Blue Devils Summer Baseball Update #4
As summer leagues around the country begin to wrap up play, a number of Blue Devils had strong summers with their teams, while a number of alums have also played in the professional ranks.
The current list of players playing in collegiate summer league and a brief update (stats through August 4):
NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
TT Bowens - Mystic Schooners
Bowens collected a slew of summer honors for his play in the NECBL. He was named the Rick Ligi MVP, along with being named the league's Top Pro Prospect. Bowens, who was named All-NECBL First Team and was a starter for the South team for the NECBL All-Star Game, led the league and set an NECBL record for RBIs in a season with 53. He also hit a league-high 16 homeruns and batted .331 with 41 runs scored in just 39 games played. He also hit nine doubles and stole a base. Bowens also won the homerun derby at the NECBL All-Star night when he hit 40 homers, including 24 in the championship round. Mystic went 22-21 in the Southern Division before losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Dave Matthews - Keene Swamp Bats
Matthews clubbed nine homeruns, drove in 25 runs and scored 21 others. He recorded eight stolen bases in nine attempts. Keene won the Northern Division with a 26-18 record and won its fifth NECBL championship when Matthews hit a go-ahead three-run homerun in the championship game.
PERFECT GAME COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Andrew Braun - Utica Blue Sox
Braun tossed 14 games, including two starts, for the Blue Sox. He went 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA. Across 26.1 innings, Braun had 27 strikeouts and allowed just six earned runs, while giving up 21 hits. Braun was chosen as a reserve for the West Division in the PGCBL All-Star Game. Utica won the West Division with a 30-16 record before falling in the first round of the playoffs.
Dylan Sanchez - Watertown Rapids
Sanchez played in 19 games for Watertown and had 15 hits with a .221 batting average. He scored seven runs with seven RBIs with a double and triple. He was 4-of-6 on stolen base attempts.
Tim Buchek - Oneonta Outlaws
Buchek pitched in eight games and also had 33 at bats for Oneonta. At the plate he hit .242 with eight hits including a double and triple, while driving in six RBIs and scoring five runs. On the mound, Buchek threw 24.0 innings, including four starts. He went 1-1 and has a 4.87 ERA with 18 strikeouts
FUTURES COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Five Blue Devils played for the Bristol Blues this summer. The Blues tied for first with a 31-23 record in the regular season and advanced to the league championship in the playoffs.
Buddy Dewaine - Bristol Blues
Dewaine was named the No. 9 prospect in the league following the season and earned All-Futures League First Team honors. He was named to the FCBL Team of the Month for July at second base after hitting .314 with 27 hits. On the season, he has played 35 games for the Blues and is hitting .285. He has 21 RBIs with 25 runs scored. Dewaine has four doubles a team-high three triples, while stealing five bases. Dewaine was also named the Futures League Defensive Player of the Year, committing just eight errors in over 282 innings played, and was named to the Hillies squad for the Futures League All-Star Game earlier this summer.
Matt Shane - Bristol Blues
Shane was named Pitcher of the Night on August 3 after tossing 3.0 shutout innings with four strikeouts and got the win. He has pitched in 11 games and made six starts for the Blues. In 36.1 innings of work, the lefthander has gone 3-1 with 35 strikeouts against 14 walks and allowed 19 earned runs.
Peyton Stephens - Bristol Blues
Since joining the Blues, Stephens has appeared in four games, including a start. He has tossed 4.2 innings and recorded nine strikeouts. In his first appearance he struck out six in 2.0 innings. Stephens appeared in three games for the Keene Swamp Bats as a pitcher earlier in the summer. He struck out five batters across 2.2 innings, while allowing three runs in the regular season. He struck out two batters in an inning of work in the title game.
Sam Loda - Bristol Blues
Loda has played in 18 games and is batting .274 for the Blues. He has scored nine runs with four RBIs on three doubles and two triples. Loda had a hit and an RBI in the Blues' 10-3 win in the championship game.
Dominic Niman - Bristol Blues
Niman tossed 19.1 innings across 13 games out of the bullpen. He was 5-1 with a 4.19 ERA and was named Hillies squad for the Futures League All-Star Game.
COASTAL PLAIN LEAGUE
Mike Appel - Morehead City Marlins
Appel has pitched in 14 games and has a 3-0 record with one save. He has a 2.01 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 22.1 innings of work, while allowing just 17 walks. The Marlins went 37-14 in the East Division and play in the Petitt Cup semifinal on Tuesday.
There are also a number of former Blue Devils who played in the professional ranks this summer. The latest news on those in the pro ranks:
(stats through July 21)
Ryan Costello (Pensacola Wahoos - Minnesota Twins Class AA) - Costello has played 83 games at two levels this season and slugged 12 homeruns. Since re-joining Pensacola on July 23, he has clubbed four home runs, including hitting a homer in each of the last three games (Aug. 2-4). He has 32 RBIs and 42 runs scored in all games this season.
Connor Fitzsimons (Burlington Bees - Los Angeles Angels Class A) - Fitzsimons has played in 76 games for the Bees. He has six home runs to match his total in all of 2018, while driving in 40 runs and scoring 30 runs. He also has 13 doubles and a triple, while hitting .290 in his last 10 games. Fitzsimons was named the Midwest League Player of the Week on July 1 for what he did during the period of June 24-30.
Dean Lockery (West Virginia Black Bears - Pittsburgh Pirates Class A Short Season) - Lockery has played 29 games for the Black Bears after starting the season in Bradenton. He has scored 12 runs with eight RBIs, while hitting four doubles and totaling 22 hits.
Nick Garland (GCL Pirates - Pittsburgh Pirates Rookie) - Garland played in six games for the GCL Pirates, who opened the season on June 24. He drove in two runs.
J.P. Sportman (York Revolution - Atlantic League) - Sportman played in 51 games for York this season. He owns a .304 batting average, while hitting three homeruns with 24 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He has 21 extra-base hits. Sportman was placed on the 7-day injured list earlier in July.
Tom Curtin (St. Paul Saints - American Association) - Curtin signed with the Saints on June 15 and pitched in six games with five starts. He tossed 19.0 innings and had nine strikeouts.