Prep Baseball Report

Franken Showcases Speed And Effort For Youngstown State


Bruce Hefflinger
PBR Ohio Senior Writer

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Franken Showcases Speed And Effort For Youngstown State

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Chase Franken SS / RHP / Columbiana, OH / 2020

SALEM - It is rare when a cancelled game helps a player be seen.

But that was the case for Chase Franken, a recent commit to Youngstown State.

“Coach (Dan) Bertolini showed up at our field for the Toronto game,” the Columbiana senior reflected. “The game was cancelled but he wasn’t told about it. I ended up taking batting practice in front of him and obviously he must have liked it. He came to a couple more games after that.”

Interest from the Horizon League school continued in the summer.

“A few months ago they gave me the opportunity by coming to my games and checking me out,” Franken said. “I was fortunate to have a couple good games in front of them.”

It led to an offer and then a commitment from the left-handed hitting 2020 middle infielder.

“Speed is the biggest thing,” Franken said of what Youngstown State liked about his game. “I’m not tall yet, but I hope to get to 6-0.

“What they like is the way I play, with my nose in the dirt. I’m always looking for ways to outplay the opponent with pure effort and use my speed for aggressiveness.”

The 5-9 165-pounder points to his versatility at the plate as a big part of his game.

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