SMC Diamond: Notes, News and Season Week #4
SMC Update:
The Pioneers are 9-4 after being swept at Patrick Henry CC on Sunday, 7-0 and 8-6.
Who's hot: Reggie Weatherford; his .472 average and .524 on base percentage lead the team, as does his perfect 8 for 8 on stolen base attempts. He also has ten RBI. Tyler Jackson heated up last week with a 5 for 10 week, with one double, one home run and three RBI. Travis Burnside went 5 for 13 on the week, with one double, two triples and two RBI. He's currently second on the team with a .395 average. Ben Boykin also had a 5 for 13 on the week, with one double and three RBI, boosting his average to .366.
Ben Carlson is 3-0, with an ERA of 1.00. He has allowed ten hits and just one walk in 18 innings, while striking out 12. Opponents are hitting just .149 off Carlson.
Jake Long picked up his first college win after throwing five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out two.
SMC Upcoming Games:
- vs. Walters State, Tuesday, Mar. 1, 1 pm
- vs. Limestone JV, Wednesday, Mar. 2, 1 pm
- at East Georgia CC (three-game series), Saturday, Mar. 5 through Sunday, Mar. 6, with 1 pm starts both days.
College Alumni Update:
Taylor Black, SS, Kentucky – Was named SEC Player of the Week and BluGrass Player of the Week, (top collegiate player in the State of Kentucky). Had a huge week, going 9 for 17 (.529) with three doubles and a grand slam home run, while walking three times, being hit by pitch twice and not striking out in 22 plate appearances. The Wildcats had a 4-1 week.
Josh Adams, RHP, Georgia Southern – Earned his second win of the season on Saturday for the Eagles, throwing eight innings and allowing just two earned runs. He scattered eight hits while striking out seven and did not allow a walk.
Steve Cochrane, 1B, Georgia Southern – Went 5 for 9 on the weekend with a double, a home run, and 10 RBI, helping the Eagles to a series sweep. For the season, he's hitting .429, with a .500 on base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage.
Marty Gantt, LHP/OF, College of Charleston – Gantt continued his hot hitting for the 6-0 Cougars; on the season, he's hitting .346 with an on base percentage of .500. He's also a perfect 5 for 5 in stolen base attempts.
Josh Salay, RHP, College of Charleston – Started on Sunday against Youngstown State and picked up his first win with five innings of no-hit ball, allowing just one walk while striking out one. The Cougars won the game, 6-2 and swept the three-game series.
Zach Godley, RHP, Tennessee – Picked up his first save of the season on Sunday, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings against Canisius, allowing one hit and no walks to clinch the series sweep for the Vols.
John Long, RHP, East Tennessee State – Started on Friday for ETSU and went six strong innings, allowing two earned runs while scattering six hits and two walks and striking out three in a no-decision, his second in as many starts. The Bucs went on to defeat Rider in the game, 5-4.
Jake Koenig, SS, UNC Wilmington – The defensive whiz went 3 for 8 with a double and three RBI.
Tyler Martin, 1B, Limestone College – Went 2 for 3 with two RBI, picking up his first four-year collegiate hit, as Limestone took 2 of 3 from Erskine.
Jeffrey Campbell, C, USC-Aiken – Went 6 for 6 with three RBI for the Pacers.
Cody McElhaney, 2B, Lander – Went 4 for 10 with three RBI for the Bearcats.
Patrick Mincey, RHP, Francis Marion – In two appearances, pitched two scoreless innings with one hit, no walks, and five strikeouts.
Pro Alumni Update:
2B Orlando Hudson ('98) was set to make his Padres spring training debut on Monday after signing as a free agent this off season. The two-time All-Star is entering his 10th season in the big-leagues and has won four Gold Glove awards.
OF Travis Witherspoon ('09) played right field on Sunday, making his big league spring training debut for the Angels. He was named one of the Top 20 prospects in the Pioneer League last summer.
RHPs Heath Hembree ('09) and David Walters ('07) and LHPs Barrett Phillips ('09) and Allen Caldwell ('08) head to minor league spring training this month with the Giants, Orioles, Pirates, and Royals, respectively. Hembree is coming off a season in which he was named one of the top 20 prospects in the Arizona League and the No. 11 prospect overall for the Giants.
