State College Spikes (19 - 19) @ Mahoning Valley Scrappers (18-20)Monday, July 30 -- 7:05 p.m.
Eastwood Field - Niles, OH
Game # 39 / Road Game #18
LHP Heath Taylor (0-2, 2.29) vs. LHP Tony Watson (6-0, 1.63)
STATE COLLEGE STARTER: LHP Tony Watson will make his eighth start of the season when he toes the rubber for the Spikes this evening. Watson enters the evening with a league leading six wins and is third in the NYPL with a 1.63 ERA. In 38.2 innings of work, Watson has allowed only 27 hits and has more than a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In his seven starts, the southpaw has never allowed more than two earned runs and opponents are hitting only .191 against him. Dating back to his junior season at Nebraska, Watson has won his last eight decisions and has not lost a game since May 4th against Coastal Carolina. Watson was the Pirates' 9th round selection in the 2007 MLB Draft out of the University of Nebraska. During the ‘07 season Watson went 6-4 in 15 starts for the Cornhuskers and was named Second-Team All-Big 12 following the season. The 2006 season was Watson's best collegiate season, as he went 10-2 with a 2.87 ERA and was named first-team All-American. Watson was previously drafted in the 23rd round by the Florida Marlins in 2003, and then once again in the 17th round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2006.
MAHONING VALLEY STARTER: LHP Heath Taylor was the Cleveland Indians 10th round selection in the 2007 MLB draft out of the University of Oklahoma. So far this season, Taylor is 0-2 with a 2.29 ERA in five starts. The southpaw has never thrown more than five innings, and has surrendered 19 hits in 19.2 innings of work while walking four and striking out 10. During his last season with the Sooners, Taylor lead the team with nine wins and a 3.57 ERA in 20 games. Prior to attending OU, Taylor spent two seasons with Vernon Junior College, where he was named a Texas Junior College all-star. In high school he was name the Texas State Pitcher of the Year following his senior year. He struck out 132 batters in 62.0 innings of work, while also hitting .596 with eight home runs.
ON TAP TONIGHT: The State College Spikes open up a six game road trip with the first of three against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. The Scrappers are the Single-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and are a Pinckney Division rival of the Spikes. Mahoning Valley has been the starting point for several Major League All-Stars including Victor Martinez, C.C Sabathia and Fausto Carmona.
LAST NIGHT'S GAME: The State College Spikes took the rubber game of a three-game set on Sunday evening thanks to a 3-2 victory over the Auburn Doubledays. Austin McClune lead the Spikes both with the bat and in the field, as he went 3-for-3 and also had three outfield assists, two of which gunned down runners trying to score. The win moved the Spikes within 2.5 games of Auburn for first place in the Pinckney Division.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The State College Spikes open up a six game road swing this evening, and so far this season the Spikes have enjoyed a great deal of success on the road. The team has posted a 9-8 record with a .275 batting average as the visiting team. At Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the team is 10-11 with a .235 team average. There is not a player who exemplifies this disparity more than Keanon Simon. The outfielder is hitting a whopping .457 (16-for-35) on the road and only .163 (7-for-43) at home. Catcher Nick Stillwagon has shown a similar trend early in the year as he is hitting .147 (5-for-34) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park and .385 (10-for-26) everywhere else.
CAVY IN JULY: After riding a ten-game hitting streak into the month of July, Matt Cavagnaro has cooled off considerably as July turns to August. Dating back to July 4th, the former Penn Stater is hitting only .129 (9-for-70). Despite his struggles Cavagnaro has had a knack for clutch hitting as of late. In last night's game his two-RBI double gave the Spikes their first lead of the game and on July 25th his late inning home run sent the game against the IronBirds into extra innings.
TOPLESS: Over the course of the last four games, the top four spots in the State College lineup have gone 5-for-58 with only one RBI. In the four games prior, the top four spots in order hit .323 with 14 RBI.
DAVIS' DIME: OF Marcus Davis has been playing well of late, hitting safely in eight of his last 10 games. During that span, Marcus has also driven in five runs and stolen six bases. In addition, six of his last eight hits have gone for extra bases.
MCCLUNE'S CANNON: Last night Austin McClune had an evening to remember. With the bat, the former 7th round pick went 3-for-3 but it was his defense that made the difference in the game. McClune, who was recognized as the best outfield arm in the Pirates' organization by Baseball America, threw out three runners on the basepaths last evening. His first outfield assist came in the fifth inning when he threw out Luis Sanchez at the plate, he later threw out Darin Mastroianni at second base in the seventh inning, and rounded out the evening by throwing out Victor Santana at home in the eighth inning. Santana would have been the tying run. With last night's effort, McClune now has five outfield assists, the second most in the NYPL.
OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES: The State College Spikes have scored an NYPL low 136 runs through the teams first 38 games of the season. There are a number of factors that have lead to the run scoring drought, but another league low 100 walks have not helped the cause. Oneonta leads the league with 150 walks and also lead the league with 199 runs scored. In addition, the Spikes are hitting only .236 with runners on base, which is third worst in the NYPL. Conversely, tonight's opponent, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, leads the league with a .287 average with runners aboard.
TWO SCORE OR NOT TWO SCORE: This season, the Spikes have been held to two runs or less in 15 of their first 38 games. Conversely, the 2006 Spikes were held to two runs or less in only five of the team's first 38 games.
POWER TO THE PINCKNEY: The State College Spikes have a league high 14 wins against Pinckney Division foes. However,, they have not faired as well against the rest of the New York-Penn League, going 5-12 against non-division teams. In their 21 games against Auburn, Batavia, Jamestown and Williamsport, the Spikes are hitting .273 (193-706) with 88 runs scored and 11 home runs. Conversely, against the rest of their opponents, the Spikes are hitting only .231 (124-536) with 48 runs scored and seven home runs.
BUMPS AND BRUISES: Spikes shortstop Brian Friday has been out with a sore left hand after getting plunked by a pitch July 21 versus Staten Island. He is expected to return to action as some point during this three-game series in Mahoning Valley. In his absence, Smelin Perez has started at shortstop every game. In addition, C Matt Clarkson is expected to have season ending Tommy John surgery at some point in the next week.
AROUND THE ORGANIZATION: Indianapolis (54-53) lost to Charlotte, 3-2. SS Brian Bixler went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and two RBI ... Altoona (55-50) lost to Akron 6-3. 1B Steven Pearce went 1-for-3 with a double in his last game before being promoted to AAA ... Lynchburg (45-57) beat Myrtle Beach 4-3. OF Brad Corley hit his ninth home run and went 2-for-4 ... Hickory (50-54) has the day off ... Bradenton (13-20) lost to the GCL Orioles 8-7. Daniel Moskos made his professional debut with a scoreless inning of relief.
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