Veteran Profile - Kevin Handzlik

Veteran Profile - Kevin Handzlik

Maryville, Mo. - Kevin Handzlik is the next Bearcat baseball veteran profile as the B2R builds towards the excitement of the 2016 NCAA season.  Kevin enters the 2016 season as a Sophomore.  The Omaha native stands 6'1", weighs 160 lbs, and graduated from Gross Catholic High School.  Kevin battled his way into the line-up as a true freshman last year making 25 starts and 27 appearances.  The next paragraph is the write-up provided by the official source for Bearcats athletics, bearcatsports.com:



2015
Named to the MIAA Academic honor roll ... appeared in 27 games, making 25 starts ... hit .237 on the year with 19 runs scored and eight RBI ... collected 19 hits with a double and two home runs ... drew six walks and stole one base ... had four multi-hit games ... was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a sacrifice against Lindenwood (Apr. 2).

Kevin Handzlik made quite the impression during his freshman year at Northwest Missouri State.  Kevin earned 25 starts despite All-MIAA Senior Paul Johnson at 2B, Junior Nick Gotta at SS, Senior Steven Garber at 1B, and Sophomore Luke Wilkinson/Freshman Nick Howard at 3B.  In the B2R's opinion, that's phenomenal for a first year player to earn playing time with such upper-classmen.  Kudos to Kevin Handzlik who is an extremely talented baseball player from a hotbed of baseball talent in Omaha, Nebraska.  Kevin is a skinny kid that could stand to add 30 lbs of muscle.  He is a versatile player who can play pretty much any position on the baseball field.  I have not seen Kevin pitch or play catcher, but it wouldn't surprise me if he can land in the 80s with a fastball.  Kevin can play 2B, SS, 3B, 1B, OF.

In 2015, Handzlik hit .238, started 25 games and appeared in 27, 80 at bats, 7 runs scored, 19 hits, 1 double, 2 home runs, 8 RBIs, 26 total bases, .325 slugging percentage, 6 walks, .291 on-base percentage, and 1 stolen base in 2 attempts. 

With Paul Johnson's graduation, Kevin will battle for the starting 2B job, back-up SS job, and anywhere Coach Loe can get his bat into the line-up.  2B has a tremendous amount of competition heading into the 2016 season with Handzlik, Nikko Pablo, and newcomer Ozzie Adams.  Kevin is a great kid, down to earth, fantastic smile, liked by his teammates, and an athletic specimen.  Stay tuned to see how the starting 2B job develops during spring practice.  Kevin loves his hometown, Omaha, Nebraska.  It doesn't take much to get him talking about something Omaha or Nebraska.  Expect great things from this fan favorite, Kevin Handzlik.

Go Cats!!
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