By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Owen Oreskovich got earlier work in on constructing the 2023 Burlington Bees’ roster.

Oreskovich, in his second year of managing the Prospect League team, started working in late September to put together his 30-player team.

And by the end, he even got to be more selective on filling the final few spots.

Now, Oreskovich wants to see what his team can do, beginning with Wednesday’s season opener against the Quincy Gems at Community Field.

Oreskovich had a late start putting together the 2022 team — he wasn’t named manager until the fall of 2021 — but knowing he was coming back for a second season, he had a little more time to prepare.

“I would never say it’s easy,” Oreskovich said Tuesday. “You know, it was a little different this year. I got a little bit more of a head start. And, I was a little bit more picky with it.”

Putting together a roster is all about competition and contacts. There are 17 Prospect League teams, and countless more around the nation in other leagues, so finding college players willing to spend some time in the summer in a wood-bat league isn’t the easiest.

Oreskovich said players who were coming back from last season, like infielder Jaden Hackbarth and outfielder/pitcher Nick Tampa, helped recruit players. He also talked to coaches he met at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention in January.

Oreskovich knew what he was looking for when offering players.

“I was trying to get guys that, when I would talk to them, that it seemed like they really love baseball, want to play baseball,” Oreskovich said. “Play the game, enjoy the summer and a great atmosphere with some great fans. When talking to the guys that understood that, it made it easy for me to say yes to them.

“Everybody that I’ve met so far with this team, everybody that I’ve talked to, they seem like  genuine human beings and I’m excited for them, because I think they’re good baseball players.”

Oreskovich doesn’t have his full roster yet. Outfielders Will Mulflur and Coy Sarsfield will be with Iowa in the NCAA tournament this weekend in Terre Haute, Indiana — Mulflur already was planning to not be with the team until early July as he recovers from a lower back injury earlier this season. Others are playing in different postseason tournaments.

Oreskovich expects to have at least 23 players in uniform for Wednesday’s game.

“It’s definitely workable,” Oreskovich said. “It should be for this first week, we’ll have at least 23 players, maybe 24. Sometimes it’s what you’ve got to do in the summer. We should be able to work through it just fine, and it’s going to give guys a lot of experience early on.”

Putting together a roster also means planning ahead. Most players don’t play a full season in the Prospect League, so there’s also the Plan B of what to do to fill spots later in the season.

“There are some who pitch the first half of the summer and shut down in the second half, or the other way around,” Oreskovich said. “Every-day guys might sit out the first half and want to play in the second half. So, when talking to guys, there were some who said they’re interested in the second half and so we’ll look to them when we have to fill some spots.”

The main selling point, Oreskovich said, is he wants the players to enjoy their time while getting to play.

“That’s the big thing,” he said. “I’m not an uptight guy, by any means. I told them if there’s something they want to talk about, my door is always open. I’m all about them having fun, because it’s supposed to be fun.

“Now, if I need to get on them, I’ll get on them. But I’m not here to make anyone’s summer hell. I want to win, but I want them to enjoy it, too.”

PITCHERS (14)

Ryan Donley (LHP, Oakland University) — Hasn’t pitched this season

Jeremy Fox (RHP, Morton College) — 6-5, 3.04 ERA in 14 appearances. 78 strikeouts in 63 innings.

Luke Fredrick (LHP, Clarke University) — 0-0, 3.00 ERA in 3 appearances

Chase Golden (RHP, Western Illinois) — 0-1, 12.54 ERA in 23 appearances, 13 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings.

Dylan Haslett (RHP, Oakland University) — 0-0, 13.03 ERA. Opponents hit .212.

Jake Jakubowski (RHP, Heartland Community College) — 1-0, 4.57 ERA in 17 appearances. 24 strikeouts in 21 ⅔ innings.

Preston Kaufman (RHP, Benedictine University) — Hasn’t pitched this season.

Drew Martin (RHP, Heartland Community College) — 0-0, 5.23 ERA in 11 appearances, with 16 strikeouts in 10 ⅓ innings.

Cauy Massner (RHP, Iowa Wesleyan) — 0-4, 9.07 ERA with Bees last season.

Rem Maxwell (RHP, Georgia Southern) — Hasn’t pitched this season.

Aiden McGee (RHP, Minnesota State-Mankato) — 2-0, 5.33 ERA, 31 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings

Adrian Nery (RHP, Union College) — 1-3, 8.76 ERA with Bees last season.

Jaden Siemer (RHP, Hanover College) — 0-4, 11.81 ERA, 23 strikeouts in 21 ⅓ innings.

Nick Tampa (LHP, Morton College) — 9.28 ERA in 4 appearances. Also plays the outfield, and is hitting .284 with 6 HRs. Hit .205 with the Bees last season, and pitched in 14 games.

Jacob Zahner (RHP, Southeastern Community College) — Hasn’t pitched this season.

CATCHERS (3)

Jackson Fisher (Illinois-Chicago) —  .083 in 14 games

Mason Schwalbach (McHenry County College) — .412, 22 HRs, 88 RBIs

Ian Wolski (Hawaii Pacific) — .357, 1 HR, 16 RBIs

INFIELDERS (7)

Brandon Bickford (Mount Mercy) — .250 with 2 HRs. Hit .250 with the Bees last season.

Drew Gaskins (Oakland University) — Incoming freshman

Jaden Hackbarth (McHenry County College) — .370, 4 HRs, 48 RBIs. Hit .247 with the Bees last season.

Connor Laeng (Concordia-Irvine) — .600 in 6 games.

Kooper Schulte (Central Arizona College) — .242 in 33 games.

Keanu Spencer (Scottsdale Community College) — .301 with 3 home runs and 25 RBIs.

Caleb Wulf (Southeastern Community College) — .386, 52 RBIs in 61 games.

OUTFIELDERS (5)

Cedric Dunnwald (Mount Mercy) — Hit .200 in three games with the Bees last season.

Tanner Holland (Central Arizona College) — Redshirted this season.

Will Mulflur (Iowa) — .167 in 11 games. Battled lower back injury early in the season. Will join the team for the second half of the season.

Trenton Rice (Oakland University) — Incoming freshman.

Coy Sarsfield (Iowa) — .176 in 16 games

Photo: Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich (right) congratulates Spencer Nivens after a home run last season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Will Mulflur was just glad to be back in the lineup.

The Iowa utility player, who had just seven at-bats this season heading into last weekend’s three-game Big Ten series with Ohio State, found himself in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game at Duane Banks Field.

All Mulflur did was go 2-for-4 with a home run in the 15-3 win, and followed that with a 1-for-3 outing in Sunday’s 5-2 loss.

Mulflur, who is on the Burlington Bees’ roster for this summer’s Prospect League schedule, finally got a chance to hit after battling with a back injury for most of the season.

“It felt great,” Mulflur said. “I’ve been waiting for the opportunity for a while to kind of crack back (into the lineup), try to help out.”

Mulflur, who hit .268 with the Hawkeyes last season, had appeared in just six games this season before this weekend, going 0-for-7 with two walks. But coach Rick Heller, looking for someone to fill in a spot in the lineup with Keaton Anthony out indefinitely, turned to Mulflur on the warmest day of the season so far.

“That’s good coaching,” Heller said, laughing. “He was my pick to click, and I write the lineup out.

“We’ve been wanting to get Will integrated into the offense. He’s been fighting the bad back most of the season. And the cold weather is really tough on him — there have been days when you could tell he wasn’t feeling it. He really is a good, mature teammate who will tell you how he feels.”

But Heller knew on Saturday that Mulflur was ready.

“I watched him in (batting practice) today and on his last swing he hit one over the hawk (logo) in left field,” Heller said. “I could tell he was moving pretty good today.”

Mulflur’s home run came off Ohio State reliever Nolan Clegg in the fourth inning, part of a 19-hit day for the Hawkeyes. His other hit was an eighth-inning single.

“I felt like I saw the ball well today,” Mulflur said. “Just tried to stick to my plan, do everything I’ve been doing since I was 12 years old. Hit some balls hard, and that felt good.”

Heller stuck with Mulflur again on Sunday. Mulflur reached base in the fourth inning when he was hit by a pitch, and singled to lead off the sixth inning.

“He’s a good hitter,” Heller said. “A good, solid hitter. An older guy with some maturity and experience.”

Mulflur, a junior who grew up in Mercer Island, Washington, played one season at Tacoma Community College before transferring to Iowa.

When he joins the Bees, it will be his second summer-league season. He played last year in the West Coast League, a league in the Northwest with teams in the United States and Canada.

“The travel was a little weird, because you were always crossing the border between the U.S. and Canada,” said Mulflur, who hit .265 in 28 games with Port Angeles. “It was good, they’ve got a lot of great Pac-12 pitchers out there. It’s a pitcher-heavy league. It’s a good competition league, and I think the Prospect League will probably be the same.”

Mulflur isn’t sure when he’ll join the Bees, whose season opens May 31. The Hawkeyes are contenders for an NCAA tournament bid, and Mulflur wants to take some time to rest his back after Iowa’s season ends.

For now, he’s glad to be a part of Iowa’s run.

“It’s just sticking with the same approach every day,” Mulflur said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re pinch-hitting in the eighth inning or starting, you’ve got to be ready to hit. You have to have your scouting report and your information. It was just staying ready, trusting my eyes, trusting that I’ve done this before and if I stick to my plan, things will work out.”

Photo: Iowa’s Will Mulflur (42) celebrates after his two-run home run in Saturday’s win over Ohio State. (Jerod Ringwald/hawkeyesports.com)

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Twenty-four players have committed to the Burlington Bees for the upcoming Prospect League season, including eight NCAA Division I players.

The roster includes two players with local connections — pitcher Jacob Zahner of Burlington (Southeastern Community College) and infielder Kooper Schulte of New London (Central Arizona College).

Several players return from last season — pitcher Nick Tampa, infielder Jayden Hackbarth, outfielder Cedric Dunnwald and infielder Brandon Bickford.

Six open spots remain on the roster. The Bees open the season May 31 at home against the Quincy Gems.

A look at the roster:

PITCHERS

Ryan Donley (LHP, Oakland University) — Hasn’t pitched this season

Luke Fredrick (LHP, Clarke University) — 0-0, 3.00 ERA in 3 appearances

Chase Golden (RHP, Western Illinois) — 14.18 ERA in 18 appearances, 11 strikeouts in 13 ⅓ innings.

Dylan Haslett (RHP, Oakland University) — 10.61 ERA in 9 ⅓ innings.

Preston Kaufman (RHP, Benedictine University) — Hasn’t pitched this season.

Rem Maxwell (RHP, Georgia Southern) — Hasn’t pitched this season.

Aiden McGee (RHP, Minnesota State-Mankato) — 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 26 strikeouts in 18 innings

Jaden Siemer (RHP, Hanover College) — 0-4, 14.04 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 16 ⅓ innings.

Nick Tampa (LHP, Morton College) — 4.26 ERA in 3 appearances. Also plays the outfield, and is hitting .299 with 4 HRs. Hit .205 with the Bees last season, and pitched in 14 games.

Jacob Zahner (RHP, Southeastern Community College) — Hasn’t pitched this season.

CATCHERS

Mason Schwalbach (McHenry County College) — .408, 10 HRs, 57 RBIs

Ian Wolski (Hawaii Pacific) — .327, 1 HR, 13 RBIs

INFIELDERS

Brandon Bickford (Mount Mercy) — .240 with 2 HRs. Hit .250 with the Bees last season.

Jaden Hackbarth (McHenry County College) — .345, 2 HRs, 24 RBIs. Hit .247 with the Bees last season.

Connor Laeng (Concordia-Irvine) — .500 in 5 games.

Kooper Schulte (Central Arizona College) — .242 in 33 games.

Jake Schulz (Concordia-Irvine) — .219, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs.

Caleb Wulf (Southeastern Community College) — .394, 37 RBIs in 47 games.

OUTFIELDERS

Cedric Dunnwald (Mount Mercy) — Hit .200 in three games with the Bees last season.

Drew Gaskins (Oakland University) — 2023 high school graduate

Tanner Holland (Central Arizona College)

Will Mulflur (Iowa) — .000 in 7 games

Trenton Rice (Oakland University) — Hasn’t played this season.

Coy Sarsfield (Iowa) — .154 in 12 games

Photo: Infielder Jaden Hackbarth is one of the players returning to the Burlington Bees this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By John Bohnenkamp

Burlington Bees designated hitter Kevin Santiago was named to the Prospect League’s Western Conference All-Star team on Monday.

Santiago was the only Bees player selected to the team. He hit .307 and had a .927 OPS this season.

Santiago, who played at Texas Wesleyan University, was in his second season with the Bees. He tied for third in the league with 10 home runs, and was eighth in runs batted in with 49. He was 14th in the league in hitting, eighth in slugging percentage (.536) and 22nd in on-base percentage (.391).

Also named to the Western Conference team was Clinton catcher Cade Moss, who plays at Iowa. Moss hit .319 in 29 games with the LumberKings.

Alton’s Eddie King Jr., was named the league’s player of the year. King, who plays at Louisville, hit .310 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. He had a 1.072 OPS, and had 31 stolen bases.

Danville’s Khal Stephen, a pitcher from Purdue, was named the pro prospect of the year. Stephen was 4-0 with a 2.02 ERA, striking out 36 in 26 ⅔ innings.

Another Danville pitcher, Josh Leerssen, was named the starting pitcher of the year. He was 5-0 in nine starts with a 0.75 earned run average, striking out 67 in 48 innings.

Danville’s Landon Tomkins was the fireman of the year, with a 3-1 record and six saves. He struck out 40 in 30 ⅔ innings, and had an 0.88 ERA.

Danville’s Eric Coleman was named manager of the year.

Photo: Kevin Santiago was named to the Prospect League Western Conference All-Star team on Monday. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By John Bohnenkamp

Steven Escarcega wanted to work on his pitching when he decided to play for the Burlington Bees this summer.

What he didn’t know was he was coming to a city where there was a family connection.

Escarcega’s great-grandfather, Edward Boltz, and his great-uncle, Everett Boltz, grew up in Burlington.

“It’s pretty funny to know there were some roots for my family here,” Escarcega said. “I thought it was pretty cool to hear, because it was something I really didn’t know about.”

Escarcega is from Monrovia, California, and redshirted this season at Hawaii Pacific University.

His original plan was to play in a college league in northern California this summer, and when he changed his plans and decided to come to Burlington, that’s when he found out the family ties.

“I honestly didn’t know until I reached out to my uncle,” Escarcega said. “I originally was going to play in northern California, and my uncle lives up there. That was the first place I was going to play, and I was going to stay with him in the summer, hanging out with him.

“So I left him a message, saying I was going to Burlington, Iowa, instead and not coming there. Literally, he called me two minutes later, and he was like, ‘You will not believe this. Your great-grandfather grew up there.’”

Coming to Iowa has been a new experience for Escarcega.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this far east and north,” he said. “I really like it here. It’s a great place.”

Escarcega went to Hawaii Pacific to pursue a degree in diplomacy and military studies — “I wanted to go somewhere that had a military studies major or something like that,” he said — and joined the baseball team. Escarcega didn’t play this season, and when his coach, Dane Fujinaka, saw on social media that Bees manager Owen Oreskovich was looking for pitchers, Fujinaka reached out.

“He said, ‘I’ve got this kid I want to send out there, if you guys would like him,’” Oreskovic said. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’”

“At the end of the year, (Fujinaka) wanted me to reach some goals, like increasing (velocity), gaining some weight,” Escarcega said. “So he wanted me to come here, to get some work.”

Escarcega has been a big part of the Bees’ pitching staff in the opening two weeks of the season. He is 1-0 in four appearances, with a 1.08 earned run average. He has allowed just four hits in 8 ⅓ innings while striking out five.

“Steve has been incredible for us coming out of the bullpen,” Oreskovich said. “He’s fresh (having not played this spring). But every time he’s gone out there this summer for us, it doesn’t look like that. That makes me happy.”

“I’ve been like, ‘Whatever you need me, put me in,’ because I haven’t really played since last June,” Escarcega said. “It has been almost 365 days since I pitched in an organized game.

“When I pitched in high school, I was facing sophomores, juniors. Now here, I’m facing guys that have played a couple of seasons of college. I haven’t seen competition like this in a long time. This is a new skill, a new competition for me. Guys are bigger, a lot better than what I’ve faced.”

The idea of meeting new people was something that Escarcega looked forward to coming to Burlington.

“The first day, when I got here, when they had the team dinner, I looked around and I thought, ‘Oh, geez, I’m not going to remember any names come morning,’” Escarcega said, laughing. “Every single day, it’s just about getting to know people, hearing their stories. It becomes more about making lifelong friends among your teammates.”

BY THE NUMBERS

• Weston Fulk, who redshirted at Iowa this season, is hitting .400 over the last three games. Fulk had his first two home runs of the season in back-to-back wins over the Cape Catfish Friday and Saturday.

• Sam Monroe had his six-game hitting streak snapped in Sunday’s 17-3 loss at Springfield. Monroe has four multi-hit games this season.

• A.J. Henkle has a three-game hitting streak, batting .385 in the streak.

UP NEXT

• At Illinois Valley Tuesday and Wednesday. The Pistol Shrimp are 6-5 and are on a three-game winning streak.

• Vs. O’Fallon on Thursday. The Bees return home for a short two-game homestand. O’Fallon swept the Bees in last Thursday’s doubleheader.

• Vs. Quincy on Friday. The Gems are back after the two teams split their season-opening two-game series at Community Field on June 1-2.

• At Quincy on Saturday and at Springfield on Sunday. The Bees make a weekend trip through central Illinois in two Western Conference games.

Photo: Bees pitcher Steven Escarcega is 1-0 in four appearances this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By John Bohnenkamp

Jared Townsend’s breaking ball was working, and it helped the Burlington Bees snap their four-game losing streak.

Townsend got his first win in Prospect League play, combining with C.J. Lewis for a three-hitter in the Bees’ 5-1 win over the Normal CornBelters in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Community Field.

The CornBelters held the Bees to just four hits in the second game for an 8-3 win.

Townsend, who was the Bees’ starter in the season opener, only got through three innings in the 15-5 win over the Quincy Gems on June 1.

The left-hander was much more effective in this game, and that’s because his arsenal of pitches was better.

“He was really good out there today,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He was filling up the (strike) zone more than last time.

“His curveball was working much better tonight. He didn’t have much of a feel for it the first time, so he was basically throwing fastballs. When teams learn that you’re only throwing fastballs, it becomes a little bit easier to hit. But he had his curveball today, and his splitter a little bit.”

Townsend allowed three hits and walked four, but also struck out four.

Lewis didn’t allow a hit over two innings, walking two and striking out one.

“He did a fantastic job of going out there and getting us out of that game with a win,” Oreskovich said.

The Bees scored four runs in the third inning. Sam Monroe drove in a run with a double, then A.J. Henkle followed with a two-run double. Joey Fitzgerald also had a run-scoring single in the inning.

Monroe’s double in the fourth scored Tucker Cole for the Bees’ final run.

The Bees hadn’t won since the season opener, and Oreskovich said there was some frustration.

“No one likes to lose,” he said. “We’re on a little bit of a skid right now. I think we’ll be all right going forward.”

The Bees struggled to get any sort of offense going in the second game. All of their hits were singles.

“You’re not going to win many games with only four hits,” Oreskovich said.

Adrian Nery (0-1) took the loss, allowing six runs over four innings.

UP NEXT: The Bees play the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game at Community Field.

NOTES: Iowa catcher Ben Tallman has joined the team. Tallman played in the second game, going 0-for-3 with a walk. He picked off a baserunner at first base. … Oreskovich expects Spencer Nivens, an outfielder from Missouri State, to join the team last week. Nivens hit .346 with 11 home runs and 52 runs batted in for the Bears, who were eliminated from the NCAA tournament last weekend.

Top photo: Bees pitcher Jared Townsend picked up the win in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

By John Bohnenkamp

It didn’t take long for Weston Fulk to impress his summer manager.

Fulk, a freshman from Iowa, showed up for his first batting practice with the Burlington Bees on Saturday and well…

“Oh, man,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He came fresh out of the locker room with a bat, didn’t swing once. Got in the (batting) cage, and the first ball he hit one-hopped the 375 sign in left-center. It was a missile. Had to be a hundred (miles per hour) off the bat. I was like, ‘Oh, man.’ I think he hit three home runs after that in his first round.”

Fulk’s first game with the Bees in the Prospect League will be his first competition of 2022. He took a redshirt season with the Hawkeyes this year — Fulk can either pitch or play first base, and the Iowa depth chart was crowded at those spots.

“I kind of had some elbow pain in the winter, so I think that was the best plan for me,” Fulk said.

So, he spent home games at the end of Iowa’s dugout, watching head coach Rick Heller and his staff work. Fulk could always be seen taking baseballs out to the plate umpire, anything to keep busy.

“It always kept me locked in,” Fulk said. “It really helped me, kind of kept me in the game. I got to see what a college game looks like. And it really helped me out. I think what I learned this year will carry over with me this summer.”

Fulk came to Iowa after a successful career at Ankeny High School. He hit .485 with 12 home runs last season, and as a pitcher had a 6-3 record with a 2.42 earned run average, striking out 79 in 43 ⅓ innings.

Playing for the Bees in the college summer league was a decision Fulk knew he had to make. He’ll mostly play at first base, while also getting some work as a reliever as he builds arm strength. The chance to be a two-way player was a lure to coming to Burlington.

“Just to get more exposure. Get more at bats, get more innings,” Fulk said of why he wanted to play this summer. “Take the teaching I got at Iowa, and carry it over to here.”

“He’s a lot bigger than I thought he was,” Oreskovich said of Fulk, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds. “He’s a great kid, very respectful. He’s going to be a great kid to work with.”

Fulk was familiar with the Bees — his grandparents live in nearby New London, and Fulk watched games at Community Field when the Bees were in the Class A Midwest League.

Walking into a clubhouse that once housed a minor-league team was, “super cool,” Fulk said.

“I kind of have a little background here,” Fulk said. “I’m excited to play here.”

Fulk said it was difficult not being with the Hawkeyes in Omaha for the Big Ten tournament.

“But I’ve been watching them,” he said. “It was definitely tough sitting out this year. But I know we’ve got a pretty good team.”

Fulk is looking forward to using a wood bat this summer.

“Just swinging today, it doesn’t feel different,” Fulk said. “I think squaring a ball up with a wood bat, there’s nothing else like that.”

Oreskovich has already seen that.

“He’s impressive to watch,” Oreskovich said.

Photo: Weston Fulk (left) greets Iowa teammate Keaton Anthony before a game this season. Fulk will be playing this summer for the Burlington Bees in the Prospect League. (Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com)