North Cook News

Oakton Community College baseball Coach Bill Fratto said this about former player Brett Synek: “Solid player, game changer.”

Here's a new phrase to refer to Synek: Member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Synek, a Northbrook native who played at Oakton in 2012 and 2013 and most recently suited up for the Lake Erie Crushers, was signed to a minor-league contract by the Pirates earlier this month, according to  the Crushers' website.

Synek's signing makes it 14 former Oakton Raiders who have been signed professionally, Fratto said in an email interview with North Cook News.

“It means a lot to the program,” Fratto said. “It shows the talent we have in our program. It shows how we have developed our players, and it helps with recruiting.”

Fratto said he recruited Synek based on a tip from a former player at Glenbrook North High School, which is Synek's alma mater. At Glenbrook North, Synek was a three-year letter winner, according to the University of Evansville's athletic website, GoPurpleAces.com.

Synek dominated from the start at Oakton. The school said that as a freshman in 2012, Synek batted .439 with 10 home runs, 56 RBIs and 72 runs scored. These numbers earned Synek All-Skyway Conference honors as the Raiders posted 43 wins, according to GoPurpleAces.com.

In 2013, Synek shined again for Oakton. In his sophomore season, he batted .367 with 52 RBIs and 31 walks, the latter two numbers being team highs. Synek also had 13 stolen bases and three homers.

That all led to a repeat showing on the all-conference team and a spot on the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region IV All-North Central District first team.

Fratto said Synek holds the Raiders' record for highest batting average.

“One of my best hitters as a coach at Oakton,” Fratto said.

Synek moved on to Evansville as an infielder for the 2014 season. As a junior for the Purple Aces, he hit .281 with two homers, 41 RBIs and a team-high .412 on-base percentage, according to the school's athletic website. Synek's 43 walks led the team, second-best in the Missouri Valley Conference. Synek reached base in 21 straight games to end the season, and he was named MVC Player of the Week during the season and received honorable mention on the All-MVC team.

Synek's senior season in 2015 started well, as he hit .374 in the opening weekend against Arkansas-Little Rock and notched five two-hit games, according to GoPurpleAces.com. However, a knee injury shortly afterward cut short his final season.

Synek's time with Lake Erie wasn't long. The team signed him June 28 and had him listed as a catcher. According to the team's website, Synek was 1-for-7 with a double and two RBIs in four games before being signed by the Pirates.

Lake Erie plays in the independent Frontier League.