Announcement

**emkayseven** · 06-07-2013, 07:19 PM

on twitter at https://twitter.com/aperCF3

yesterday he wrote:

Ryan Aper ‏@aperCF3 23h
@TheCubsGuy nothin yet. hopin sometime early tomorrow...5-9 I'm hopin

--------------------

Junior College All-America Second Team as a freshman … Earned Region 24 First Team honors last season … Hit .415 with 23 doubles, 11 triples, 11 home runs and was 22-for-23 in stolen bases last year … Named the 2010 Lincoln Courier Player of the Year as a member of the Lincoln Community High School team … Two-time all-conference in high school … Set single season records in at-bats, hits and wins … Also holds the school record for career wins … will be a junior for the 2014 season at MT.

Coach McGuire on Aper: “Ryan is one of the very few true five tool kind of recruits all schools covet. He is a very good runner that covers a great deal of ground in the outfield and also has an arm that opposing teams must take notice of. Athletically, he is special and with a fall in the weight room, he has a chance to be a very special kind of hitter that steals a lot of bases and hits for power. We are very excited about all the aspects Ryan will bring to our team.”

http://www.goblueraiders.com/content.cfm/id/64039
--------------------
https://soundcloud.com/lincolncourie...rier-interview

audio interview at that link

says the Marlins were scouting him and has a full ride scholarship to Middle Tennessee State University

**emkayseven** · 06-08-2013, 07:15 AM

Ryan Aper already knew his draft stock had risen significantly Friday afternoon.

A call from the Boston Red Sox with a 50-50 chance they’d take the Lincoln Land sophomore with the 173rd overall pick in the MLB First-Year Player draft took care of that.

So the only surprise for the 2011 Lincoln grad was when he heard his named called as the 172nd overall pick — No. 6 in the sixth round — by the Miami Marlins.

“I was waiting for the Red Sox with the next spot,” Aper said. “It was definitely a pleasant surprise.”

Aper said he had no clear idea about when he would be selected in the draft — it really wasn’t a consideration after graduating from Lincoln or following his freshman season at Lincoln Land. But the 6-foot-3 center fielder did know he wanted to be picked Friday.

“I didn’t want to wait another day,” Aper said. “I probably grew my first gray hair today.”

His standout sophomore season took care of eliminating the worry about any more gray hairs.

Aper was the national leader in home runs (17) among NJCAA Division II teams and also ranked third nationally in stolen bases (51). He also ended his Loggers’ career with the single-season records for batting average (.462) and hits (96) while ranking second in runs, steals and triples.

“From what I heard, everybody liked that I flashed good speed when I ran my 60s wherever I went,” Aper said about feedback he got from scouts. “I’m pretty confident I can play center field wherever I go. Whatever (scouts) said was along the lines of — good speed, good bat.”

But while he’s done nothing but hit at Lincoln Land, Aper said he heard some teams were concerned if his abilities will translate to the next level. The scouting report listed on mlb.com backs up that assertion.

The scouting report reads: “Aper is very athletic and has solid tools, but scouts aren’t completely sold on his hitting ability. He has a quick swing, but some scouts still wonder how he will adjust to facing better pitching.”

The report in itself might be the motivation Aper needs to prove his doubters wrong.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I’ve always hit. I’ve never doubted myself as a hitter or an overall baseball player. You take it for what it’s worth.

“It definitely wasn’t handed to me — a lot of hard work, a lot of grinding and a lot of blisters on my hands. You get out of it what you put into it. At a very young age, I knew baseball was something I wanted to take seriously.”

http://herald-review.com/sports/base...a4bcf887a.html

**Fritz** · 06-08-2013, 09:01 PM

His name is R. Aper.

**emkayseven** · 06-09-2013, 09:42 AM

well that was fast

Lincoln Land Community College center fielder Ryan Aper exhaled Saturday afternoon following a whirlwind of activity after he was taken by the Miami Marlins on Friday in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft.

The 2011 Lincoln High School graduate was selected 172nd overall. He agreed to undisclosed terms and signed a contract with the Marlins on Saturday.

“I’ve got a chest full of fresh air to breathe out now,” Aper said shortly after faxing his paperwork to Miami.

Aper, 20, is the highest draft pick in the history of LLCC’s baseball program. The highest drafted player previously was Bath Balyki High School product Mark Clark. St. Louis selected Clark in the ninth round of the 1988 draft with the 236th pick.

As of Saturday afternoon, Aper was still waiting for his assignment.

“From what I understand I might be sent to Jupiter (Fla.) by end of the week,” he said. “I’ll probably start in short-season rookie ball. I haven’t talked to anyone in the Marlins (organization) to know for sure where I’ll be staying at.”

“I’m sure it will happen here in the next couple days. They still have to finish the draft (Saturday).”

Plenty to do

It’s been a hectic and memorable few days for Aper, who is coming off a stellar two-year career at LLCC.

He led NJCAA Division II in many offensive categories and earned first team All-America honors. The right-handed hitter was first in hits (96), home runs (17), runs (82) and slugging percentage (.904). He ranked second in triples (12) and was third in stolen bases (52). He had the third best batting average (.462). He tied for eighth with 55 RBIs.

Prior to the draft, Baseball America listed Aper as the No. 2 prospect in Illinois. He was ranked No. 309 among the top 500 players in the nation. He had pre-draft workouts with Miami, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati and Texas.

Aper’s many tasks Saturday included speaking with Middle Tennessee State University baseball coach Jim McGuire about the decision to sign with the Marlins. Aper signed an NCAA Division I letter of intent with the Middle Tennessee last year.

“As bad as he wants me down there, he understood,” Aper said. “He understands a kid from smalltown USA from central Illinois getting taken in the sixth round is a pretty big accomplishment.”

http://www.sj-r.com/sports/x37335898...#axzz2Vj5cQjPC

**emkayseven** · 06-10-2013, 07:50 AM

Former Lincoln Land Community College center fielder Ryan Aper will begin his professional baseball career in the New York-Penn League with the Batavia Muckdogs, the Miami Marlins’ short-season Class-A affiliate.

Miami drafted the 2011 Lincoln High School graduate in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft with the 172nd pick overall Friday. Aper is the highest draft pick in the history of LLCC’s baseball program.

Aper, 20, received his assignment Sunday. He leaves Wednesday for Batavia, N.Y., located in the western region of the state.

Miami and Batavia are new affiliates. The Muckdogs were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals the previous six seasons. Batavia’s manager is Angel Espada, who spent 14 years in the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and New York Yankees systems.

The Muckdogs open the season June 17 on the road against the Auburn Doubledays.

http://m.sj-r.com/sjr/pm_104129/cont...tguid=0dtkKzAy

**AdamRavs** · 06-10-2013, 11:36 AM

Summer Catch!

**tjfla** · 06-10-2013, 03:59 PM

Signed for 225k

30K Under Slot

**emkayseven** · 06-10-2013, 11:18 PM

man you'd think this kid won the nobel prize

Former Lincoln Community High School baseball coach Pat Hake doesn't pretend to know what is going on in a Major League Baseball general manager's mind, but he is confident about Ryan Aper's chances to make it there.
Hake, who commented he has coached his fair share of talented players over the years, said what separated them from Aper was his passion. The way he approaches the game is one of the contributing reasons to him getting drafted in the sixth round by the Miami Marlins.
"One thing the scouts can't see is him showing up to practice on a Saturday morning when no one else is there," Hake said. "The way he plays the game, you can't measure that. When he gets into the batting cage, you can tell he is absolutely enjoying himself. To me, that is going to be the difference maker."
Aper not only has the enthusiasm, he also has the talent, which Hake said is a rare combination.
"I think it is not just his talent that makes him so draftable," Hake said. "The difference is his approach. (Aper) always had a little more desire than most. (In his first professional season), his enthusiasm will be tested, but the kind of attributes Aper has will be to his advantage. You can't teach someone to enjoy the game the way he does, and that is going to help carry him through this process."
Hake, who had Aper since he transferred back to LCHS as a sophomore in high school and coached him on the varsity teams for three consecutive seasons, said Aper's getting drafted helps push other Lincoln kids to reach for their goals.
"It really helps (the kids) to know a guy from Lincoln that has achieved something like what Aper has," Hake said. "This town is generally very supportive of athletics. To have that kind of environment and see someone reaping the rewards of their hard work really helps. A lot (of kids in this area that play baseball) know the guy, and now they will work harder to make their dreams become a reality. It really gets them fired up."
Hake said he couldn't be happier for Aper, and he is also proud to have a small hand in his development as a person and a player.

"I am so happy for him and his family," Hake said. "Just to know that I coached a kid that got drafted in the sixth round is a neat thing to have in my back pocket. It was nice to know that maybe I helped this kid with this kind of talent. I also think he is going to make it (the Major Leagues)." LCHS activities director Sam Knox thinks having a current player get an opportunity to make it the Major Leagues really makes achieving dreams in whatever the students are passionate about becomes more attainable.

"We have six professional athlete jerseys hanging on our wall in our gym," Knox said. "Many of the folks (on that wall) that played in professional sports before this group of kids were here, or knew who they were. I am sure it does gives students a little bit of a spark, 'hey, maybe I can do that too.' He's always been talented, but he gave that extra effort in practice to get himself there. It is a really good example for the kids who are trying to do what they love now."

Current LCHS coach Curt Courtwright, who gave Aper the advice to take the route of going to a junior college a couple of years ago, understands the talent-pool of being at a high level of baseball. Courtwright, who himself played in the Coastal Plains League, the No. 2 rated league behind the Cape Code league, got to see several great baseball players.

"Well, I am no expert. In my opinion, he must be an unbelievable player or they wouldn't have drafted him in the sixth round," Courtwright said. "He just must understand that he is one of the elite players in the country. Knowing some of the guys that I played with (throughout my baseball career), if he got drafted that high that must mean he is a stud."

Courtwright, who the best baseball player he claimed to have ever seen was prospect Ben Carlson, who got drafted in the fifth round, said its a compliment to the type of talent Aper possesses, and hopes that his story will inspire others.

"I sure hope so because that is the ultimate dream of anyone who plays baseball, it is to get drafted and have the opportunity to make it," Courtwright said. "I will use him as an example for the rest of my life to show if you play the game hard and the right way, it's an obtainable goal. That is one thing about baseball, you don't have to be 6 foot, 6 inches or any type of body structure to play at a big time level."

Read more: http://www.lincolncourier.com/topsto...#ixzz2VsFeKeGb

**emkayseven** · 06-13-2013, 09:58 AM

Aper named Player of Year after season with Lincoln Land Staff reports 06/12/2013 10:58 PM

Lincoln Land Community College outfielder Ryan Aper bagged another honor Wednesday when he was named National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Player of the Year.

Aper, who was drafted in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft by Miami and signed a contract Saturday with the Marlins, beat out East Central C.C. (Mississippi) shortstop Tim Anderson for the honor.

The Chicago White Sox took Anderson with the 17th overall pick in the draft.

The Lincoln native becomes the second Lincoln Land player to win the Division II national Player of the Year award. Springfield High School graduate Justin Knoedler won the award in 2000.

After putting up one of the best seasons in NJCAA Division II baseball history and earning All-America honors, Aper was assigned to Batavia, the Marlins’ short-season New York-Penn League affiliate.

He ranked third in DII with a .462 batting average and drove in 55 runs, 10th most in DII. Aper led all of NJCAA baseball with a .904 slugging percentage that included 17 doubles, 12 triples (No. 2 in NJCAA Division II) and a Division II-best 17 home runs.

He also had a .540 on-base percentage, led Division II with 82 runs scored and ranked third with 52 stolen bases.

“Aper really has kind of both the power and speed,” Marlins vice president of scouting Stan Meek was quoted on MLB.com.

Kinda cool that he beat out a first rounder

http://m.sj-r.com/sjr/pm_104129/cont...tguid=cYaYRQTV

Announcement

Ryan Aper, CF

Unassigned: Ryan Aper, CF

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment