Players excel this summer
For college students, summer is the time to recharge or earn
money for school. In the baseball world, college players disperse
throughout the country for a chance to play in a number of summer
leagues featuring professional baseball's tool of the the trade -
the wooden bat. Over the summer many D-III players have had success
on the diamond and here are a few.
Cal Lutheran's K.C. Judge was a key member of the Cheyenne
Grizzlies offense as the team went on to win the Mountain
Collegiate Baseball League (MCBL) title this past summer. Judge
went 7-for-11 at the plate in the postseason as the Grizzlies
defeated the Fort Collins Foxes in a pair of one-run
victories.During the season, Judge led the Grizzlies in batting
average (.393), hits (48), home runs (3), RBI (25) and total bases
(69).
Marietta's John Snyder helped the New York Collegiate Baseball
League's Elmira Pioneers to their best season in franchise history.
Snyder's Pios won a team-record 27 games, captured their first
outright Western Division title and played in the NYCBL
Championship Series. Snyder played a big role in Elmira's success,
topping the team in batting average (.338) and stolen bases (13). A
starting outfielder, John committed only one error in 77 chances
and he accumulated three outfield assists. The Marietta product
started for the Western Division in the 2010 NYCBL All-Star Game
and he played the entire contest in the outfield where Snyder was
selected as the All-Star Game's Defensive Most Valuable Player. The
Altoona, Pa., native was joined on the Pioneers by Marietta
teammate Casey Levens. Levens went undefeated in three starts and
finished the regular season with a 3-1 record and 1.78 earned run
average.
Lawrence's Robert Rashid was named the 2010 River Valley League
Hitter of the Year. Rashid hit .382 and led the summer league in
seven statistical categories. The Lawrence center fielder was tops
in the league in hits (34), runs scored (29), runs batted in (23),
triples (7), stolen bases (26), on-base percentage (.522) and
slugging percentage (.551). Rashid, who played for the Waves, was a
first-team All-RVL selection.
Tucker Healy will return to Ithaca with an appearance in the New
England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star game. "It's definitely
a great honor," Bristol General Manager Dan Kennedy said. At the
end of the season Healy earned another honor as he was named the
NECBL Reliever of The Year. Healy finished the season with a 0.37
ERA, 3-0 record and two saves. Healy also had 39 strikeouts in his
24.2 innings of work. "Healy was the best 8th inning guy in the
league," said Travis Turgeon, the Bristol pitching coach.
Former Puget Sound Loggers Mike Olsen and Taylor Thompson were
selected to the National Baseball Congress All-American team after
leading their respective teams deep into the national tournament.
Thompson shined on the mound as he posted a perfect 0.00 ERA over
17.1 innings of work for the Seattle Studs to earn his second NBC
All-American honors. Thompson was one of only seven pitchers in the
tournament to post multiple victories going 2-0 with one save.
Thompson's stellar pitching helped lead the Studs to the national
championship game; however, the Studs dropped the game 9-6 to the
Liberal Bee Jays.
Olsen joined Thompson on the All-American squad. The Denver
Cougars designated hitter was one of the top hitters in the
tournament, tying for third in the national tournament with 10 RBI
in six games. Olsen had four multi-RBI games, including consecutive
three-RBI games to open the tournament. The former Logger slugger
hit .364 with one homer and doubles. He also drew three walks.
Thompson and Olsen faced off twice when Thompson's Studs beat
Olsen's Cougars 9-4. In the first battle, Thompson made quick work
of Olsen as Olsen fouled out on the first offering from Thompson.
Olsen got his revenge in his second plate appearance as he drew a
two-out walk from Thompson in the sixth.
