Cal Ripken Sr. League Playoff Recap

From the Cal Ripken Sr. League
Ben White (Temple) pitched a gem for the Maryland Redbirds in the afternoon elimination game on Thursday, shutting out the Silver Spring-Takoma T-Bolts, 3-0. White scattered six hits and three walks while striking out six to get the win. Frank Florio (Stetson) drove in the difference-making runs with a two-RBI single in the fourth inning. The 'Birds added an unearned run in the eighth. Florio had three hits, and Reid Chenworth (Lubbock Christian) and Alex Frederick (UNC-Greensboro) added two apiece. T-Bolts starter Blair Delean (Maryland) allowed two runs on eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts in five innings.

Thursday night, the Bethesda Big Train pounded out eight runs on 12 hits to defeat the Herndon Braves, 8-2, and get into Friday night's Championship Game. The 3-4-5 hitters each had two hits for Bethesda, with Jarrod Parks (Mississippi State) and Luke Adkins (Mississippi State) both driving in two runs. Danny Stienstra (San Jose State) collected two hits and scored twice. Billy Rumpke (Columbia) doubled in two hits and drove in a run for the Braves, who also got an RBI single from Corey Taylor (Binghamton). Jordan Beistline (Jacksonville State) allowed a run on four hits and three walks over seven innings to get the win. He struck out four.

Pitcher of the Night in the NWL

My Northwoods League "Pitcher of the Night" in the Northwoods League from yesterday is Bryce Butt from the Wisconsin Woodchucks by way of the University of Ohio. Bryce picked up his 6th win of the summer by throwing a 9-inning complete game against the Waterloo Bucks. He allowed 1 run on 6 hits and fanned 4 last night.

Hitter of the Night in the Coastal Plain League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Coastal Plain League from yesterday's games is Ryan LaPensee from the Martinsville Mustangs by way of Wayne State University. Despite the Mustangs falling in defeat, Ryan had a great game. He went 4 for 4, with 2 doubles on the night. He is now hitting .350 on the season.

Honorable Mention
*Myckie Lugbauer (Maine--Florence) 2 for 4, hr, 2b, 3 rbi's, run
*Sam DiMatteo (Cal of Penn--Florence) 3 for 5, 2 2b's, stb, 2 runs
*Derek Spencer (Bowling Green--Outer Banks) 3 for 4, 2 runs, rbi

Hitter of the Night in the ACBL

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League from yesterday is Dan Haverstick from the Southhampton Breakers by way of the University of Rhode Island. In the 2nd game of a dh, Dan hit a walk off homer to win the game for the Breakers. He finished the game by going 3 for 5, with a double and homer.

Pitcher of the Night in the Coastal Plain League

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Coastal Plain League from the games played last night is Ryan Arrowood from the #2 ranked Forest City Owls by way of Appalachian State University. Ryan is now a perfect 10-0 this summer with the win yesterday. He allowed 0 runs on 9 hits in his outing. He also didn't walk a batter and he fanned 6 on the night.

Buchanan Continues Mastery In Cape League

From North Carolina State University
RALEIGH, N.C. - Jake Buchanan continues to roll for Cotuit as the summer season winds down in the Cape Cod League. Buchanan followed up back-to-back complete games last week with a seven-inning outing at Brewster on Monday. He allowed two runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out six in the 5-3 victory. Read the rest of this entry here.

Baseball Signs Eight For 2009-10

From Summer Ball News Source
DETROIT - Wayne State University head baseball coach Ryan Kelley has formally announced the signings of eight prospective student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to enroll at WSU this fall and join the baseball program. Read the rest of this entry here.

Owls Win 43rd Game to Set Coastal Plain League Record

From Summer Ball News Source
The Forest City Owls, a franchise in their second year in the Coastal Plain League, defeated the Martinsville Mustangs 5-0 on Wednesday at Hooker Field to win their 43rd game, setting the single-season record for the most wins in CPL history. Read the rest of this entry here.

Pitcher of the Night in the ACBL

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League from yesterday's games is Steve Cummings from the Kutztown Rockies by way of Army. Steve picked up the win last night by throwing 8 shutout innings against the Lehigh Valley Catz. In his outing, he scattered 4 hits, walked 3 and fanned 4 of the opposition. (photo is courtesy of Army Athletic Communications)

Cal Rikpen Sr. League Playoff Recap

From the Cal Ripken Sr. League
(photo Photo by Mike Gabbay)

The third-seed Herndon Braves got things rolling in the 2009 League Championship Series by upending the second-seed Maryland Redbirds, 5-3, beneath threatening but ultimately harmless clouds at Povich Field Wednesday afternoon. The Braves got a two-RBI single from Matt Simone (Binghamton) in the fourth inning and never looked back, extending their lead to 3-1 in the fifth and 5-2 in the eighth. The 'Birds scored in the bottom of the ninth after Jack Carey (Wake Forest) doubled and scored on a single by Alex Frederick (UNC-Greensboro), but the comeback ended there. Ryan Thomas (George Washington) had a double and an RBI-single for Maryland. Jake Lowery (James Madison) had two hits and two runs for the Braves.

The night-cap saw the top-seeded Bethesda Big Train overcome a two-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning to escape with a 6-5 win over the fourth-seed Silver Spring-Takoma T-Bolts. Two-out singles by Connor Bernatz (San Francisco) and Danny Stienstra (San Jose State) plated three runs to give Bethesda the lead. Mike Matta (Mount St. Mary's) struck out five of the last six batters he faced to get the win. Chris Holland (George Washington) doubled home two runs to give the T-Bolts a 5-3 lead in the top of the eighth and Mark Hill (George Mason) and Casey Allison (Wingate) each had three hits for Silver Spring.

The (2) Redbirds will face the (4) T-Bolts in an elimination game at 2:30 pm tomorrow as the 2009 League Championship Series continues at Povich Field. The (1) Big Train will take on the (3) Braves to determine the first entrant in Friday night's Championship Game.

Senators Edge Pirates in Playoff to Clinch CGL Title

From Mark Giannotto
VIENNA, Va. — It had been a strange game through seven innings Monday night as the Vienna Senators and Carney Pirates met in a one-game playoff to decide the Clark Griffith League regular season champion when Vienna second baseman Austin Booker turned a routine play into a league title. Read the rest of this entry here.

SUMMER 25: Sizzling Y-D Surges To No. 1

The following is the next installment of the PG Crosschecker/Summer Ball weekly rankings.

After four weeks at No. 1, the Coastal Plain League’s Forest City Owls (42-7) have been bumped from the No. 1 spot among the nation’s top summer-league teams. The fast-charging Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League, No. 2 previously but winners of nine straight games, took over the top spot in the weekly Top 25 rankings.

The Red Sox (24-12-1) are more than familiar with the No. 1 ranking. They were the nation’s top-ranked summer team in both 2006 and 2007 after winning back-to-back Cape League titles. Their latest surge has seen them open up a sizeable lead in the Cape’s Eastern Division standings with little more than a week remaining in the regular season, and they have positioned themselves as clearly the team to beat in the Cape’s expanded six-team playoff.

Most of the nation’s top summer leagues have started or are about to embark on post-season play, and it is readily apparent who some of the heavy favorites are to capture league titles. Look no further than the top four teams in this week’s national rankings—the same four clubs have occupied the first four spots the last three weeks. Those clubs went a combined 19-4 over the course of the last week.

Y-D was the only one of the four to go undefeated, though, and leapfrogged past Forest City, which had the misfortune of dropping from the top rung despite losing only one game. The Owls, who tied a CPL record with their 42nd win Tuesday, haven’t lost consecutive games all season—and only once have had as few as three wins between losses. Basking in the limelight of being the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, the Owls have regularly drawn crowds to home games in excess of 2,500 over the last month.

Last year’s No. 1-ranked team, the California Collegiate League’s Santa Barbara Foresters (34-9), are primed to make another run at the top spot after winning six in a row and 12 of 13. The Foresters are set to defend their title at the 75th NBC World Series, which begins Saturday in Wichita, Kan. The Foresters, fourth a week ago, moved past the West Coast League’s Corvallis Knights (39-8), into third. The Knights, who won 31 of 33 at one point this season, dropped two games last week.

We’ll rank the top 25 summer college league teams every Tuesday or Wednesday from 20-plus leagues around the country, and here’s our take on the top teams in Week Seven (last week’s ranking noted in parentheses).

Rank Team League Record

1. Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (2) Cape Cod 24-12-1

Virginia Tech OF Austin Wates (.354-0-18), second in league in hitting, has been one of big surprises on Cape.

2. Forest City (N.C.) Owls (1) Coastal Plain 42-7

App-State RHP Ryan Arrowood (9-0, 2.11) leads CPL in wins, SIU-Edwardsville RHP Spencer Patton with 96 SO.

3. Santa Barbara Foresters (4) California Collegiate 34-9

Rice OF Jeremy Rathjen (.296-4-18) leads Foresters in homers, Texas SS Darren Loy (.355-0-13) in batting.

4. Corvallis (Ore.) Knights (3) West Coast 39-8

Local JC products, 1B Trevor Ard (.400-4-32) and RHP Trevor Smith (6-0, 2.15), lead Knights in batting, wins.

5. Newport (R.I.) Gulls (5) New England 30-10

Washington RHP Andrew Kittredge (3-1, 2.43), Washington State RHP Chad Arnold (3-1, 2.68) have 18 BBs, 89 SOs.

6. Bourne Braves (23) Cape Cod 19-15-2

East Carolina 1B Kyle Roller (.331-7-21) in top three in Cape in triple-crown categories, tops league in slugging.

7. Vienna (Va.) Senators (7) Clark Griffith 29-9

Tulane freshman 1B Jamie Bruno (.327-8-36) leads league in homers, RBIs, quickly emerging as circuit’s best talent.

8. Rochester (Minn.) Honkers (18) Northwoods 35-20

Cal State Fullerton 2B Corey Jones (.291-12-35), Long Beach State RHP Drew Gagnon (4-1, 1.33) leading way.

9. Mat-Su Miners (14) Alaska 29-14

Washington State LHP David Stilley (4-1, 2.05), Arkansas RHP Sam Murphy (3-2, 1.12) team’s biggest winners.

10. Orleans Firebirds (6) Cape Cod 19-16-1

Oregon State RHP Jorge Reyes (1-2, Cape-best 0.63 ERA), ex-CWS outstanding player, has rediscovered his form.


11. Bethesda (Md.) Big Train (15) Cal Ripken Sr. 31-10

12. Lima (Ohio) Locos (16) Great Lakes 25-6

13. El Dorado (Kan.) Broncos (21) Jayhawk 33-8

14. San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Blues (12) Independent 37-11

15. Wareham Gatemen (9) Cape Cod 17-15-5

16. Victoria Generals (24) Texas Collegiate 25-12

17. La Crosse (Wis.) Loggers (11) Northwoods 33-23

18. Outer Banks (N.C.) Daredevils (13) Coastal Plain 30-18

19. Carney (Va.) Pirates (25) Clark Griffith 29-9

20. Amsterdam Mohawks (NR) New York Collegiate 30-12

21. Jersey Pilots (20) Atlantic Collegiate 25-11

22. Cotuit Kettleers (10) Cape Cod 17-16-5

23. DeLand Suns (22) Florida Collegiate 24-11

24. Anchorage Bucs (NR) Alaska 28-18

25. Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats (NR) New England 27-13

Pitcher of the Night in the NECBL

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the NECBL from yesterday's games is Alex Kaminsky from the Vermont Mountaineers by way of Wright State University. Alex picked up the win by throwing 6.2 shutout innings against the Keene Swamp Bats. He scattered 3 hits, walked 1 and fanned 5 on the night.

Hitter of the Night in the WCL

My "Hitter of the Night" in the West Coast League from yesterday's games is Jesse Moore from the Wenatchee Applesox by way of the University of Hawaii. Jesse went a perfect 5 for 5 with 2 rbi's in the win for the Applesox last night.

Honorable Mention
*Louie Templeton (Bellevue--Kelowna) 4 for 5, 2b, 2 stb's

Pitcher of the Night in the WCL

My WCL "Pitcher of the Night" from the games played last night is Kyle Hamman from the Kitsap Blue Jackets by way of Southern Utah. Kyle picked up the win over the Bend Elks by throwing 7 shutout innings. The Idaho Falls, ID native scattered 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out 5 yesterday. (photo is courtesy of SUU publications)

Honorable Mention
*Cody Aycok (Missouri State--Kelowna) 3 inp

Pitcher of the Night in the Valley Baseball League

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Valley Baseball League for games played last night is Michael Patton from the Fauquier Gators by way of the University of North Georgia. Michael picked up his 3rd win of the summer by throwing 7 quality innings last night. He allowed 1 run on 5 hits, walked 2 and fanned 4 batters.

Hitter of the Night in the Valley Baseball League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Valley Baseball League for games played yesterday is Blake McDade from the Staunton Braves by way of Middle Tennessee State University. In the Braves big win last night, Blake went 4 for 6 with a homer, 3 rbi's and 2 runs scored.

Forest City Owls Tie Coastal Plain League Record With 42nd Win

From The Coastal Plain League
Forest City’s offense exploded for 16 hits and eight starters in the lineup had at least one hit as the Owls tied a Coastal Plain League record for the most wins in a single-season with a 13-11 victory over the Asheboro Copperheads on Tuesday at McCrary Park. Read the rest of this entry here.

UNO Athletics Names Peddie Head Baseball Coach

From the University of New Orleans
(photo is courtesy of UNOPrivateers.com)

NEW ORLEANS – It has been a longtime dream for Bruce Peddie, and the dream came true on Tuesday.

After a three-year stint as the associate head baseball coach at the University of New Orleans, the school will recommend Peddie to the President of the LSU System for consideration of the LSU Board of Supervisors for the program’s top spot.

Peddie becomes the program’s sixth head baseball coach -- replacing Tom Walter, who was recently named the head coach at Wake Forest.

“It has always been my dream to be a Division I head coach, and I can’t begin to describe how excited I am,” said Peddie, who brings 21 years of coaching experience. “The tradition of this program combined with the love of college baseball in this city makes this an incredible opportunity.” Read the rest of this entry here.

DeLand Suns: Week 8 in Review

From The Florida Collegiate Summer League
(Photo is courtesy of Jim Hogue)
The final week of the DeLand Suns’ inaugural season ended on a good note, going 3-2 in the week and outscoring their opponents 21-15.

The Suns entered the week needing just one victory to clinch the top seed in the upcoming FCSL playoffs.

That win wouldn’t come easily as they hosted the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs on Monday. The Dawgs jumped all over Suns’ starter Eric Holmes (Des Moines Area CC) in the first three innings, scoring six earned runs and giving them the early 6-0 lead. The Suns’ offense woke up in the bottom of the third, though, scoring four runs on a two-run, bases-loaded single by Jabari Blash (Miami-Dade), a steal of home plate by Taylor Wrenn (State College of Florida), and another RBI single by Emmanuel Casto (Bethune-Cookman), cutting their lead to just two. Read the rest of this entry here.

Clermont Mavericks: Week 8 in Review

From The Florida Collegiate Summer League
(photo is courtesy of Jim Hogue)

The Mavericks played eight games this past week and finished with a record of 5-3. The Mavericks finished up the week with an exciting 12-11 win over the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs Monday night before a packed house at East Ridge High School.

The Mavericks began the week with an impressive 5-4 win over the River Rats of Sanford last Monday night. In a back and forth game, the Mavericks began to rally in the bottom of the 10th. Bryan Hill (Lake Sumter CC) singled in the bottom of the 10th to reach base and begin the Maverick rally. Hill advanced to second on a wild pitch, and with first base open, the River Rats opted to intentionally walk Tim Dye. Dye finished the game 3 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. With runners on first and second, Nathan Hartman (Santa Fe) walked to load the bases and bring up Ben Scheffer (Florida Tech). Scheffer was able to rip a Cory Burgess (USC Sumter) offering up the middle to score Hill and end the game. Read the rest of this entry here.

Hitter of the Night in the Northwoods League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Northwoods League for games played yesterday, the 27th of July is Walker Moore from the Thunder Bay Border Cats by way of Cal State Fullerton. Walker went 3 for 5, with a home run and 2 doubles in the Cats big win last night. He also scored a run and knocked in 2 on the night.

Honorable Mention
*Jerrod Sabourin (Indiana--Madison) 3 for 5, 2b, 3 rbi's, 2 runs
*Chris Lewis (W. Michigan--Battle Creek) 3 for 3, 2b, 2 runs
*Matty Johnson (Bellevue--Thunder Bay) 3 for 6, 2 2b's, 2 stb's, 2 runs, 2 rbi's
*Cameron Smith (New Mexico--Thunder Bay) 3 for 4, 2b, 3b, 2 runs, rbi

Pitcher of the Night in the Northwoods League

There was another No-Hitter in the Northwoods League last night. Mankato Moondog, Tim Griffin (Rollins) threw the Moondogs first no-hitter last night against the St. Cloud River Bats. He walked 4 and struck out 10 on the night as well. Tim is my "Pitcher of the Night," and you can read the Moondogs release about his fine outing here.

Honorable Mention
*Terrance Jackson (Oklahoma City--Wisconsin) win, 6.1 inp, 2 hits, run, 0 er, 3 bb, 7 k's
*Justin Leith (Florida International--Duluth) win, 5 inp, hit, 0 runs, 4 bb, 1 k
*Andrew Plotkin (Northwestern St.--Waterloo) win, 2 inp, bb

2009 CPL Rawlings Players of the Week for Week Eight

From the Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League announced Monday that Forest City’s Konstantine Diamaduros was named the Rawlings Hitter of the Week, while Edenton’s Keith Couch and Fayetteville’s Ryan Daniel were tabbed Rawlings Co-Pitchers of the Week for week eight of action (July 22nd-July 26th).

Diamaduros, a 6-1, 190 pound freshman at Wofford, started all four of the Owls games this week, accumulating a .500 batting average. He had five runs off of seven hits, including one double, one triple, one home run and four RBIs. He totaled 13 bases and had a .929 slugging percentage for the 41-7 Owls. Read the rest of this entry here.

Pitcher of the Night in the Great Lakes League

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Great Lakes League is Bill Kitchen from the Hamilton Joes by way of Sinclair CC. Bill is now 2-4 on the season with the win yesterday. He allowed just 1 earned run on 5 hits in 9 innings of work. He also walked 3 and fanned 4 on the night.

The Bomber Boys

From Nick Buckley • The Battle Creek Enquirer • Published July 26, 2009

Denman brothers have helped Battle Creek to big season

According to the baseball almanac, over 350 sets of brothers have made it to the major leagues.
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The list includes some of the more notable names in the sport, like DiMaggio (Joe, Vince and Dom), Aaron (Hank and Tommie), Ripken (Cal Jr. and Billy) and more recently Upton (B.J. and Justin).

The Battle Creek Bombers' Alan and Craig Denman are hoping that list will expand to include their name some day.

The brothers from Blackhawk, Pa. have been a big part of what has been the best season in Bombers team history. Read the rest of this entry here.

Valley Baseball League Players of the Week Announced

The most recent Valley Baseball League Weekly Awards are out. Winchester's Ben Hammer and Steven Rivera, Luray's Garrett Whittles, New Market's Garrett Baker, and Staunton's Donovan Huffer and Aaron Swenson all picked up awards for their play. You can read the full press release here.

Pitcher of the Night in the Prospect League

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Prospect League for games played last night is Andrew DiNardo from the Butler Blue Sox by way of Seton Hill University. Andrew picked up his 3rd win of the summer by throwing 7 solid innings yesterday. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and didn't walk a batter. He also fanned 3 last night.

Northwoods League Roundup For the 26th of July

The Northwoods League had several great games last night. The pennant races are heating up. View the roundup here.

Pitcher of the Night in the TCL

My Texas Collegiate League "Pitcher of the Night" of last night's games is Michael Oros from the #24 ranked Victoria Generals by way of San Jacinto College. Michael picked up his 2nd win of the summer after throwing 6 shutout innings yesterday. He allowed just 2 hits and 3 walks, while fanning 2 on the night. He now has an era of 1.13 this summer.

Hitter of the Night in the West Coast League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the West Coast League for games played yesterday is Chris Casazza from the Moses Lake Pirates by way of Tarleton State University. Chris went 2 for 3 with a home run in the Pirates 9-0 win over Spokane. He also scored 3 runs, drove in 1, walked once and stole 2 bases last night.

Honorable Mention
*Jason Kudlock (Cal Bakersfield--Kelowna) 1 for 4, hr, run, rbi
*Adam Melker (Cal Poly--Corvallis) 3 for 4, 2b, stb, 2 runs
*Zane Bator (Liberty--Moses Lake) 3 for 5, hr, 3 runs, rbi
*Nick Fuoco (Wenatchee Valley CC--Moses Lake) 3 for 5, 2b, 4 rbi's, run

Pitcher of the Night in the Coastal Plain League

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Coastal Plain League for games played yesterday, the 26th is Ryan Daniel from the Fayetteville Swampdogs by way Kansas State Athletics. Ryan picked up the win last night by throwing 8 shutout innings against the Wilmington Sharks. He scattered 6 hits, didn't walk a batter and he fanned 4 on the night. (photo is courtesy of K-State Athletics)

Honorable Mention
*Carson McLean (UNC Asheville--Asheboro) 2 inp, 3 k's
*Trent Howard (Central Michigan--Wilson) win, 6 inp, 3 hits, run, 2 bb, 8 k's
*Aaron Tullo (Tennessee--Thomasville) win, 7 inp, 6 hits, 3 runs, bb, 12 k's
*Luke Erickson (Virginia Tech--Petersburg) win, 7 inp, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 er, bb, 7 k's

Martin, Adkins, Thomas win weekly awards

From The Cal Ripken Sr. League
Joey Martin (Maine) of the Rockville Express has been named the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League Co-Player of the Week for the week of July 13 to July 19. Martin posted three multi-hit games last week to go 9-for-17 overall with three doubles. His .529 batting average last week led the League. Martin's hits all came against the Silver Spring-Takoma T-Bolts and he had four against the T-Bolts on July 18. Martin drove in a run in each of those games against Silver Spring. He reached base in all four games he played and stole two bases in two attempts on the week. Read the rest of thin entry here.

NWL Roundup 7/25

There are many reasons why the Northwoods League is one of top 2 or 3 summer leagues in country. One of many reasons is that the league does a great job of releasing timely information to the fans. You can read the recaps of yesterday's games here.

The Art and Skill of the Man behind the Mask

From the Green Bay Bullfrogs
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Every player on a baseball field has skill and talent, but there is one player on the Green Bay Bullfrogs roster that goes unnoticed on a daily basis. Read the rest of this entry here.

Hitter of the Night in the Prospect League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Prospect League for games played yesterday, the 24 of July is Kenny Stoneback from the Slippery Rock Sliders by way of Old Dominion University. Kenny, a Prospect League All-Star, went 3 for 5, with a grand slam in the Sliders big win over the Richmond River Rats. He finished the night by driving in 6 runs and scoring twice for the Sliders.

Honorable Mention
*Grant Fillipitch (Butler--Dupage) 2 for 4, hr, 2b, 4 rbi's, run
*Vinnie Fayard (Biola--Quincy) 3 for 5, stb, run, rbi
*Mike McQuillan (Iowa--Springfield) 3 for 4, hr, stb, 5 runs, 2 rbi's
*T.J. Blanton (Bowling Green--Springfield) 4 for 6, hr, stb, 4 runs, 2 rbi's
*Denny Vaughn (Bowling Green--Springfield) 4 for 6, 5 rbi's, run
*Jason Nappi (Harding--Danville) 3 for 5, 2 runs, 2 rbi's
*Scott Schauer (Cal--Danville) 4 for 6, 3 db's, 5 rbi's
*Tommy Diibon (Maple Woods CC--Hannibal) 3 for 5, 2 runs, rbi
*Charlie Kelly (West Chester--Slippery Rock) 4 for 5, 3 2b's, run, rbi
*Raymond Fuentes-Maldonado (Rend Lake--Richmond) 3 for 4, stb, run, rbi

Pitcher of the Night in the NECBL

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the NECBL for games played yesterday is Stephen Peterson from the Newport Gulls by way of the University of Rhode Island. Stephen picked up the win by throwing 6 shutout innings last night. He scattered 4 hits, didn't walk a batter and he fanned 7 on the night.

Honorable Mention

*Devin Jones (Mississippi State--Danbury) win, 5.2 inp, hit, 0 runs, 7 bb's, 7 k's
*Tyler Mathis (Louisville--Keene) win, 6 inp, 3 hits, 0 runs, bb, 2 k's
*Dayton Marze (Louisville--North Adams) win, 3.2 inp, 0 hits. bb, 4 k's

Hitter of the Night in the Northwoods League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Northwoods League for games played last night is Michael Giller from the Waterloo Bucks by way of the University of Illinois. Michael went 4 for 5, which included the game winning hit for Waterloo. He scored a run and knocked in 2 on the night.

Honorable Mention
*Boomer Collins (Nebraska--La Crosse) 1 for 4, hr, run, rbi
*Nick Baligod (Oral Roberts--La Crosse) 3 for 3, rbi
*Matt Harrison (UNC--Duluth) 1 for 1, gw double, 2 rbi's
*Jared Womack (OK State--Duluth) 2 for 4, 2b, 3 runs, rbi
*Danny Oh (Cal--St. Cloud) 3 for 3, hr, 3 runs, rbi
*Matt Summers (UCI--St. Cloud) 2 for 4, hr, stb, 3 rbi's, run

Pitcher of the Night in the Northwoods League

My "Pitcher of the Night" in the Northwoods League for games played on the 23rd of July is Bryce Butt from the Wisconsin Woodchucks by way of the University of Ohio. Bryce is now 5-0 on the year after picking up a complete-game shutout win last night. He scattered 4 hits, walked 2 and fanned 3 in his outing.

Honorable Mention
*Brodie Brumley (Harding--Duluth) win, 1 inp, k
*Mats Mattson (New Orleans--Brainerd) 2 inp, 2 k's
*Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts--Rochester) win, 5 inp, 3 hits, run, 0 er, 3 k's
*Arik Sikula (Marshall--Rochester) save (15), 1 inp, bb, 3 k's
*Alex Burgos (Manatee CC--Mankato) 3 inp, bb

Summer League Home Run Leaders

I have compiled this quick list of the home run leaders from most of the major summer leagues.

1. Stephen McQuail (Canisius--Valley League) 13
2. Corey Jones (CS Fullerton--Northwoods) 12
3. Cody Pack (Lincoln Memorial--KIT) 11
4. Peter Greskoff (Brown--ACBL) 9
5. Stewart Ijames (Louisville--Coastal Plain) 9
6. Jamie Bruno (Tulane--Clark Griffith) 8
7. Paul Hoilman (E. Tenn. State--NECBL) 8
8. Tyler Bullock (SIU--Prospect) 8
9. Trey Bennett (Mercyhurst--NYCBL) 7
10. Gunner Glad (Kentucky--Alaska) 6
11. Corey Taylor (Binghamton--Cal Ripken Sr.) 6
12. Ryan Delgado (Azusa Pacific--California) 6
13. Jordan Yost (W. Virginia--Florida Collegiate) 6
14. Peter Barrows (U. of Bridgeport--M.I.N.K) 6
15. Hunter Morris (Auburn--Cape Cod) 5
16. Grant McCoury (Elon--Great Lakes) 5
17. Travis Whipple (La-Lafayette--Jayhawk) 5
18. West Coast League has 2 players tied with 5
19. Matt Langenfield (Nevada--Hawaii) 3
20. Texas Collegiate League has 3 players tied with 3

Marist Baseball Players Excelling In Summer Leagues

From Summer Ball News Source
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Fresh off winning the 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in May, several members of the Marist College baseball team are extending their seasons in various collegiate summer leagues across the region. Three Red Foxes - catcher Bryce Nugent (Binghamton, N.Y.) and pitchers Eric Alessio (Nyack, N.Y.), B.J. Martin (Manalapan, N.J.) and Kyle Putnam (New Windsor, N.Y.) -- were selected to the All-Star Game of their league. Read the rest of this entry here.

Pitcher of the Night in the New York Collegiate Baseball League

My NYCBL "Pitcher of the Night" from last night is Brian Pullyblank from the Webster Yankees by way of St. John Fisher College. Brian earned the win by allowing just 1 run on 6 hits in his 9 innings pitched. He walked just 1 batter and fanned 8 on the night.

Honorable Mention
*William Hebard (Villanova--Geneva) 2 inp, hit, 3 k's
*Brian Poland (Benedictine--Alfred) win, 6 inp, 3 hits, 0 runs, 4 bb, 3 k's
*Kevin Keefe (Grand Canyon--Alfred) 2 inp, 2 k's

Cape Gears Up For All-Star Game

Allan Simpson from PG Crosschecker is currently in New England to cover the Cape Cod League and the All Star Game.

From Allan Simpson/PG Crosschecker
Wednesday was supposed to be an open date on the 2009 Cape Cod League schedule to give all 10 teams a chance to gear up for the all-star game, but the incessant rains that plagued the Cape earlier this season resulted in a makeup doubleheader in Falmouth. The home-standing Commodores won both contests, beating Chatham 7-6 in the opener and 5-2 in the nightcap.

It was a rare highlight in an otherwise disappointing season for Falmouth, which entered the day with a 10-18 record—worst in the league. By contrast, it was the most disappointing day in the 2009 season for backsliding Chatham, which won nine of its first 10 games, but fell to 17-16 overall with the two setbacks. Read the rest of this entry here.

Hitter of t he Night in the Coastal Plain League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the Coastal Plain League for games played on the 22nd of July is Ryan LaPensee from the Martinsville Mustangs by way of Wayne State University. Ryan went 3 for 4 with a double and stolen base in the Mustangs 9-1 win over the Gastonia Grizzlies. He scored 2 runs and knocked in 2 as well.

Honorable Mention
*Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey--Thomasville) 2 for 4, hr, 2 runs, rbi
*Jeff Jefferson (Liberty--Columbia) 3 for 4, run, rbi
*Kes Carter (Western Kentucky--Peninsula) 3 for 5, run, rbi

Hitter of the Night in the West Coast League

My "Hitter of the Night" in the West Coast League for games played yesterday is Zack Gagnon from the Kitsap Blue Jackets by way of Green River CC. Zach stepped up to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the top of the 11th inning and roped a 2-run homer that helped the Jackets defeat the Bend Elks 3 to 2.

Honorable Mention
*Patrick Claussen (Washington State--Bellingham) 3 for 4, hr, 3 rbi's, run
*Rhett Fenton (Linfield--Bellingham) 3 for 4
*Taylor Ard (Corvallis--Mt. Hood CC) 2 for 3, hr, 2b, 3 runs, 2 rbi's
*Peter Gagnon (San Fransisco--Bend) 4 for 5, 2b, run, rbi
*Maverick Olivares (UCI--Spokane) 3 for 5, run, 2b, stb

Baseball: John Izzo Signs with South Louisiana of the Continental League

From Summer Ball News Source
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Former Westminster College baseball player John Izzo (New Castle, Pa./Union) signed a professional contract Tuesday evening with the South Louisiana Pipeliners of the Continental League. The Pipeliners are an independent professional team located in Morgan City, La. Read the rest of this entry here.

South Defeats North in 2009 All-Star Game

From the Northwoods League
(photo is by Jason Mirabelli)

The South Division emerged victorious despite a late rally from the North to claim the 2009 Northwoods League All-Star title.

Things started off well for the South as lead-off man Kurtis Muller (Madison ; Iowa) became the first base runner of the game in the top of the first. Keith Castillo (Alexandria; Southern California) put a stop to any early runs, though, with a tough catch in the North's bullpen. The North made some noise in their half of the first inning with Rochester's Rance Roundy (UNLV) giving the ball a ride out to the warning track, but the game remained scoreless through the first frame. Read the rest of this entry here.

Hitter of the Night In The Great Lakes League

My Great Lakes League "Hitter of the Night" for games played yesterday, the 22nd of July is Thomas Carroll from the Lima Locos by way of Mercer University. Thomas went 2 for 5, with a homer, 3 runs scored and 2 rbi's in the Locos big win last night.

Honorable Mention
*Case Rigby (Fresno Pacific--Xenia) 3 for 3
*Daniel Jones (Marietta--Lima) 3 for 4, 2 runs, rbi
*Kolbrin Vitek (Ball State--Lake Erie) 1 for 4, hr, run, rbi
*Jimmy Brenneman (Lincoln Trails CC--Hamilton) 3 for 4

Pitcher of the Night in the Cal Ripken Sr. League

I have a dual "Pitcher of the Night" in the Cal Ripken Sr. League for games played yesterday the 22nd of July. Both Max Knowles (NC Wesleyan--Alexandria) and Ryan Yerina (Southern Connecticut--Rockville) turned in brilliant outings last night. Max allowed 0 runs on 2 hits in 8 innings to earn the win. Ryan was saddled with the loss despite allowing 1 run just 1 hit in his 8 innings of work. (Photo is courtesy of Brenda Dunham)

A Quick Look at Some of the Summer Ball Batting Leaders

With Summer Ball heading into the final weeks, here is a quick look at a few of the league leaders in batting average.

• Jacob Carlson (Dartmouth--Hawaii Collegiate League) .429 in 77 atb.
• Dewey Oriente (St. Joseph's--Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League) .411 in 90 atb.
• Mike August (S. Maryland CC--Clark Griffith League) .333 in 102 atb.
• Kosuke Hattori (Minnesota State--NYCBL) .376 in 125 atb.
• Ryan Goetz (UC Riverside--California Collegiate League) .369 in 103 atb.
• James Green (Houston Victoria--Western Major Baseball League) .421 in 114 atb.