Mick VanVossen

Mick VanVossen, the hard throwing right handed pitcher from Forest Hills Central, is poised to be one of the top pitchers in the state in 2010.

After getting several successful starts as a Freshman for the Rangers, VanVossen spent his Sophomore and Junior seasons as the team’s #2 starter behind current University of Michigan pitcher Alex Lakatos.

With Lakatos off to Ann Arbor, VanVossen is ready to take over the #1 starter’s role.

During his Sophomore season, VanVossen was 6-0 on the mound with a 3.41 ERA. He struck out 63 batters in 49 1/3 innings while allow opponents to hit just .191 off of him.

His Junior year was even better as he dropped his ERA to 1.74 while going 5-1. His batting average against dropped to .173 while he struck out 59 in 40 1/3 innings.

His performances on the mound helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back OK Black Conference Championships.

In 2011, VanVossen will need to carry more of the load both on the mound and at the plate. The Rangers graduated six of their eight starting position players, five of whom are playing college baseball. Those graduates were also 5 of the top 6 pitchers for FHC.

Offensively, VanVossen hit .304 in 2010 with 2 HR’s and 21 RBI’s. The team will depend on him as an anchor of the batting order in 2011.

When not pitching, VanVossen plays in the outfield where his strong arm has cut down many runners on the bases.

His high 80′s fastball and 6′ 3″ frame have attracted college and pro scouts since his Freshman year. Earlier this fall, VanVossen committed to play for Jake Boss at Michigan State, fulfilling a long-time goal for the Spartan fan.

An injury in the final game of the 2010 high school season required knee surgery and prevented VanVossen from playing with his summer team at Elite Baseball.

However, he is now 100% and back to work at Elite and playing football for the Rangers as he looks forward to an exciting 2011 baseball season!