Not much has happened in the last few days but heres an update.
Buckeye Shortstop Tyler Engle went 1-for-4, with a RBI Monday night for the Settlers in a 3-2 loss. His double-play partner Kovanda has gone 4-for-14 with a double, RBI, and CS over the past few games. Big Ten Player of the Year, Dan Burkhart has gone 0-for-5 in the Cape before their All-Star game which is tomorrow night in Fenwar Park.
Before the Cape takes their break, games are being played tonight and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Alex Wimmers is scheduled to go for the Bourne Braves. Just as the action has been quite for the bats, as to for the pitchers. Junior Eric Best saw his summer come to an end as the Settlers and Eric decided to shut him down last week and find a roster replacement. Drew Rucinski was the only Buckeye to see action since Sunday.
In collecting his first loss of the year, last night Rucinski was called on in relief for the Luray Wranglers. Rucinski came in to start the 4th inning, with the game tied at 3 against the Woodstock River Bandits (sweet name). The Wranglers scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th to give Rucinski the lead and chance to secure his first win, but the top of the 7th saw trouble for Rucinski.
Rucinski started the inning off with a strike out, one of four on the evening, a single was followed with an error to have runners on first and second, before Matthew Blow, a VaTech junior 1B, sent a Rucinski pitch out of the confined dimensions of Bulldog Field, the Wranglers home, for a three-run home run. Rucinski's outing would come to an end as the 7th ended. Drew's line, 3 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 2ER, 4 K's, 1 BB. The Wranglers lost 6-5.
Hitters
Valley Baseball League:
Cory Kovanda-Waynesboro Generals: 34-for-116;.293 average, three 2B, one 3B, 10 RBI, .336 SLG, .362 OBP, 5/8 SB/SBA
Brian DeLucia-Rockbridge Rapids: 27-for-99; .273, three 2B, one 3B, three HR, 17 RBI, .414, .348
Shawn Forsythe-Rockbridge Rapids: 0-for-14, one RBI
Great Lakes:
Tyler Engle-Licking County Settlers: 9-for-26; .346, one HR, six RBI, .462, .414
Cape Cod:
Dan Burkhart-Hyannis Mets: 12-for-48; .250, one 2B, two RBI, .271, .308
Atlantic Baseball Confederation:
Ryan Cypret-Jersey Tides: 17-for-53; .321, one 2B, one HR, six RBI, .407, .434
Zack Nowland-Jersey Tides: 11-for-45; .244, one 2B, five HR, 15 RBI, .600, .433
Pitchers
Great Lakes:
Eric Best-Licking County Settlers 3-0, 3.50 ERA, 18.0 IP, 17 H, 17 K's, 5 BB, .243 BAA
Cape Cod:
Alex Wimmers-Bourne Braves 0-0, 2.25, 8 IP, 3 H, 11 K's, 4 BB, .111
Valley Baseball League:
Jared Strayer-Rockbridge Rapids: 0-1, 10.93, 14 IP, 27 H, 10 K's, 9 BB, .409
Drew Rucinski-Luray Wranglers: 0-1, 2 SV, 3.62, 27.1 IP, 24 H, 28 K's, 8 BB, .220
Andrew Armstrong-Luray Wranglers: 1-1, 6.19, 16 IP, 14 H, 15 K's, 12 BB, .222
New England Collegiate:
Dean Wolosiansky-Newport Gulls: 3-0, 1.95, 27.2 IP, 22 H, 15 K's, 9 BB, .222
5 comments:
Hopefully Eric Best is ok and can relax till fall ball starts. Hopefully he can rest that left arm and be ready to go next year for the Bucks on the hill. He looked real good the couple times i saw him pitch this summer.
A little more detail on you Rucinski update. Rucinski came into the game to start the 5th inning not 4th. It had begun to rain and the game was expected to be called due to the rain. Rucinski has been used as a closer in his last 4 appearances. Rucinski allowed two hits in the 5th inning that were routine fly balls that were lost in the lights/rain. There were also 2 errors committed by fielders in the 5th. Rucinski worked his way out of the inning without allowing a run including a pickoff at 2nd base.
In the 6th Rucinski struck out all three batters.
The 7th started with a strikeout, then a single to center. The next batter hit a grounder to 3B which he booted missing the chance for an inning ending double play. Then the homerun a first pitch 304 ft opposite field shot that hit the top of the fence and bounced over. The inning then ended after another fielding error by 3B, and two fly outs.
Rucinski’s stats in 4 relief appearances: 0-1, 2 SV, 2.842 ERA, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 runs, 1 BB, 9 K’s, .200 BA, .947 WHIP.
Best isn't another Barrera / Minium sitution is he? I'm hoping the "shutting him down" was a pro-active decision vs. reacting to a problem. Considering their poor numbers in the summer (especially considering they were vs. wood bats) and woeful seasons this past year is there any reason to believe Strayer or Armstrong will be back next season if there are some decent freshmen? know thats a big 'if' and AA was solid 2 seasons ago but .... addition by subtraction may be the prudent move; at least for Strayer. There's only so many innings to go around in preparing kids in the 'pre-season' before conference play. And we learned last year what the achilles heal of this team was / will be.
I'll get an update tonight. Was in Anderson this weekend with the Settlers, and football camp has opened up this week before two-a-days next week.
Best was a mixed bag, MRI didn't show too much for a cause of concern, but it showed enough to be smart. His last outing with the Settlers he wasn't locating at all, all of his season walks came from that game, and it was smart to cut the summer short. He'll be fine for 2010.
Strayer has been hit in the head twice this summer by the baseball, he has had a few solid outings sprinkled in there, all is not lost.
Barerra (graduation and career path) and McManus (transfer) will not be back for 2010. Have heard rumors of potential other roster changes, will update as definite word comes out.
The Bucks top pitching signee Jamison signed and will not be coming to Columbus.
With the extra weekend, if the Bucks get 4 games in, that will cut down on you figure a months worth of midweek games. If the schedule is done properly, the Bucks could only be playing 4 games a week, (minus spring break) which would be a huge help, but I doubt the schedule is put together in such fasion.
DeLucia is having a really solid summer, and nearly at every position will a potent bat be along with it. If we thought 09 was a power surge, 2010 could set plenty of records.
So Best may be injured, Barrera is done, and Armstrong has had surgery. The pitching staff is a mess.
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