Franko Vrlić Kovačić

Franko Vrlić Kovačić

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 183 lb.

• Born October 4, 1996

Biographical Information

Franko Vrlić Kovačić has played for the Croatian national team.

Vrlić was 5 for 9 with a homer, four walks, three steals, five runs and five RBI in the 2014 European Junior Championship Qualifiers. He was also 2-0, beating Belarus and Lithuania, with no runs in 16 innings (7 H, 1 BB, 22 K). He led the event in ERA (Darko Kvaternik was also at 0.00, in 12 IP). He also led in IP, strikeouts and wins (tied with Aleksandar Kruhek).

In the 2014 European Championship, he made two appearances. He started against Spain and allowed nine hits, three walks and ten runs (all earned) in two innings before Christian Sket relieved with a 10-2 deficit. In his other outing, he relieved Jimmy Summers in the 7th with a 5-0 deficit against Great Britain. He retired Chris Berset and struck out Maikel Azcuy. Matt Roxburgh doubled but Jonathan Cramman grounded out. In the 8th, Kruhek relieved him. Only Matko Dabo allowed more runs in those Euros for Croatia.

He was used solely in the field in the 2015 B-Level European Championship, hitting .313/.421/.375 with four runs and six RBI, going two-for-two in steal attempts and playing error-free defense. Croatia won to get a spot in the 2016 European Championship. In the 2016 CEB Cup, he hit .400/.438/.400 with 3 RBI in four games and saving one game, allowing 10 hits and 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings. He led Nada SSM Split in average and tied Will Musson and Anthony Piquet for the event lead in saves.

The right-hander started Croatia's opener in the 2016 European Championship, going 1 2/3 innings (3 H, 3 BB, 6 R, 5 ER) before Danijel Levak relieved. One bright spot was a strikeout of former minor leaguer Frédéric Hanvi. His second game on the mound went better - against Great Britain, he relieved Levak in the 6th and worked the final four frames (5 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 R, 2 ER). His 11.12 ERA was in the middle of Croatia's nine-man staff. He also played some at second base and center field, going 5 for 11 with a walk, two runs and a RBI; only Kruno Gojković had a better average for Croatia. He singled three times, reached on an error and scored as a bright spot in a 22-4 loss to Italy, two of his hits coming off Ludovico Coveri, who spent time in the Phillies chain.

Sources: European Baseball Confederation, Euro Interleague