Celebrating Tyler Cox, Hunter Kloke, Andres Paret, and Garrick Murray: the Knights four All-Stars
With the South Florida Collegiate Baseball All-Star game taking place this past Sunday night, four Knights players were rewarded for their incredible play this season. The players that earned a roster spot were third baseman Tyler Cox, pitchers Garrick Murray and Hunter Kloke, and centerfielder Andres Paret. It’s now time to look on the season each of them have had so far and why these selections were no brainers.
Tyler Cox:
Cox has produced positive results almost every time he’s stepped up to the plate. For the Knights, Cox is second in batting average at .338 behind Tyler Muscat who is at .364, and also ranks second in RBI’s with 13 behind Juhlien Gonzalez who has 15. Cox has a game of 3 RBI’s and in 6 out of 10 games, Cox has either scored a run or was able to record a hit.
Cox has put in the time to improve and perform, and it has been noticed by coach Sam Martin. “He’s one of our first players at the field every single day,” Martin said in a pre-game interview before the all-star game. Martin also began to notice Cox’s high IQ for and knowledge of baseball. “I can ask him professional questions like ‘hey what’s the approach? What’s the pitchers sequence?’ and he’s going to give me an answer right away.” Cox has proved he can be counted on in multiple ways and showed why his all-star selection was more than deserving.
Hunter Kloke:
In multiple Knights wins, Hunter Kloke has been able to secure the save for the Knights with three on the year. In eleven innings pitched, Kloke has allowed no runs and only six hits. Kloke has also thrown a strikeout in every game so far and has two games with five strikeouts, both coming against the Florida Pokers. Martin explained the reasons why Kloke is having the such a successful season. “He understood tunneling, he understood moving the zone, he understood how to read swings,” Martin said.
Kloke’s elite play gravitated the other pitchers towards him so they can receive advice and pick his brain to improve on their craft. “As the season went on, more and more of our younger pitchers clung on to him and picked up some stuff and I’m starting to see them do it now too.”
Garrick Murray:
Like Kloke, Murray has played at a high level every time his number has been called. “He [Murray] has been the epitome of consistency since he came down here. Every game he’s going to be throwing strikes with three different pitches, and he does a fantastic job of keeping hitters off balance,” Martin said. Murray has given up only one earned run under his watch, and is also tied at the top with Kloke when it comes to strikeouts for the team with 24, highlighted by games where he has thrown 6,7, and 8 strikeouts. Although Murray’s record is 1–1, West Palm Beach is 3–2 when he pitches, and has kept the Knights close in each ballgame where they have a chance to win.
Andres Paret:
Paret has started in ten games, and something that can’t go unnoticed is the effort he gives when involved in a play. Martin descried Paret as “another guy that is there to work and there to play baseball,” and added that it’s very rare that Paret “comes off the field on a given day with a clean uniform.” Paret just doesn’t make hustle plays, he has proven to be a dependable player for West Palm Beach, as he ranks third on the team in batting average at .333, while having 5 RBI’s and a hit in six out of his ten starts this year.
It’s great to see these players recognized and celebrated for playing at a high level and helping the Knights win games. Cox, Murray, Kloke and Paret left no doubt in voter’s minds that they deserved to be an all-star for the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League.