Wild Things Add Former NYIT, Sioux Falls Canaries Infielder Louis Mele
WASHINGTON, Pa. - Today the Wild Things announced the signing of former New York Institute of Technology standout Louis Mele to a contract. Mele has professional baseball experience as a versatile infielder with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association, where he played last summer following his career at NYIT.
Prior to his stint with Sioux Falls and subsequent release, Mele played four seasons at NYIT, where he had a career batting average of .301. He hit 17 home runs and drove in 98 runs, including belting nine long balls and driving in a career-high 41 runs in 2015, his sophomore season. In 2015, his batting average was a career-best .364 and he sported an OPS of 1.042, almost 150 points higher than his next-best OPS during his collegiate career.
With the Canaries, Mele hit .247 with an on-base percentage of .302, with two home runs in 96 plate appearances, including one for his first hit with Sioux Falls.
Mele drove in seven runs in the somewhat-limited action in the American Association. In his time there defensively, Mele played three infield positions, first, second and third base.
Washington's front office is excited to have Mele under contract.
"We followed Mele’s success with the Canaries and were honestly quite surprised when he became available. His year with Sioux Falls was cut short by injury but he made some significant impacts in the American Association," said general manager Steven Zavacky. "Louis carries that natural Northeast toughness in his game and that is something we found appealing. We expect his versatility to be a benefit to the team but aware that offense is his greatest asset. Hopefully we can add him to the list of impactful rookie bats we uncovered; Hector Roa, Ricky Rodriguez, Stewart Ijames and Andrew Heck."
For Mele, the continuation of his professional career is something he is looking forward to, though he knows the hard work will have to continue.
"My first professional experience is an experience I will never forget," said Mele. "I have always known the hard work, on and off the field, I put into the game would pay off. It pays off in the sense that it gives me the feeling that anything is possible when you put the time and dedication into it."
He's excited to get started after signing with the Wild Things, saying the fit is a "perfect" one as well is the organization as a whole.
"It excites me even more to know that this club has major potential for success, especially coming off a great 2017 season," said Mele. "Winning a championship is generally at the core of every player."
In terms of describing himself on the field, he gave Washington fans a glimpse of what he can do on the field.
"I see myself as a well balanced player. I try my best not to let my emotions get the best of me. As we know, baseball can be a frustrating game at times. Instead, I work to see the game with an optimistic mindset," said Mele. "[The] majority of baseball is a mental game so it is extremely important to win the small mental challenges during the course of the game. For example, if I have a bad first at bat, I know next time I am due for success."
He continued, "This mindset is something that took time to develop and was not created overnight. Many year of high school, travel, collegiate and professional baseball has helped me to develop this optimism. I'm excited to continue to grow and develop as a player with the Wild Things."
Off the field, Mele said he carries several ideals. Among those, he said he tries to stay optimistic and work hard and smart towards his goals. He'll be graduating on December 23 from NYIT, and is working part-time while training for the upcoming season as well.
Mele expects to have his role more defined closer to the season.
"I expect my role to be beneficial," he said. "I want to contribute to the success of the club in the best way the organization sees fit."
