WCL Corvallis Knights

Knights Sign Blake Drake

Published on April 4, 2013 under West Coast League (WCL)
Corvallis Knights News Release


The Corvallis Knights of the West Coast League have signed sophomore center fielder Blake Drake of Concordia (Ore.) University, a 6-foot-1, 165-pounder from Ramona, Calif.

Drake leads the Cavaliers in hitting with a .361 batting average, in at-bats (133); hits (48); runs (24), and in stolen bases (15).

He hit .271 (32-118) in 48 games (33 starts) as a freshman, with a homer and 16 RBIs. Had six multiple-hit games, and was 6-for-14 (.429) with six runs, three RBIs and two doubles in the NAIA West Tournament.

Drake was a three-time team MVP and defensive player of the Year at Ramona High School, where he also earned all-conference honors three times.

Concordia assistant coach Braden Wells, who played for the Knights in 2007 after his junior year at Oregon State, described Drake as an exceptional defensive center fielder.

"(Knights) fans will love how he plays the outfield," Wells said. "He can really play out there and is a special defender and great kid."

The Knights open their seventh season in Corvallis on June 4 with an 11 a.m. nonconference game against the Portland Lobos. They begin WCL play June 5 at Wenatchee in a rematch of the 2012 WCL Championship Series.

Andriese honored by Big West Conference

UC Riverside outfielder David Andriese, a 2010-11 Knight, was named the Big West Conference Field Player of the Week by the league and the BWC Player of the Week by the College Sports Madness website for March 25-31. He was 7-for-11 (.636) with a double, triple, two runs and three RBIs as UCR swept No. 21 UC Irvine.

Teammate Trevor Frank, a 2012 Knight, saved all three games and was nominated for BWC Pitcher of the Week honors, but was not selected.

Alums ranked by MLB.com

Knights' alums Andrew Susac (2009), Tyler Anderson (2009) and Mitch Haniger (2010) are ranked as top-20 prospects in their respective major-league organizations by MLB.com.

A catcher from Oregon State, Susac is ranked No. 16 in the San Francisco organization. A left-handed pitcher from Oregon, Anderson is rated No. 6 in the Colorado organization. An outfielder from Cal Poly, Haniger is rated No. 11 in the Milwaukee organization.

Anderson, Lyman start season openers

The aforementioned Anderson and Knights' alum Scott Lyman (2010) were the opening-night starting pitchers for their respective minor league teams on Thursday night.

Anderson started for Modesto in its California League opener against High Desert. A Miami Marlins prospect who played at UC Davis, Lyman was the starter for Greensboro in its South Atlantic league opener at Hickory (N.C.).

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West Coast League Stories from April 4, 2013


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