Sep 9, 2021 4 min read

After the Wild Things saw left-handed pitcher Austin Kitchen signed by the Colorado Rockies shortly before the start of spring training, manager Tom Vaeth and general manager Tony Buccilli devised a game plan for the Frontier League’s annual open tryout and player draft.

Washington owned the second pick in the draft and wanted to take the best lefthanded pitcher at the tryout to replace Kitchen.

Not only did the Wild Things get the best lefty at the tryout, they also nabbed the Frontier League’s Pitcher of the Year and its Rookie of the Year, all in one pick.

Washington’s Ryan Hennen won both awards Wednesday afternoon when the league announced its end-of-season all-star teams and award winners.

Hennen was one of six members of the Wild Things to win awards. Shortstop Nick Ward won the Fran Riordan Citizenship Award, Alex Boshers was named Coach of the Year, Rylee Shimmin was chosen the Trainer of the Year, Kyle Dawson was voted Broadcaster of the Year and Logan Douglas is the Photographer of the Year.

Hennen pitched only one season of college baseball, where he was named the Division III Junior College Pitcher of the year at Century College in Minnesota in 2017.

He then transferred to North Carolina-Greensboro but suffered a torn elbow ligament that required reconstructive surgery before he could play in a game for the Spartans.

He was playing a men’s recreation league before deciding to attend the Frontier League tryout this spring in Avon, Ohio, where he caught the eye of Vaeth, who made him the Wild Things’ first-round draft pick.

The 23-year-old Hennen leads the league with a sterling 2.16 ERA in 18 games (16 starts). He has an 11-3 record and has lost only one outing at Wild Things Park. Opponents are batting only .213 against the Cold Springs, Minnesota, native.

For being named Pitcher of the Year, Hennen receives the Brian Tollberg Award. As the Rookie of the Year, Hennen won the Jason Simontacchi Award.

Ward won the Fran Riordan Citizenship Award, which is named after the former Frontier League player/manager who is currently the manager of the Oakland Athletics’ Class AAA affiliate in Las Vegas.

“Nick’s efforts have drawn great attention for the Wild Things in other markets, as well as project a very positive image of professional baseball players,” Buccilli said. “We have received numerous notes, emails and social media comments about Nick and his role as a brand/league/sport admbassador while playing in Washington and on the road.”

Boshers is the Wild Things’ pitching coach who was activated as a player at midseason. He has helped Washington post the league’s third-best team ERA.

Schaumburg first baseman Quincy Nieporte was voted the Frontier League Most Valuable Player. He is batting .350 with 16 home runs and helped the Boomers become the first team to clinch a division title.

Andy McCauley of Evansville, which took a 55-37 record into Thursday night, was named the Manager of the Year. McCauley earned his 1,000th career victory this season.

Schaumburg was named the Organization of the Year and the Boomers’ Michael Larson the General Manager of the Year.

The league named two all-star teams, one for each division. Hennen was the only Washington player on the Can-Am Conference team. The other players on the squad were first baseman Brad Zunica, third baseman Juan Silverio, designated hitter Denis Phipps and relief pitcher Trey Cochran-Gill of Tri-City, second baseman David Glaude, catcher Jeffry Parra and outfielder L.P. Pelletier of Quebec, along with shortstop Cito Culver and outfielders Chuck Taylor and Martin Figueroa of Sussex County.