Northwood pitcher Casey Euper meets the challenge in Alaska summer collegiate league

Casey Euper with his father Doug Euper in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photos courtesy Euper family).

Northwood High School pitcher Casey Euper is getting a taste of what it’s like facing college-level hitters this summer and making a name for himself with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in Alaska coached by former UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton coach Dave Serrano.

“Casey has had a wonderful summer pitching in the Alaska Collegiate Summer League,” Serrano said Monday. “He has maintained his consistency of throwing strikes and commanding all his pitches against college hitters. This experience will only propel him into his senior year and into college. I’m very proud how Casey has performed at this level never wavering from the competition.”

In seven starts, Euper has a 3-2 record with a 3.09 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 32 innings. Left-handed hitters are batting .255, and right-handed batters .232 and opposing batters are hitting .168 with runners in scoring in position against Euper.

Euper, who will be a senior at Northwood in the fall, was asked by Serrano to join the team for a few weeks this summer.

“It’s a college league and Casey is the only high school player in the league,” said his father Doug Euper, who coached his son at Northwood. “In his first start, he landed at 1 a.m. on June 8, just five days after his 17th birthday, and was the starting pitcher at 6 p.m. against the Matsu Minors. In four innings he struck out 10, giving up just 1 hit.

“It was a special night, something I’ll never forget. He pitched so well they asked him to stay for the rest of the summer. There’s a couple of weeks left in the season, he’s been a starter all summer and has held his own against all college players, many of them from Division 1 schools, and most of them three and four years older than him. He’s in the top five in the league in strikeouts and is tied for second in wins.”

The team’s coach, Serrano, is looking forward to a new challenge next season coming out of retirement to coach Johnson University’s baseball team in Knoxville, Tenn.

“Johnson is a NAIA in Knoxville where I now live and it’s perfect at this time of my career,” said Serrano, who also coached at University of Tennessee and Cal State Northridge. He led UCI to its first appearance in the College World Series and was national coach of the year in 2007.

For best view, click on the photo:

Casey Euper from Northwood High delivers a pitch in Alaska.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com