Shaun Bennett

The Gazette

AVON — Drew Saylor’s baseball career has been filled with movement.

The Wadsworth High standout began his college career at Cincinnati and finished at Kent State.

He was then drafted by the Florida Marlins and played in their farm system in 2006, signed and played for the Houston Astros Single-A team in 2007 and played for the Chillicothe Paints of the independent Frontier League last year.

So Saylor seems somewhat relieved that the latest stop in his career — the Frontier League’s expansion Lake Erie Crushers — has brought him back to an area he’s comfortable with.

“I’ll have around 20 to 25 people at tonight’s game,” Saylor said of the Crushers’ home opener Tuesday in Avon. “A lot of my family will be here and my fiancée (Amanda Fisher’s) family will be here. It should be a lot of fun.”

Saylor’s been having a good time so far this season, and the Crushers are probably enjoying having him in the lineup. The second baseman leads the team with three home runs and 11 RBIs through the first nine games of the season.

“Drew’s a proven hitter … he’s a proven hitter in this league,” Crushers manager John Massarelli said. “We haven’t been too worried about him at the plate.”

In 35 at-bats, Saylor has nine hits — including a pair of doubles — for a .257 average, and has scored eight runs, walked four times and leads the team with 11 strikeouts.

He plans on having a few former Grizzlies teammates up for games during this weekend’s homestand, and has made the hour-and-15-minute trip back to his hometown weekly since signing on with the Crushers.

“I like to be able to see the family and get some home cooking,” Saylor said. “It’s really nice to be playing so close to home. It’d be a bit nicer if it was in Medina County instead of Lorain County, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.