By Scott Decamp
LocalSportsJournal.com
Owen Tornga’s recent commitment to the University of Louisville baseball program was quite a statement for the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Mona Shores junior pitcher.
It also was an historic moment for the Sailors program.
“It’s massive for the program. I’d have to go back and look at every kid that’s been offered or signed from Mona Shores, but this is probably going to be the biggest (commitment, going) to a Power 4 school and to the ACC for baseball,” Mona Shores coach Brandon Bard said.
“A handful of times in the last five years, Louisville has been preseason ranked in the top three if not top one or two in the country, so this isn’t just going to a small Power 4 baseball school. This is as good as it gets.”
Since Louisville coach Dan McDonnell took over the program in 2007, the Cardinals have made six trips to the College World Series, including a final four showing last season.
Tornga also holds offers from Michigan, Troy (where Mona Shores alumnus Aaron Piasecki is playing), and Oakland, but the son of Rachel and Pete Tornga knew where he needed to be for his collegiate baseball future. It was just in the Cards for the hard-throwing right-hander.
“It definitely means a lot. Going to play down there is extremely exciting,” Tornga said. “Getting that warm weather all year around just leads to more development for me, playing competition where I can compete.
“What drew me there was definitely the coaching staff. I mean, the head coach, Coach Mac, his history doesn’t lie. He’s been there for 20-plus years, countless runs to Omaha (for the CWS), and they just made it feel like home.”
A piece of “home” is currently in Louisville. Spring Lake native Zane Stahl, another large-framed right-handed pitcher (6-7, 225), is a freshman with the Cardinals.
Tornga said he spoke with Stahl during his April 18 visit to Louisville. The former Laker had some words of advice for the current Sailor.
“Just that the coaching staff, they’ll get you where you need to go,” Tornga said about Stahl’s words. “He has full faith in them, and it’s really just a great school, great people to be around, and a lot of baseball.”
Baseball has been a huge part of Tornga’s life. Father Pete Tornga starred at Orchard View in the early-1990s and played at Muskegon Community College, then he coached his son coming up through the ranks, including with some notable Roosevelt Park Little League squads.
Owen Tornga said he began playing T-ball at age 4, but he picked up a whiffle bat in his family’s living room even sooner. He fell in love with the game instantly.
Tornga said he’s always been one of the bigger kids in his grade, but he grew about four inches between his eighth-grade and freshman years.
It appears that Tornga is just scratching the surface.
“About midway through the year last year, he kind of took over as our No. 1 pitcher,” Bard said. “Working with (Cap) Pohlman and everything last year, watching his progression, he got better and better and better and better, and then the velocity just kept increasing and then his stuff (improved) and got better. He just continued to get better and better. And then this year he’s been extremely dominant.”
Last season, Tornga was 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 44 innings. In four starts this season, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed only two hits with 38 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. He took a tough-luck no-decision in Mona Shores’ 2-1 Game 1 loss at Byron Center on Tuesday, allowing one unearned run and no hits with 12 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Bard said that Tornga’s fastball in the early going this season has been clocked at 92.6 mph. He also throws a slider, changeup, and splitter.
When not on the mound for Mona Shores, Tornga plays first base and he bats in the middle of the lineup. He is hitting .333 with two doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs for the Sailors (5-5), who are playing a very tough schedule this season.
While baseball is the only sport Tornga plays, he is far from a one-trick pony. Bard said that Tornga is “extremely athletic.” He carries a 3.9 GPA to boot.
Tornga, who plays travel ball for the Grand Rapids Diamonds, intends on studying business and finance at Louisville.
“Projectability wise, size wise, you know, you kind of just knew that stuff was going to start clicking and people were going to start showing up to watch him pitch,” Bard said. “You can put the kid anywhere on the field. You watch him play first base, you watch him go run and play pop-ups. Hitting in the middle of our lineup … there’s not a whole lot that he can’t do.
When you encompass all those things and you put him on the mound and watch what he can do out there, the sky’s the limit for him.”
Tornga said he is inspired by his parents for their work ethic, knowledge, and guidance.
In baseball, he enjoys watching electric San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, who comes out of the bullpen “just throwing flames.”
“I’ve always kind of felt like I’ve had the closer mentality, so I love just watching closers go in and just absolutely shove the ball,” said Tornga, who credited Pohlman for pushing him along and strengthening his mental aspect of the game on the mound.
According to Bard, Tornga has a winner’s mentality not only when he takes the ball or steps on the field but in every aspect.
“Great kid. Great work ethic. He’s great in the classroom, too, so this isn’t just an athletic thing,” Bard said. “Extremely hard worker. He’s got a great routine. When he takes the mound, he knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s one of those guys that’s kind of perfecting his craft.
“Every time he takes the mound and every time he takes the field, he gets better and better at what he’s doing. I think you know when you’ve got this much at stake and this much potential, you’ve got to make sure you’re locked in every time and I think he’s done a really good job doing that.”
LocalSportsJournal.com
Owen Tornga’s recent commitment to the University of Louisville baseball program was quite a statement for the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Mona Shores junior pitcher.
It also was an historic moment for the Sailors program.
“It’s massive for the program. I’d have to go back and look at every kid that’s been offered or signed from Mona Shores, but this is probably going to be the biggest (commitment, going) to a Power 4 school and to the ACC for baseball,” Mona Shores coach Brandon Bard said.
“A handful of times in the last five years, Louisville has been preseason ranked in the top three if not top one or two in the country, so this isn’t just going to a small Power 4 baseball school. This is as good as it gets.”
Since Louisville coach Dan McDonnell took over the program in 2007, the Cardinals have made six trips to the College World Series, including a final four showing last season.
Tornga also holds offers from Michigan, Troy (where Mona Shores alumnus Aaron Piasecki is playing), and Oakland, but the son of Rachel and Pete Tornga knew where he needed to be for his collegiate baseball future. It was just in the Cards for the hard-throwing right-hander.
“It definitely means a lot. Going to play down there is extremely exciting,” Tornga said. “Getting that warm weather all year around just leads to more development for me, playing competition where I can compete.
“What drew me there was definitely the coaching staff. I mean, the head coach, Coach Mac, his history doesn’t lie. He’s been there for 20-plus years, countless runs to Omaha (for the CWS), and they just made it feel like home.”
A piece of “home” is currently in Louisville. Spring Lake native Zane Stahl, another large-framed right-handed pitcher (6-7, 225), is a freshman with the Cardinals.
Tornga said he spoke with Stahl during his April 18 visit to Louisville. The former Laker had some words of advice for the current Sailor.
“Just that the coaching staff, they’ll get you where you need to go,” Tornga said about Stahl’s words. “He has full faith in them, and it’s really just a great school, great people to be around, and a lot of baseball.”
Baseball has been a huge part of Tornga’s life. Father Pete Tornga starred at Orchard View in the early-1990s and played at Muskegon Community College, then he coached his son coming up through the ranks, including with some notable Roosevelt Park Little League squads.
Owen Tornga said he began playing T-ball at age 4, but he picked up a whiffle bat in his family’s living room even sooner. He fell in love with the game instantly.
Tornga said he’s always been one of the bigger kids in his grade, but he grew about four inches between his eighth-grade and freshman years.
It appears that Tornga is just scratching the surface.
“About midway through the year last year, he kind of took over as our No. 1 pitcher,” Bard said. “Working with (Cap) Pohlman and everything last year, watching his progression, he got better and better and better and better, and then the velocity just kept increasing and then his stuff (improved) and got better. He just continued to get better and better. And then this year he’s been extremely dominant.”
Last season, Tornga was 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 44 innings. In four starts this season, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed only two hits with 38 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. He took a tough-luck no-decision in Mona Shores’ 2-1 Game 1 loss at Byron Center on Tuesday, allowing one unearned run and no hits with 12 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Bard said that Tornga’s fastball in the early going this season has been clocked at 92.6 mph. He also throws a slider, changeup, and splitter.
When not on the mound for Mona Shores, Tornga plays first base and he bats in the middle of the lineup. He is hitting .333 with two doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs for the Sailors (5-5), who are playing a very tough schedule this season.
While baseball is the only sport Tornga plays, he is far from a one-trick pony. Bard said that Tornga is “extremely athletic.” He carries a 3.9 GPA to boot.
Tornga, who plays travel ball for the Grand Rapids Diamonds, intends on studying business and finance at Louisville.
“Projectability wise, size wise, you know, you kind of just knew that stuff was going to start clicking and people were going to start showing up to watch him pitch,” Bard said. “You can put the kid anywhere on the field. You watch him play first base, you watch him go run and play pop-ups. Hitting in the middle of our lineup … there’s not a whole lot that he can’t do.
When you encompass all those things and you put him on the mound and watch what he can do out there, the sky’s the limit for him.”
Tornga said he is inspired by his parents for their work ethic, knowledge, and guidance.
In baseball, he enjoys watching electric San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, who comes out of the bullpen “just throwing flames.”
“I’ve always kind of felt like I’ve had the closer mentality, so I love just watching closers go in and just absolutely shove the ball,” said Tornga, who credited Pohlman for pushing him along and strengthening his mental aspect of the game on the mound.
According to Bard, Tornga has a winner’s mentality not only when he takes the ball or steps on the field but in every aspect.
“Great kid. Great work ethic. He’s great in the classroom, too, so this isn’t just an athletic thing,” Bard said. “Extremely hard worker. He’s got a great routine. When he takes the mound, he knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s one of those guys that’s kind of perfecting his craft.
“Every time he takes the mound and every time he takes the field, he gets better and better at what he’s doing. I think you know when you’ve got this much at stake and this much potential, you’ve got to make sure you’re locked in every time and I think he’s done a really good job doing that.”
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