in a WILL event. As a member of the Green Apples in the 2019 FWILL Tournament, he had some key hits, but also some key mistakes he will look to avenge this time. The work put in over the winter will be evident on defense and the bases, Cottrill is a solid bat, with averages of .460 and .318 in his past two regular seasons (2017 and 2018).
The Assasins seem to have the pitching well covered, but will likely be in search of a big hit all day and with four capable bats, they could be a team to look out for.
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Visit Lovie's Frosty Twist on South Main Street in Houston for ice cream this summer, tell 'em the WILL sent you!
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