Newman grad Brendan Tunink has three home runs in first three pro games in Single-A

Newman graduate Brendan Tunink is off to a strong start with the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers based in Ontario, Cal.

Tunink hit a home run on April 2 in his first at-bat, which was also the first home run for the team playing in its inaugural season. He hit a second home run in the same game, and a third homer in the series finale.

Tunink has six hits in his first 12 at-bats with 12 RBIs. He’s played two games in left field and one in center.

“It’s definitely speed, defense and try to hit the ball to all parts of the field,” he said of his strengths in an interview with Dodgers 2080. “I think that’s my main goal, try not to get too much of a power hitter in me.”

BASEBALL IS AWESOME...Moment of the Day!
Brendan Tunink hit a home run in his FIRST at bat in affiliated baseball, and it was ALSO the 1st home run in the history of the ONT field in Ontario. Wow...what a memory to have made!

Tunink is a super-talented young man who has a… pic.twitter.com/JRy0bStN1H
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) April 3, 2026

The 20-year-old lefty is currently the 27th-ranked prospect on the Dodgers according to MLB.com.

“I try not to focus on that, just trying to be myself,” he said. “Go out there, play every game, be where my feet are. [I] don’t really care about moving up.

“Last year, it’s a grind in Arizona. You want to get moved up, but you’ve just got to stay where your feet are and you’ll just make progress from there.”

The Tower Buzzers’ name comes from Ontario’s aviation history and proximity to Ontario International Airport. Tower Buzzers comes from a line in “Top Gun” by Tom Cruise’s character, Maverick, which is also the team’s mascot. Ontario is 35 miles east of Los Angeles. The team plays in the California League.

Tunink was drafted in the eighth round of the 2024 draft and played his first season in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. He hit .300 with a .417 on-base percentage in 39 games with 42 hits, including 10 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 17 RBIs. He stole nine bases and posted a .967 OPS, finishing as an ACL All-Star outfielder.

Tunink is one of only a few players from the Sauk Valley area in the past few decades to be selected in the MLB Draft.

Seth Blair of Rock Falls was selected in the first round (46th overall) in 2007. Rock Falls’ Jakob Junis was selected in the 29th round in 2011, and Walnut’s Dan Kolb was drafted in the 17th round out of high school in 1993. Kolb opted to attend Sauk Valley Community College and Illinois State before he was drafted in the sixth round in 1995.