Updated May 12 2015
Each week the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association awards a Hitter and a Pitcher of the Week. For the week of May 3rd the Pitcher of the Week honors went to Bryan Blanton.
Bryan, a true freshman from Albemarle, NC, plays for the Catawba Indians in the South Atlantic Conference. Blanton received the award based on his performance against USC Aiken. In two back-to-back games against the Pacers, Bryan came in the later frames to seal the deal for the Indians. In game one on May 1, Blanton came in during the 11th inning fanning all three batters he faced and while holding on to a 3-2 lead in the 12th Bryan got the last batter to fly out with bases loaded. The following day Blanton saw action in relief as he entered the game in the 9th inning with an 8-6 lead and one runner on. Bryan would send the 3-4-5 hitters back to the dugout to seal the deal and mark his first save of the season. For Catawba this year Blanton has pitched in 19 innings as a middle reliever garnering a 3.32 ERA and 28 strikeouts. These numbers rank him in the top five on the team in those areas.
“Bryan has had tremendous year with Catawba and to put up the numbers he has as a freshman is not to go unnoticed” stated GM Ryan Massenburg. He also added, “We look for that caliber of talent in each player that we sign and we look to help take that talent to the next level during the summer.” Bryan and the rest of the Generals will be in action on opening day May 27th against the Wilson Tobs; game time 7:05pm. The beautiful Petersburg Sports Complex, located at 100 Ballpark Rd. Petersburg, VA, will serve as the home field for all 28 of the Generals’ home games.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-America awards, publication and writing contests.
For additional information, please call 804-733-2394 or 804-722-0141 or visit us on the web at www.petersburggenerals.com.
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 22nd season in 2018, the CPL features 16 teams playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL has had over 1,450 alumni drafted and 111 of those – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut; while another notable alum – Russell Wilson – won Super Bowl XLVIII. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com and follow us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball..Contact:Derrick Sydnor
Phone:804-722-0141