Curt Conrad, Staff Reporter

Nick Riotto probably played himself out of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, but if the rising junior outfielder at Penn State were to end up with the Galion Graders in 2016, he wouldn’t be broken-hearted.

That is a testament to the conveniences the first year franchise — and the host families who opened their homes — offered players this summer.

“My time in Galion has been amazing,” said Riotto, who ranked third in the GLSCL with a .385 batting average and represented the Graders in the all-star game. “I want to move to a higher level, but I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again.” 

The Graders finished their first season with a record of 16-22, two wins shy of a playoff spot. While wins and losses and postseason appearances all are important to the franchise’s long-term viability, so to are the off-field experience it affords its players.

By all accounts, life in Galion was idyllic.

“It was awesome. We were treated great,” said first baseman and outfielder Mark Delas, a University of Toledo rising sophomore from Perrysburg. “Our host family took in five of us. It was a great time. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer.”

For Riotto and Delas, who play Division I baseball, the competition in the GLSCL was similar to what they encountered during their college seasons. For several of the Graders, this summer marked a significant jump in competition.

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” said Ben Hamilton, a pitcher for Division III Otterbein in Westerville. “I’ve taken some huge steps because the competition level is so great. It’s really a sink or swim situation and a lot of (small-school) guys have stepped up.”

A right-hander, Hamilton was one of Galion’s most reliable bullpen arms. He led the team with 17 appearances and ranked in the top 15 in the league with a 3.41 earned run average.

“A lot of (small-school) guys have done a really good job,” Hamilton said. “They are different players than they were at the beginning of the summer.”

The 2016 Graders likely will look vastly different than the inauguarl edition. Such is the transient nature of summer league college baseball. 

“There are guys we would want, but I’m sure we have some guys who have wishes to play in other leagues,” Galion manager Ray Neill said. “Still, the experience they had here this summer was a good one. The housing situation went very well. There’s nobody going home saying, ‘I had to stay at a hotel.’

“There are guys here who made friends for life.”

www.richlandsource.com/sports/i-couldn-t-have-asked-for-a-better-summer