2011 Top Performer---Adam Nelubowich

Adam Nelubowich
Wenatchee AppleSox of the West Coast League
Washington State University
Sophomore 3B
Bats Left
Throws Right

Port Arthur Stadium in National Finals

From the NWL
After a month of preliminary voting, Thunder Bay’s Port Arthur Stadium continues to gain support for title of “Canada’s Favourite Ballpark”. The home of the Northwoods League’s Thunder Bay Border Cats is currently in the finals of the online competition being conducted by Baseball Canada. One week remains in the voting between Port Arthur Stadium and Labatt Park of London, Ontario.

Top 15 Position Players in the Cal Ripken League

Adam Berry

2011 was a very successful year for the Cal Ripken League. The 8-team league saw their attendance figures rise and saw the Bethesda Big Train finish the summer as the best summer league team in the country. The following list is what I believe to be the top 15 position players in the league.

Top Players List

This is the first year in which I will try to rank my top overall position players and pitchers in most of the summer leagues. This list is based ONLY on their summer season. I'm not a scout, so I will not be including their "prospect status" in my rankings.

The 2011 All-West Coast League Team Is Released

From the WCL
The 2011 All-WCL Team is out and the Wenatchee AppleSox placed six players on the 15-member first team All-WCL, more than any team.

Surprenant Named Head Coach of Grizzlies

From the CPL
The Gastonia Grizzlies Baseball Club named Kyle Surprenant (photo courtesy of Image Gallery) as the new head coach of the Grizzlies. Surprenant served as the assistant coach of the 2011 Coastal Plain League champion Grizzlies.

In his first year with the Grizzlies, Surprenant was responsible for working with the hitters and defense.

Jerad Head Makes MLB Debut for Cleveland

From the NWL
Another former Northwoods League player is now in the big leagues. Jerad Head made his Major League Debut Sunday afternoon for the Cleveland Indians in their 2-1 loss to Kansas City at Progressive Field. The 6-foot, 210-pound outfielder got the start in left field for Cleveland and batted ninth. The right-handed hitter picked up an infield single in the first at-bat of his career, sending a slow roller past Royals’ starting pitcher Bruce Chen towards the second baseman in the second inning. Head finished 1-for-3 in the game.

2011 Top Performer----Tyler Alexander

Tyler Alexander
Hamilton Joes of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League
Sophomore pitcher from Hillsborough CC
Throws left

Northwoods League: Green Bay Bullfrogs' young lineup pays off

From the Green Bay Press Gazette
Jordan Bischel's risk was the Green Bay Bullfrogs' gain in 2011.

Entering his second full season as the team's manager, Bischel decided to forgo the veteran route he used in 2010 and stick with a younger roster than in years past.

Petree Named MINK League's Top Prospect

From Missouri State
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Following one of the top debut seasons in Missouri State baseball history, sophomore pitcher Nick Petree was honored as the best prospect in the MINK League by Perfect Game USA Thursday after turning in a dominant summer on the mound.

Top Tar Heel baseball talent showcased in Cape Cod League

From the Daily Tar Heel
At season’s end, college baseball players leave their schools behind to play in summer leagues scattered all across the map.

There are 19 collegiate summer leagues in the United States, stretching from the Alaska Baseball League to the Florida Collegiate Summer League —and everywhere in between. But none is more prestigious than the Cape Cod League.

2011 Top Performer----Jesse Sawyer

Jesse Sawyer
Lethbridge Bulls of the Western Major Baseball League
Graduated Senior from South Dakota State
Infielder
Bats Right
Throws Right

Former Copperheads in the Pros

From the CPL
Four teammates from the 2009 Asheboro Copperheads and another player off the 2008 team are winding up rather successful seasons in the minor leagues this summer.

2011 Top Performer----Adam Beach

Adam Beach
Lorain County Ironmen of the Prospect League
Lake Erie College
Junior RHP

Mountaineers’ Mastroianni Makes Big League Debut

From the NECBL and Don Leypoldt
Former Vermont Mountaineer outfielder Darin Mastroianni became the 75th NECBL alumnus to reach the Major Leagues today. The Toronto Blue Jays called up Mastroianni, who batted ninth and played center field, when a roster spot became available due to their recent Aaron Hill and John McDonald trade to Arizona.

Coastal Plain League’s Cole, Sellers Recognized by Ballpark Digest

From the CPL
The Coastal Plain League is pleased to announce that two of its front office staff members – Jesse Cole (pictured left), Managing Partner and General Manager of the Gastonia Grizzlies, and Justin Sellers, CPL Assistant Commissioner – (pictured right, courtesy of Wanda West) were recently recognized by Ballpark Digest as honorable mentions for their 2011 Executive of the Year award.

2011 Top Performer----Cameron Perkins

Cameron Perkins
Waterloo Bucks/Northwoods League
Purdue University
Junior 3B
Bats Right
Throws Right

2011 Summer Ball Top Performers

It's time again for me to try to compile a list of the top summer ball performers from this just completed season. I plan on posting my list of top performers starting today and running into the early part of 2012.

Cumberlands Feenstra Plays in Prospect League

From WYKT.com
Donovan Feenstra (Calgary, Canada), a sophomore at University of the Cumberlands (UC), had an outstanding summer pitching for the Slippery Rock Sliders in the Prospect League.

Feenstra led the team with 37 strikeouts in 45 2/3 Innings of work while posting a 3-1 record. The Sliders won the Eastern Division Championship for the second half of the season, but were defeated by the West Virginia Miners (2-1) in the Eastern Division Championship game of the Prospect League Playoffs. It was the first post-season appearance in Slippery Rock's franchise history.

Summer Collegiate All-Am. Team

From Perfect Game
Summer college baseball can be viewed in one of two ways: as an extension of the recent spring college season or a preview of the forthcoming college year.

BROCKTON ENTERPRISE: "LOCAL CONNECTION ON SUMMER COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE TITLE TEAM"

Press Release
There were various parts of the country represented on the Oneonta Outlaws' roster during the New York Collegiate Baseball League season this summer.

Players from California, Arizona, Texas, Florida and Mississippi were among those spending nearly two months in the small central New York city located 25 miles south of Cooperstown.

Grizzlies’ 2011 Season Culminates With CPL Championship

From the CPL
The Gastonia Grizzlies (photo courtesy of Pat Grecinger) capped off the 2011 season with a Coastal Plain League Petitt Cup championship.

It was the first title for the Grizzlies in the ten-year history of the franchise, and marked the first since the 1980’s that a team playing at Sims Legion Park won a championship. In 1983, the Gastonia Expos won the South Atlantic League professional baseball title.

Fayetteville SwampDogs Named 2011 Coastal Plain League Organization of the Year

From the CPL
The Coastal Plain League announced today that the Fayetteville SwampDogs have been selected as the 2011 CPL Organization of the Year.

The SwampDogs were selected after team owners, general managers, head coaches, players, umpires, and league officials voted on various areas of concentration regarding the 2011 season. Fayetteville, which also won the honor in 2007, operated on a top level in 2011.

Newark Pilots ace Dominick Ruscitti named PGCBL's top pitcher

From the Penfield Post
(photo is courtesy of Steve Plopper)

Newark Pilots ace Dominick Ruscitti was crowned the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year following an outstanding season on the mound for the league champions.

Summer Collegiate Top Prospects

From Perfect Game
Perfect Game CrossChecker pursues the nation’s summer college leagues more extensively than anyone, and we’ll be providing comprehensive coverage over the next several weeks as we recap the 2011 season, which ended Friday.

Four Questions With Cory LeVier

It's that time of year again for my quick interviews with summer league ballplayers. For today, I was able to ask four quick questions of Cory LeVier.

Cory is a senior inf/of from the University of San Diego. He spent this summer playing for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. Cory hails from San Dimas, CA and he played two seasons at Cypress College. He had a tremendous season this past Spring, which culminated in him being named to the First-Team All WCC list.

Thomasville’s Edwards Named 2011 CPL Broadcaster of the Year

From the CPL
The Coastal Plain League announced today that Thomasville HiToms WebPass broadcaster Chris Edwards has been named the 2011 CPL Broadcaster of the Year.

All 15 CPL WebPass broadcasters did a great job in 2011, but in the end Edwards was selected after team owners, general mangers, league officials, fellow WebPass broadcasters and fans voted. Edwards was noted for having very insightful, baseball-educated broadcasts that featured player and coach interviews, as well as offering an objective broadcast that was enjoyable for both home and road audiences to listen to.

Bethesda No. 1 ranked summer team

From Perfect Game

Bethesda Big Train manager Sal Colangelo is fully aware that the Cal Ripken League is not in the same ball park as the Cape Cod League, in terms of national prestige and reputation. With more than 125 years of history to draw on and a documented track record of producing volumes of elite-level draft picks, the Cape simply dwarfs the seven-year old Ripken League in tradition, and as a talent source.

Northwoods League Tops 900,000 Fans

From the NWL
New Attendance Record for All of Summer Collegiate Baseball
Photo by Jim Addis

The fans that attended the 2011 Summer Collegiate World Series helped the Northwoods League top the 900,000 mark in attendance for the first time. In fact, no other Summer Collegiate Baseball League can make that claim. The 1,946 fans that were on hand for the championship series games in Mankato and Battle Creek capped off a Northwoods League season that saw 901,652 fans attend Northwoods League baseball games, a 1,692 per game average.

Steamers Conclude Best Regular Season in History

From the CPL
The Edenton Steamers 2011 has concluded as the most successful on the diamond in their 14-year history. This regular season saw the Steamers break 13 franchise records, including setting six different Coastal Plain League marks, send six representatives to the All-Star festivities, clinch both first and second half North Division titles, earn the top seed in the Petitt Cup Playoffs, and hold the ranking of #1 summer collegiate team in the nation for five straight weeks according to Perfect Game CrossChecker.

GEMS HIRE HEAD COACH FOR 2012 SEASON

From the Klamath Falls Gems
The Gems today announced the hiring of University of Oregon and Cowlitz Black Bears Assistant Coach Josh Hogan as the team’s Head Coach. Hogan replaces John Welker, who served as the Gems’ interim Head Coach from July 3 through the end of the 2011 season.
Hogan joins the Gems with five years of West Coast League experience. In 2011, Hogan served as first base and infield coach for the Cowlitz Black Bears. The Black Bears came within one game of making the WCL playoffs after joining the WCL in 2010. Prior to joining Cowlitz, Hogan spent three years as an infielder with the Corvallis Knights, winning the WCL Championship in 2008 and playing in the WCL Championship series in 2009. Hogan was named to the WCL All-Conference team all three years he played in Corvallis.

Baseball: FGCU uses summer wooden bat leagues to make big strides

From the Naples News
ESTERO — When it comes to piling players on the rosters of big-time baseball summer league teams, few, if any, do it better than Florida Gulf Coast University.

In its brief history, FGCU, which will play its ninth season in the spring, has sent players to almost every summer wooden bat league. In the last several years, around 25 Eagles have played in the Northwoods League, widely considered the second-most prestigious behind the Cape Cod League.

Ball club pitches new baseball stadium

From CBC News Canada
Fresh from a successful season, on the scoreboard and in ticket sales, the Regina Red Sox are making a play for a new baseball stadium.

The team won the Western Major Baseball League Championship last Sunday.

Ripken League announces All-League Team

From the Cal Ripken League
The Bethesda Big Train’s Adam Barry (Cal State Northridge) and Matt Bowman (Princeton) have been named the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Pitcher, respectively, for the 2011 season. The season awards, along with the All-League Team, were voted on by the Ripken League coaches.

Bombers Blowout MoonDogs to Win Title

From the Northwoods League


Battle Creek's 13-0 Victory Clinches Franchise's First Championship
Photo by Donna Dunham

Battle Creek 13, Mankato 0
Bombers win series 2-0

Former Copperhead Off To Solid Pro Start

From the CPL
Former Asheboro Copperheads and UNCG pitcher Warren Slack has gotten off to a solid start in his professional career after signing a free agent contract with the San Diego Padres earlier this summer.

Bombers Take Game One on Road

From the Northwoods League
Daniel Rockett (pictured) Hits 2 HRs in Win Over MoonDogs

Battle Creek 11, Mankato 6
Battle Creek leads series 1-0

The Corvallis Knights Sweep The Walla Walla Sweets For Their Second West Coast League Championship

From the WCL
The Corvallis Knights are the 2011 West Coast League Champions, following an 11-4 win over the Walla Walla Sweets Thursday night. The Knights blasted the Sweets for the second straight game, unleashing a 15-hit attack, including three home runs, before a crowd of 1,646 at Goss Stadium in Corvallis. Corey Moore (Pacific Lutheran), Ryan Gorton (Oregon State) and Kramer Scott (Portland) each had three hits for the winners. Gorton and Scott had home runs, as did Jimmy Allen (Cal Poly). The Knights have now appeared in the WCL Championship Series for the fourth time in the league's 7-year history, winning the title for the second time.

Cole Signs with the St. Louis Cardinals

From the CPL
The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plain League announce today that their 2011 closer, Ethan Cole, has signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Thunderbolts Cease Operations

From the Rome Sentinel
Citing low attendance numbers, the inability to compete against some of the other summer programs in the area, and not enough funding, the Rome Thunderbolts president and general manager Ray DiBrango said Tuesday afternoon that the team has suspended its operations.

Gastonia’s Heesch Named 2011 Rawlings Coastal Plain League Defensive Player of the Year

From the CPL
The Coastal Plain League announced today that Michael Heesch (photo courtesy of Pat Grecinger) of the Gastonia Grizzlies has been named the 2011 Rawlings CPL Defensive Player of the Year as voted upon by the CPL head coaches.

PGCBL Pitcher of the Year Award

From the PGCBL

By: John McGraw

Photo courtesy of Newark Pilots/Steve Plopper
The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League announced today that Dominick Ruscitti (Kutztown) of the Newark Pilots has been selected as the 2011 PGCBL Pitcher of the Year.

Chittenden lauded by NECBL for defensive wizardry

From the NECBL
KEENE, N.H. (August 16, 2011) – Keene Swamp Bats shortstop Alex Chittenden (Indianapolis, IN/Louisville) has earned New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Top Defensive Player of the Year and NECBL First-Team honors from the NECBL and its coaches, it was announced earlier today.

Mankato Wins North Championship

From the NWL

MoonDogs Take Game 3 at Alexandria, Face Battle Creek

Mankato 5, Alexandria 3
Mankato wins series 2-1

PGCBL Coach of the Year Award

From the PGCBL
The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League is pleased to announce that Eric Coleman of the Cooperstown Hawkeyes has been chosen as the 2011 PGCBL Coach of the Year.

Coleman guided the second-year Hawkeyes to the PGCBL West regular season championship, a franchise record 25 victories and a .556 winning percentage which was the third highest among all league teams at the end of the regular season. Cooperstown completed its' PGCBL schedule 25-20 and finished one half game ahead of the eventual league champion Newark Pilots in the PGCBL West Division standings.

Morehead City’s McDonald Named the 2011 Rawlings CPL Offensive Player of the Year

From the CPL
The Coastal Plain League announced today that Chase McDonald (photo courtesy of Pat Grecinger) of the Morehead City Marlins has been named the 2011 Rawlings CPL Offensive Player of the Year as voted upon by the CPL head coaches.

Fresh off championship, handful of Swamp Bats earn league recognition

From the Sentinel Source
Members of the Keene Swamp Bats NECBL championship team have all returned home to pack quickly and head off to their respective colleges.

And a couple of Bats will be tucking away a little extra hardware, too.

The Corvallis Knights Rout The Walla Walla Sweets 14-3 In Opening Game Of The 2011 WCL Championship Series

From the WCL
An 18-hit Corvallis Knights attack produced a 14-3 triumph over the Walla Wallas Sweets in Game #1 of the best-of-three WCL Championship Series. The largest crowd in the two-year history of the Sweets, nearly 2,400, turned out at Borleske Stadium for the Sweets first Championship Series appearance. Cade Gotta (Riverside C.C.) had 4 hits and 3 RBIs for the winners, while Corey Davis (Wright State) kicked in 3 hits and Ryan Gorton smashed a home run. The Sweets hurt their chances by making 6 errors. The Knights can win their second West Coast League title with a victory in Game #2 Thursday night at Goss Stadium in Corvallis. The Knights appeared in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Championship Series, winning the West Coast League Championship in 2008.

Coppell Claims TCL Title After 3-1 Win Over The Bombers

From KBTX
BRYAN, TX -- The Brazos Valley Bombers welcomed the Coppell Copperheads for game two of the Texas Collegiate League Championship series to Brazos Valley Bank Ballpark Tuesday night. Both teams proved their worth, but the Copperheads edged out the Bombers taking home the 3-1 victory, the series win and the TCL title.

Edenton’s Kinney Named 2011 CPL Coach of the Year

From the CPL
The Coastal Plain League announced today that Edenton Steamers head coach Dirk Kinney (photo courtesy of Pat Grecinger) has been named the CPL Coach of the Year following the completion of the 2011 season.

Kinney led the Steamers to a league best 44-11 regular season record, earning the No. 1 seed in the Petitt Cup Playoffs. In the postseason, his Edenton squad went 5-3, advancing to the championship round but ultimately fell to the champion Gastonia Grizzlies. Overall, his Steamers posted a record of 49-14, the second-best overall mark in CPL history.