2014 919 Marketing Hitters of the Week
Hitter of the Year:
Gene Cone (South Carolina) Florence RedWolves:
Cone, who will be a sophomore at South Carolina, played in the outfield for the RedWolves and finished the regular season with the top batting average in the league at .385. A catalyst for Florence all season long at the top of the order, Cone went on to score 40 runs while reaching base at an impressive .468 clip. In total, the West Division All-Star racked up 62 hits with 18 doubles, two triples, and 25 RBIs for a stout .522 slugging percentage. In addition to finishing first in batting average, Cone was in the top five of almost every major offensive category including on-base percentage (2nd), doubles (3rd), slugging percentage (3rd), hits (4th) and runs scored (4th), hits (4th). He also drew 26 walks and stole four bases. In the playoffs, Cone continued to be a dangerous leadoff man for Florence. He batted .314 in eight games, recording 11 hits, eight runs, four walks, and a pair of stolen bags.
Hitter of the Week (Week 10):
Kyle Kempf (Southern Indiana) Peninsula Pilots:
Kempf, a red-shirt sophomore at Southern Indiana, ended the regular season on a tear batting .600 in five games for the Pilots. The 2014 CPL All-Star drove in four runs with one double and seven total bases for a .700 slugging percentage while also terrorizing the base paths, stealing five bases in six tries and scoring four runs of his own. Kempf finished the regular season with a .296 batting average, seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 26 RBIs.
Hitter of the Week (Week 9):
Alex Torres (Faulkner) Morehead City Marlins:
Torres wasted little time making a name for himself in his first week in the league, finishing with a .450 batting average in five games for the Marlins. He brought a punch to Morehead City’s lineup bashing four doubles and three home runs for 22 total bases, 10 RBIs, and a 1.100 slugging percentage. The sophomore outfielder also scored four runs and drew three walks for a .522 on-base percentage. He will be playing next season at Faulkner University in Alabama after transferring from New Mexico State Junior College.
Hitter of the Week (Week 8):
Dalton Britt (Liberty) Morehead City Marlins:
Britt became the first Morehead City player to earn Hitter of the Week honors this season after finishing with a .538 average in four games for the Marlins. The sophomore from Liberty notched seven total hits with one home run, 10 total bases, and six RBIs on the week for a .769 slugging percentage. He was a catalyst for the team all week stealing one base, scoring five runs and walking three times for a .625 on-base percentage.
Hitter of the Week (Week 7):
Thomas Bess (Lander) Gastonia Grizzlies:
Bess, had an exceptional week from the leadoff position truly giving everything he had for the team. He started a league high seven games while batting an impressive .500 with one double, two triples, two RBIs and 19 total bases. The junior out of Lander University finished with a .679 slugging percentage to go along with three stolen bases and a .483 on-base percentage. Further proving his stance as one of the league’s best leadoff men, Bess scored nine runs on the week and currently leads the league in runs scored with 36.
Hitter of the Week (Week 6):
Ryan Raslowsky (Cal State Northridge) Edenton Steamers:
Raslowsky has been one of the top hitters all season long in the CPL, having been named to both the CPL Select team that took on the USA Collegiate National Team in June, and the CPL All-Star Game to be played in Morehead City, N.C. on July 14. A junior at Cal State Northridge, Raslowsky continued his great summer-league season in week six, batting .500 with eight RBIs on two doubles and 15 total bases for the Steamers. He finished with a .577 slugging percentage, .552 on-base percentage while also tacking on four stolen bases in four tries, further showing his supreme talent.
Hitter of the Week (Week 5):
Nick Christopher (Virginia State) Petersburg Generals:
An all-star with Petersburg last season, Christopher’s bat woke up in week five as he hit .526 in six games for the Generals. He racked up 10 total hits, including one double and one triple to go along with four RBIs and two stolen bases. The junior out of Virginia State finished with an impressive .684 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .571. Christopher notched a hit in five of his six games played, including four multi-hit games.
Hitter of the Week (Week 4):
Seth LaRue (Campbell) Wilson Tobs:
LaRue, a junior from Campbell, filled up the stat sheet for the Tobs batting .588 with seven RBIs and 15 total bases for a combined slugging percentage of .882. The versatile utility player had two doubles, one homerun, one walk, four runs scored, and one stolen base to help the Tobs to a 3-2 record on the week. LaRue had a hit in every game in week four, helping him finish with an on-base percentage of .579 and extend his hitting streak to seven games.
Hitter of the Week (Week 3):
Bradley Morton (Appalachian State) High Point-Thomasville HiToms:
Morton, a junior out of Appalachian State, did a little of everything in week three, finishing with a .500 batting average, 18 total bases, and three stolen bases in six starts for the HiToms. The 6-2 North Carolina native had the week’s highest slugging percentage at .864 on two doubles and two home runs to go along with seven singles. Morton also drove in five runs and scored six runs helping the team to a 3-3 record on the week.
Hitter of the Week (Week 2):
Anthony Marks (Coastal Carolina) Asheboro Copperheads:
Marks, a sophomore from Coastal Carolina, swung a hot bat in week two, leading the league with a .522 batting average in six starts for the Copperheads. At only 5-8 the outfielder proved he has more power than his frame might suggest, finishing the week with two doubles, two triples, and 18 total bases for an impressive .783 slugging percentage. Marks also drove in four runs from the leadoff spot and showed his speed swiping three bags in three chances. After this week alone, Marks now leads the league in batting average (.522), slugging percentage (.783), and on-base percentage (.593).
Hitter of the Week (Week 1):
Ty Barkell (USC Aiken) Edenton Steamers:
Barkell, a junior at USC Aiken started the season on fire, batting a league leading .476 in five starts for the Steamers. The 6-3 first baseman had three straight multi-hit games to begin the year, contributing to a stout .571 slugging percentage off ten hits, seven RBIs, two doubles, twelve total bases, and a stolen base. Furthermore, he drew two walks and was hit by a pitch to give him a .542 on-base percentage, good for third in the league. His big week has helped Edenton finish the week as the league’s only undefeated team, currently sitting at 5-0 on the season.
2014 919 Marketing Pitchers of the Week
Pitcher of the Year:
Michael Morrison (Coastal Carolina) Florence RedWolves:
Heading into his junior season at Coastal Carolina in the fall, this was Morrison’s first taste of collegiate summer baseball and he was impressive to say the least. The 6-2, 190-pound right-hander posted a 0.36 ERA during the regular season, allowing only one earned run on 11 hits in 24 2/3 innings pitched. He only walked seven batters in that time, while striking out 29. Furthermore, the West Division All-Star held opponent batters to a meager .139 average against him, while sporting a WHIP of 0.73. With all of that in mind, it was Morrison’s dominance as a closer that really factored in for the RedWolves. In 23 regular season appearances, he recorded a league-high 18 saves and contributed to three combined shutouts. His 18 saves tied former Fayetteville SwampDogs pitcher Luke Prihoda (2006) for the all-time regular season CPL record. Morrison’s strong play helped the RedWolves claim the top seed in the West Division in the Petitt Cup Playoffs. During the playoffs he finished with a perfect 0.00 ERA, not allowing a single earned run, while earning three saves and striking out 11 over 8 1/3 innings pitched.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 10):
Quinn Atwood (Texas State) Wilson Tobs:
With the playoffs on the line, Atwood had his best game of the season on the mound. The sophomore from Texas State did not allow a hit until the final inning of the first game of a double-header with Wilmington when the Sharks’ Nate Moorhouse ended Atwood’s no-hit bid with a double. Atwood finished off the seven-inning complete game shutout without allowing another hit and striking out two for a .048 opponent’s batting average.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 9):
Josh Reagan (South Carolina) Columbia Blowfish:
In a near perfect performance, Reagan, tossed seven scoreless innings versus Wilson on June 22. The freshman from the University of South Carolina gave up just one hit to the Tobs’ first batter of the game Adam Pate on an infield-single. From then on he did not allow another hit and struck out seven batters for a pristine .053 opponent’s batting average. Reagan now sits in the top five of five different league categories, including a 1.83 ERA, .190 opponent’s batting average, 26 total hits allowed, nine runs allowed, and only eight earned runs given up all season.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 8):
Shawn Clowers (Liberty) Peninsula Pilots:
On the mound, Shawn Clowers, was almost unhittable for the Pilots, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up his one and only hit of the night. In total, the junior out of Liberty tossed seven and two-third innings striking out ten batters for a stout .045 opponent’s batting average. In his three appearances since arriving in Hampton, Va., Clowers has pitched 15 scoreless innings with 19 strikeouts for the Pilots.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 7):
Ryan Otero (Miami) Gastonia Grizzlies:
Otero, was brilliant on the mound tossing a seven-inning complete game shutout in the first game of a double header for the Grizzlies on July 11. The red-shirt sophomore from the University of Miami struck out five while allowing only one extra-base hit and three total hits for a .130 opponent’s batting average. His big week left him with the top overall opponent’s batting average on the season across the league at .164.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 6):
Nick Hedge (Penn State) Martinsville Mustangs:
Hedge a sophomore from Penn State, was about as dominant as a pitcher can be on June 5 versus Columbia. His team went on to lose in extra-innings but his effort could not be ignored as he tossed nine shutout innings allowing only one hit and striking out six for a .037 opponent’s batting average. In his first appearance of the season for Martinsville, Hedge did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and used only 89 pitches over the course of his nine innings pitched.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 5):
Christian Slazinik (Eastern Illinois) Wilson Tobs:
On the mound Slazinik, a redshirt-junior out of Eastern Illinois, was dominant for the Tobs in week five, tossing eight shutout innings versus Wilmington on June 26. The 6-0, 190 pound left-hander allowed only five hits on the night while striking out eight for a tough .172 opponent’s batting average. Slazinik now leads the league in ERA at 1.09 and is tied for first with Fayetteville’s Jordy Farthing in earned runs allowed, having given up only three earned runs all season.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 4):
Josh Roeder (Nebraska) Edenton Steamers:
Roeder, a junior from the University of Nebraska, became the first closer this season to earn Pitcher of the Week honors. He did it with dominating stuff out of the pen for the Steamers, striking out nine of the 13 total batters he faced. In total on the week, Roeder tossed four innings of scoreless baseball allowing only one hit for a .077 opponents batting average. The 5-11, 180-pound right-hander also notched three saves, pushing him to four on the season after arriving late due to the Cornhuskers run in NCAA postseason play.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 3):
Jared Cheek (Georgia) Gastonia Grizzlies:
On the mound, Cheek continued his reign as one of the best pitchers in the league by tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout against Forest City on June 10. The junior out of the University of Georgia allowed only one hit and struck out 11 for an opponent’s batting average of .045. After three weeks of play, Cheek sits atop six different pitching categories: ERA (0.45), opponent batting average (.079), strikeouts (27), hits allowed (5), runs allowed (1), and earned runs allowed (1).
Pitcher of the Week (Week 2):
Robbie Baker (Richmond) Columbia Blowfish:
Baker had a busy and impressive week for the Columbia Blowfish, going 2-0 in two games started and 16 total innings pitched. The freshman from the University of Richmond was most impressive on June 7 when he tossed the CPL’s first complete-game shutout of the season against Forest City. In total on the week Baker allowed nine hits, three runs, and one walk while striking out 10 for a .158 opponents batting average and an overall ERA of 1.69. Standing at 6-1, 185 pounds, the lanky right-hander now leads the league in innings pitched on the year with 18.
Pitcher of the Week (Week 1):
Joe O’Donnell (N.C. State) Wilmington Sharks:
On the mound, O’Donnell was near perfect for the Wilmington Sharks, making an appearance as both a starter and a reliever in week one. While the N.C. State freshman had eight total innings pitched, the most impressive of those was his seven-inning performance against Morehead City on May 31. The right-hander allowed a single hit in the first inning and did not allow another base runner the rest of his time in the game, retiring 19 straight batters before being removed after seven innings. In total, O’Donnell was 1-0 with a pristine 0.00 ERA, allowing only one hit, zero walks and striking out four, giving him an impressive .040 opponents batting average on the week.