McKees Rocks Native, Montour Grad Signs With Wild Things

WASHINGTON, Pa. - The Washington Wild Things have made their second transaction in three days by announcing the signing of a local talent, adding to the pitching staff. Sam Mersing, a right-handed pitcher, has been signed to a deal with the team. Mersing is a McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, native and graduated from Montour High School before matriculating to and graduating from the University of Pittsburgh after four seasons with the Panthers.

A big part of going to Pitt was being close to home for Mersing, and while he wasn’t drafted, he now has a chance to play professional baseball close to home.

“Staying close to home means the world to me,” said Mersing. “My pap has always been my number one fan. There’s nothing more he loves to do than to watch me play whether it’s coming to the field or watching on the computer. Then my mom and sister, along with many other family members and close friends have always supported me. So being able to play for the Wild Things, a team I grew up watching, is a real honor.”

For the Spartans at the high-school level, Mersing was a standout. Montour had missed the playoffs for three-consecutive years prior to the arrival of the right-hander to the team. During his freshman season, Mersing and the Spartans qualified for the playoffs and a semifinal berth in the Class Triple-A playoffs.

For the next three years, Mersing was the ace of the Montour pitching staff. Over the course of his four years at the Triple-A school, Mersing compiled a 17-7 record, and had a sub-2.00 earned run average in each season. He was also named to the All-Section team in all four seasons.

That’s when Mersing went to play for his hometown Pitt Panthers and longtime skipper Joe Jordano. In four seasons, Mersing appeared in a combined 62 contests (20 starts) and owned a career record of 13-10 and a 4.92 ERA in 173.2 innings. In that work, he struck out a total of 140 batters as primarily a bullpen guy. He had his best season as a senior, after making a transition mechanically from a three-quarter arm slot to a sidearm release. Mersing worked a bullpen-high 50.2 innings and was 3-2 with a 3.20 ERA and three saves. He allowed just 18 runs on 53 hits and walked nine compared to 42 punchouts.

“Over the years, I’ve been at my best when I’m getting ahead of hitters, throwing strikes and pitching to contact,” said Mersing. “As a side-arm guy, the days of blowing the ball by people are just about over. My main concern now as a pitcher is rolling ground balls.”

Mersing now looks to bring that talent to the mound at Wild Things Park, and the team is excited to have him.

“Sam has been on our radar since early August and we are happy to make this official today,” said Wild Things general manager Steven Zavacky. “It’s a pretty cool story: being a McKees Rocks kid, playing collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh and now having the opportunity to play minor-league baseball so close to home. We believe he can build on his strong senior season as a Pitt Panther and grow into a valuable piece here in Washington.”

To follow along with the roster moves throughout the 2017-18 offseason, follow the Wild Things’ Twitter @WashWildThings and stay connected with our Facebook page at facebook.com/washingtonwildthings. Blog posts will also be posted on our website, washingtonwildthings.com.