Tyler Minick-Gov. Mifflin

Tyler Minick was named the Berks County Player of the Year last season. The Gov. Mifflin standout was selected for the Big 26 Classic which pits the top players from Pennsylvania and Maryland against each other. In 2023, however, the UConn commit is not concerned with individual accolades. “I just want to focus on winning this year. I don’t care how my stats look. I just want a championship,” said Minick. The Mustangs were the #1 seed in the Berks League playoffs, but got upset by Oley Valley 6-1 in the quarterfinals. Gov. Mifflin was the top seed in the District 3-6A tournament, but finished fourth and missed out on a trip to the state playoffs. Cumberland Valley defeated the Mustangs 7-4 in the third place game. Only the top three clubs advanced to the PIAA tournament in Class 6A. It was a frustrating end to a (20-4) campaign. The good news in Shillington is that most of the team has returned including Minick. He hit .500 with a .616 on-base percentage and 1.634 OPS. The SS/P blasted six home runs, three triples, and scored a team-high 28 runs. He also stole eleven bases. Although his arm was “banged up”, Minick was (4-0, 0.93) in 30 innings while healthy. He struck out 42 while only walking six. Minick expects to be used primarily in a relief role until the postseason. Xander Velez went (8-0) in nine starts with two saves. The all-county selection had a 1.54 ERA. Velez, who’s headed to Division II Bloomsburg, also hit .453 with a team-high 32 RBI. Head coach Chris Hole inserted three freshmen into the starting lineup last year and they didn’t disappoint. Ethan Grim (6-1, 1.52) and Bryce Detwiler both made the all-division squad. Detwiler hit .339 with a .901 OPS. Travis Jenkins is another sophomore to keep an eye on. “[They’re] bigger, faster, stronger. I think they’re gonna be even more of a problem this year for the teams we face,” remarked Minick. Berks County is filled with talented teams, however, Gov. Mifflin is widely regarded as the favorite. Darien Troche, Jon Radwanski, and Matt Novotny are also back in the mix. Hole enters his 11th season as manager with a (155-91) record. He has guided the Mustangs to three county titles and four appearances in the state playoffs. I asked Minick who is the funniest player on the team. We had fun discussing what would happen if he had ten at-bats against Velez. Minick revealed his favorite food, and if he prefers Chris Rock or Will Smith. When he’s at the plate, he’s certainly not joking around.