Florence’s Hank Zeisler, New Jersey’s Sonny Fauci Earn Weekly Awards

*** This release was prepared for the Frontier League on Aug. 3, 2026. You can read the original here ***

AVON, OH – As playoff races start to heat up, Florence Y’alls first baseman Hank Zeisler and New Jersey Jackals right-handed pitcher Sonny Fauci led their teams to wins with strong performances. Fauci struck out 20 batters and allowed one run over 14 innings, while Zeisler hit eight home runs and drove in 19 runs while carrying a .625 batting average and 2.364 OPS across seven games.

Florence Y’alls first baseman Hank Zeisler powered his team to an undefeated week, collecting 10 extra-base hits in seven games. Zeisler began his week by hitting two home runs on Tuesday against the Joliet Slammers. He homered and doubled amid a five-RBI day on Thursday as the Y’alls completed the sweep.

Zeisler doubled and drove in another run on Friday against the Gateway Grizzlies. On Saturday, he went 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. He tallied his third multi-home run game of the week on Sunday, again leaving the yard twice in game one of a doubleheader. Zeisler hit his eighth home run of the week in game two.

Zeisler’s 1.096 OPS is second in the league this season, while his 18 home runs rank fourth. He also set Florence franchise records in career home runs (47) and walks (173) over the course of his big week. Zeisler is in his fourth season with the Y’alls and was named the first baseman for the All-Frontier League Team last year. He played collegiately at Chapman, Nevada-Las Vegas, and Missouri.

New Jersey Jackals right-hander Sonny Fauci allowed one run and struck out 20 batters across fourteen innings to earn Pitcher of the Week. Fauci pitched seven scoreless innings on Tuesday against the Lake Erie Crushers, conceding just two hits and one walk while striking out eleven.

Fauci started again on Sunday against the Washington Wild Things and again pitched seven strong innings. He allowed one run on five hits and three walks while recording nine strikeouts. New Jersey won both games, and Fauci has now thrown five quality starts in a row.

Fauci is in his second season with the Jackals. His 96 strikeouts this year rank second most in the league. Before joining New Jersey last season, Fauci played for the MLB Draft League’s Trenton Thunder in 2024. He spent his final collegiate season at Rutgers in the same year after playing four seasons at St. John’s.