Drew Tumbelty Ranks No. 1 In Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League

Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League Top Prospects

Drew Tumbelty, rhp, South Jersey (Jr., Rider)

Cory Heitler, rhp, North Jersey (So., Wagner)

Joe Zirolli, of/3b, South Jersey (So., Cecil, Md. JC)

Dan Wirchansky, lhp, North Jersey (So., Rockland, N.Y. CC)

Shane Woelfel, of, North Jersey (Jr., Bloomsburg, Pa.)

Anthony Prato, ss, Staten Island (Fr., Connecticut)

Jeff Dixon, rhp, South Jersey (So., Rowan, N.J.)

Karl Blum, rhp, Trenton (Sr., Duke)

Jason McCormick of, Allentown (Sr., Immaculata, Pa.)

Dan Jacobson, rhp, Quakertown (R-So., Delaware)

Postseason Recap: The ACBL’s 50th anniversary season ended in thrilling fashion, as the Allentown Railers won their second straight title with a walk-off 2-1 win against South Jersey in the decisive third game of the championship series. In that final game, the Railers’ Gabe Mosser (Shippensburg (Pa.)) struck out 15 but South Jersey nonetheless carried a 1-0 lead into the eighth. The Railers, the ACBL’s best team in the regular season, fought back though, tying the game with a run in the bottom of the eighth and then winning it on Ed Posavec’s (Binghamton) game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth.

1. Drew Tumbelty, rhp, South Jersey (Jr., Rider)

Tumbelty is a converted infielder who only pitched six innings for Rider this spring but thrived as a closer for South Jersey. He pitches off a fastball that sits at 90-91 mph and touches 94-95. He has to improve his secondary pitches, using a borderline breaking pitch at present. He posted four saves during the regular season with 22 strikeouts in 18 innings. He’s still new at pitching, but has the arm to succeed at the pro level once he develops a good secondary pitch to compliment his fastball.

2. Cory Heitler, rhp, North Jersey (So., Wagner)

Heitler commands both sides of the plate with four usable pitches, including a fastball in the 88-91 mph range, a sharp 12-to-6 curveball, a tight slider and a changeup. After working strictly as a reliever in his freshman season for Wagner, Heitler topped the ACBL with 60 strikeouts in 50.2 innings and posted a 5-1, 1.77 record.

3. Joe Zirolli, of/3b, South Jersey (So., Cecil, Md. JC)

Power is the outstanding tool for this 6-foot-4, 225 pound sophomore. During the spring, he hit 17 home runs with 55 RBIs and a .759 slugging percentage for Cecil. He kept the momentum going as he topped the ACBL with eight home runs and also put up 24 RBIs and a .393 average with a .738 slugging. He also has a strong arm and runs well for his big frame.

4. Dan Wirchansky, lhp, North Jersey (So., Rockland, N.Y. CC)

Wirchansky relies on a sharp curveball and changeup which he can throw for a strike at any time in the count. His fastball isn’t overpowering at 87-88 mph but he’s able to move it to both sides of the plate. He struck out 52 in 51 innings with a 2.82 ERA while posting a 5-1 record for North Jersey.

5. Shane Woelfel, of, North Jersey (Jr., Bloomsburg, Pa.)

Woelfel enjoyed a breakout spring at Division II Bloomsburg, hitting .336, and continued hitting over the summer. He topped the ACBL with a .405 average, winning the batting title by 17 points. Woelful makes good contact and showed flashes of power he hadn’t for Bloomsburg. He has just two career home runs in 78 college games but hit four over the summer, along with stealing 18 bases in 22 attempts.

6. Anthony Prato, ss, Staten Island (Fr., Connecticut)

Prato was one of a few recent high school grads in the ACBL and more than held his own. His athleticism sticks out defensively, and he displayed impressive arm strength, range and actions. Although he showed little power in the ACBL, he nonetheless handled himself well at the plate, hitting .316 and drawing more walks (11) than he had strikeouts (six) in 27 games.

7. Jeff Dixon, rhp, South Jersey (So., Rowan, N.J.)

This 6-foot-4, 160 pound righthander has raw talent that could be developed into a solid draft pick. His fastball sits at 89-91 mph with minimal effort, with his curveball his best pitch. He’ll need to add a third pitch and show better command if he wants to reach the pro level though, as he walked 15 in 27.1 innings for South Jersey.

8. Karl Blum, rhp, Trenton (Sr., Duke)

Blum worked solely as a reliever in the spring for Duke but got a chance to start five games for Trenton. He struggled to maintain consistency with his pitches but has more potential that his modest statistics—a 5.06 ERA for Duke and 4.22 for Trenton—would suggest. The 6-foot-5 righthander can run his fastball up to 93 mph and has shown a lively slider at his best, striking out 24 in 27.2 innings over the summer.

9. Jason McCormick of, Allentown (Sr., Immaculata, Pa.)

McCormick set a high bar for himself when he hit .438 as a sophomore in 2015 at Division III Immaculata. He hasn’t matched that number since but has continued to hit, including his .350/.434/.521 line this summer. He makes plenty of contact and has some power, though it mostly comes in the form of doubles. He shows above-average speed as well, helping him leg out hits and go 9-for-11 on stolen bases. He finished his summer with a flourish, hitting .577 (15-for-26) in Allentown’s playoff run.

10. Dan Jacobson, rhp, Quakertown (R-So., Delaware)

Jacobson redshirted this spring at Delaware after transferring in from Rhode Island, getting his first chance to pitch in live games again with Quakertown this summer. His highlight came June 25 when he threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Trenton. He has a nice 6-foot-5 frame and sits in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball, complimented by an average curveball. He does need to hone his control after walking 24 in 36.1 innings in the ACBL and could use more movement on his fastball.