SAN DIEGO — As the Spring 2021 semester at the University of San Diego wound to a close, students went their separate ways for the summer and headed off to summer jobs, internships, or perhaps simply a restful few months at home after an unprecedented year of academics and athletics.

For many San Diego baseball players, however, the grind — and the adventures — continued. Once the 2021 season concluded, they headed off to faraway places like Waterloo, Mankato, and Kokomo to play for teams with names like the Bucks, the MoonDogs, and the Jackrabbits. San Diego players excelled in their summer league stints, sharpening their skills ahead of next season while having a bit of fun doing it.

"The biggest thing is for guys to go out and compete," San Diego head coach Brock Ungricht said of his athletes' time in summer leagues. "To learn about themselves away from the program…to get at-bats, to get innings, for them to learn how to persevere through different conditions than a college baseball season. It's very gratifying knowing that (these players) took advantage of their opportunity to get better…they found that belief in themselves, that confidence."

Here's a look of some of the Toreros' biggest summer league performances from across the country this year.

Chase Meidroth, Kokomo Jackrabbits, Northwoods League
Meidroth, who will enter his sophomore year in the fall, showed promise this past spring when he launched a ninth-inning home run in conference play and drove in a couple runs in just six games of action. The Manhattan Beach, CA native took things to the next level in the Northwoods League with the Kokomo Jackrabbits, batting .345 (60-for-174) for the summer season with 11 doubles, a triple, a home run, 44 RBIs, 40 walks, and five stolen bases. He slugged .437, got on base at a .471 clip, and was named to the 2021 Northwoods League All-Star Game as a representative of the Great Lakes Team.

Max Jung-Goldberg, Waterloo Bucks, Northwoods League
Jung-Goldberg, a junior who notched 36 at-bats in 18 games this spring for USD, found success in the Northwoods League as well. The Palo Alto, CA native was named the 2021 Waterloo Bucks Player of the Year after hitting .338/.422/.444 for a .866 OPS alongside nine doubles, four home runs, 34 runs scored, 40 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. He was able to showcase his versatility over the summer, playing 109.1 innings at first base with just one error and 174.0 in the outfield with one error and two outfield assists

Kevin Sim, La Crosse Loggers, Northwoods League
Sim, a utility player who is now entering his sophomore year, built off of an impressive true freshman campaign in the spring with a dynamic summer season in the Northwoods League. The San Diego, CA native led the Loggers with a .329 batting average (49-for-149), adding nine doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 16 walks, and two stolen bases in 35 games. He slugged .544 and got on base at a .404 clip, earning himself an appearance in the 2021 Northwoods League Big League Dreams Showcase, in which he launched a 392-foot home run.

Brycen Mautz, Waterloo Bucks, Northwoods League
Mautz, a 6-3 lefty, joined his teammate Jung-Goldberg on the Bucks, and had similar success. He pitched his way to a 2.08 ERA in 30.1 innings on the hill, allowing just 11 runs while holding opponents to a .218 batting average against him. Look for Mautz to enjoy a breakout season next year after an impressive spring and summer.

Angelo Peraza, Dansville Dans, The Prospect League
Peraza, who played both catcher and outfield for USD this past spring, put together a strong summer season in The Prospect League for the Dansville Dans, batting .319 (44-for-138) with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, 16 RBIs, 33 walks, and 11 stolen bases.

Ivran Romero, Mankato MoonDogs, Northwoods League
Romero, a sophomore righty who threw 20 consecutive scoreless innings to begin his career as a Torero this spring, dominated in the Northwoods League with the Mankato MoonDogs. He put together a 0.68 ERA in 26.1 innings of work, allowing just four total runs in five games. He held other teams to a minuscule .138 batting average against him and struck out 23 batters alongside a 1-0 win-loss record.

Will Worthington, Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, The Prospect League
Worthington, who started 15 games for the Toreros at second base in the spring, put together a dynamic campaign in The Prospect League for the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp this summer, batting .317 (39-for-123)  with a pair of home runs, 12 RBIs, 21 walks, nine stolen bases, and three doubles in 40 games. Worthington's big summer marked the continuation of momentum he established this past season with USD, when he batted .264 (14-for-53) with 14 RBIs and a home run.