Vavra Wins NWL Batting Championship

[KL31NY]

Valpo's Tanner Vavra won the batting title for the Northwoods League during this summer. Vavra (.381 AVG) narrowly beat out James Ramsay of USF by less than four-tenths of a batting average point. Vavra was also voted a mid-season and postseason league all-star along with his younger brother Trey. Tanner was playing with the Alexandria (MN) Beetles while Trey was playing with the Duluth (MN) Huskies. I've been announcing for the Waterloo (IA) Bucks the past couple summers so I've been keeping tabs on the Vavra clan.

Valpo usually has a couple players each year play in the "NWL." It's a summer league right behind the Cape Cod League in terms of prestige and quality of top prospects. Teams play 70 games in 75 days during the regular season in a schedule and playing experience fairly similar to low-A minor league teams.

[valpotx]

This guy just keeps amazing me more and more.  Definitely a fan!

[StlVUFan]

https://twitter.com/RobbyFSN/status/235793959476162560

The link in the tweet is from May and has already been posted here, but the interview mentioned was today.  Unfortunately, I do not see a link to said interview.

[covufan]

Valpo's Tanner Vavra won the batting title for the Northwoods League during this summer. Vavra (.381 AVG) narrowly beat out James Ramsay of USF by less than four-tenths of a batting average point. Vavra was also voted a mid-season and postseason league all-star along with his younger brother Trey. Tanner was playing with the Alexandria (MN) Beetles while Trey was playing with the Duluth (MN) Huskies. I've been announcing for the Waterloo (IA) Bucks the past couple summers so I've been keeping tabs on the Vavra clan.

Valpo usually has a couple players each year play in the "NWL." It's a summer league right behind the Cape Cod League in terms of prestige and quality of top prospects. Teams play 70 games in 75 days during the regular season in a schedule and playing experience fairly similar to low-A minor league teams.

Congrats to Tanner!  Should be an interesting spring!

[StlVUFan]

http://www.collegebaseballinsider.com/12Articles/TWIAwardFinalists.html

[historyman]

Tanner Vavra was named as one of five winners of the Tom Walter College Baseball Inspiration Award.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2012-13/11915/vavra-named-tom-walter-award-winner/

The Tom Walter Award's namesake is currently the head coach at Wake Forest, where he donated a kidney to freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan prior to the 2011 season.  The 2012 winners include Marty Gantt from College of Charleston, Mike Kent from Clemson, Alex Silver from Texas and Carter Smith from UT Martin (born with no right hand) in addition to Vavra.

[VUfan]

"Vavra has succeeded on the diamond while being blind in one eye after suffering a pair of injuries to the eye during his youth." That is Amazing! 

[KL31NY]

Vavra was also named the Rawlings "Big Stick" Award winner among Northwoods League 2nd basemen. It's basically the NWL's version of the Silver Slugger

[valpotx]

I look forward to the season in a few months, and hopefully a repeat championship!