Martinez Earns Honor in Summer Baseball League

Matt Martinez, a recently graduated senior, on the Central Connecticut baseball team was named to the 2016 Golden State Collegiate Baseball League Hitter of the Year it was announced by the league. Martinez, who played with Top Speed Baseball, was second overall in the 2015 Hitter of the Year voting and came back with a strong 2016 campaign.

Martinez led the GSCBL with 67 hits, 48 runs batted in and 16 home runs, while ranking third with a .387 batting average. He ranked second in slugging percentage (.734), while also ranking in the top five in runs (45, third), on-base percentage (.457, fourth) and doubles (12, t-fifth). He had a standout game back on June 24 when he went 3-for-5 with three home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored against the California Bees. 

Martinez's exploits helped power Top Speed to its second straight GSCBL championship and a 47-4 record overall, which included a league-record 41-3 mark. Top Speed concluded its season ranked fifth in the Collegiate Summer Baseball Top 35 poll of July 29th.

An update on other Blue Devils' accomplishments:

Mitch Guilmette - Top Speed Baseball - Golden State Collegiate Baseball League
Guilmette helped Top Speed to its championship season, hitting .381 in 39 games played. He notched 10 extra-base hits, including five home runs, and drove in 29 runs, while scoring 35 more. 

Stanley Wolpiuk - Top Speed Baseball - Golden State Collegiate Baseball League
Wolpiuk worked out of the bullpen and appeared in 10 games for Top Speed. He logged 11.0 innings and collected 17 strikeouts, while posting a 2.45 earned run average.

Dean Lockery - Ocean State Waves - NECBL
Lockery earned NECBL Week 2 Honor Roll mention and has helped the Waves to a 21-24 record. In 42 games, he has batted .240 with 14 runs scored and 14 more driven in. Lockery has added four doubles, a home run and seven stolen bases.

Ryan Costello - Keene Swamp Bats - NECBL
Costello is playing with Keene and has helped the squad post a 20-26 record thus far. He has played in 42 games and is fourth on the team with a .264 batting average. He is second on the team in hits (37), runs (21), RBIs (19) and home runs (five). 

Michael Pastore - Keene Swamp Bats - NECBL
Pastore, who graduated this spring, has worked mainly out of the bullpen for the Swamp Bats with 10 appearances and two starts. In 26.0 innings of work, he has logged one save with 20 strikeouts and a 4.15 ERA.

Andrew Hinckley - Edenton Steamers - Coastal Plain League
Hinckley, one of the top two-way players in the NCAA last season, helped the Steamers to a 25-25 record. In six outings, including five starts, he has a 1-1 record with 31 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. Opposing batters hit just .258 on him and he issued just 11 walks. At the plate, he hit .267 with two home runs and six runs batted in.

Nick Plachno - Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs - Perfect Game
Plachno has helped Mohawk Valley to a 27-20 record and a spot in the playoffs. Throwing out of the bullpen he has appeared in 15 games logging 15.2 innings of work with a 2.29 earned run average. He has logged two saves and has 20 strikeouts. He has also logged 19 at bats with four hits and two runs driven in.

Mike Appel - Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs - Perfect Game
Appel helped Mohawk Valley to third-place in the East Division and a spot in the playoffs. He ranks second on the Diamond Dawgs with nine games started. In 48.1 innings of work he has 38 strikeouts and is 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA. 

Franklin Jennings - Utica Blue Sox - Perfect Game
Jennings helped the Blue Sox to the playoffs with a 31-18 mark. He has played in 40 games and has a .312 batting average. Jennings is second on the team with 33 runs scored and has collected 48 hits, including 10 extra-base knocks, while driving in 17 runs and amassing 23 stolen bases.

Nick Garland - Danville Dans - Prospects League
Garland played in 13 games for the Dans, which has gone 34-23 on the season. He hit .262 and drove in seven runs with a home run and 11 hits overall. Garland also played in 13 games for the Jamestown Jammers. He collected nine hits with four runs batted in and three runs scored. 

Jared Gallagher - Bristol Blues - Futures League
Gallagher has helped the Blues to a 23-27 record, which is currently good enough for the final playoff spot. He joined the squad midseason and has made six starts in eight appearances. He is 1-3, but has a 3.30 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 30.0 innings of work.

Brandon Fox - Bristol Blues - Futures League
Fox made four starts and went 2-2 across 19.0 innings of work. He accumulated nine strikeouts and won his first two starts of the season, allowing just one run in each.

Dylan Maher - Martha's Vineyard Sharks - Futures League
Has played in three games for the Sharks. He has two hits, both for extra bases, and has scored one run and driven in two runs. 

There are also Blue Devils currently playing in the professional ranks.

Casey Brown, who graduated from CCSU this spring, began his summer with Top Speed Baseball before signing a professional contract with the Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League. He picked up his first professional win on Aug. 2, coming on in relief as the team has won six straight to improve to 35-32. In seven appearances, across 7.2 innings, Brown has a 1.17 ERA and has collected a save with five strikeouts.

J.P. Sportman is playing with the Midland RockHounds, the Double-A affiliate for the Oakland A's. In 92 games he is hitting .269 on the season and is among the team leaders with 50 runs scored and 41 RBI to go with three home runs and 12 stolen bases. He has 28 total extra-base hits and a hit in eight of the last 10 games, including five straight.

Nick Neumann has pitched for the Bradenton Marauders in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization, but is currently on the disabled list. After compiling 17 saves a season ago, he has continued to throw well with a 1-0 record and six saves with a 2.70 ERA in 27 games pitched. In 40.0 innings of work he has collected 33 strikeouts against just nine walks.

Connor Fitzsimons signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization and was assigned to the Arizona League Angels. He has played in seven games, collecting his first professional on July 13. Defensivley he has thrown out one runner on a stolen base attempt.

Evan Scribner, who has thrown in the majors since 2011, spent 2015 with the Oakland A's and appeared in a career-high 54 games. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in the offseason. Currently on a rehab assignment with the Bakersfield Blaze he threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in his first appearance on August 1.