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 Southern Illinois Miners

Miners' Lopez, Earley, O'Sullivan Earn Postseason Awards

September 3, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Marion, Ill. (September 3, 2015) - The Southern Illinois Miners are proud to announce that three Miners have earned postseason honors, with Adam Lopez winning the Brian Tollberg Award as the 2015 Frontier League Pitcher Of the Year, outfielder Michael Earley winning a spot on the 2015 Postseason All-Star team and hitting coach Pat O'Sullivan earning the Darren Bush Award as the league's Coach of the Year.

In addition, former vice president and general manager Tim Arseneau will be presented with a Commissioner's Award of Excellence for distinguished service to the Frontier League.

A 6'5" right-hander from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Lopez came to the Miners from the Chicago White Sox organization and immediately established himself as one of the premier arms in the Frontier League. He went 3-0 in his first three starts while allowing just one earned run in 22 innings, walking seven and striking out 18 while allowing just one extra-base hit. He was picked up by the Seattle Mariners shortly thereafter, but had his playing rights returned to the Miners. He then continued to be a lights-out member of the Miners' strong starting rotation, as entering play on Thursday night is a perfect 10-0 with a 1.91 ERA that leads all active qualifying pitchers in the Frontier League. In 15 starts spanning 89 2/3 innings, Lopez has allowed just 62 hits and 30 walks, and despite missing two starts after being picked up by Seattle ranks sixth in the league with 95 strikeouts. Lopez also ranks first among qualifying pitchers in the league with just a .191 opposing batting average, with the Miners having won each and every one of his starts this season.

Lopez becomes the fourth Miner in the franchise's nine years of existence to be named Pitcher of the Year, joining Ryan Bird (2008), Joe Augustine (2010) and Matt Bywater (2014), and is also the starting pitcher on the league's postseason all-star team. The Miners are now the only franchise to have four Pitcher of the Year selections, and the third franchise in league history to have a pitcher win the award in back-to-back years, joining the Zanesville Greys (1995-96) and the Richmond Roosters (2003-04).

"Since the first day of spring training, our staff knew we had someone special in Adam, not only as a pitcher but as an important member of our pitching staff," Miners manager Mike Pinto said. "His abilities as a pitcher are evident in his numbers. What people don't see is the hard work, the dedication to be better and the demeanor he bring to the park each day. I am incredibly happy for him to achieve this huge award and hope it helps propel him back to the right major league organization and on to the big leagues."

"So much credit also has to go to our phenomenal pitching coach Preston Vancil who I believe to be the best pitching coach in the league," Pinto added. "Two pitchers of the year in two seasons are a reflection of Preston and his work, not only on a daily basis with all our pitchers, but in his strategic preparation as well."

Also from the White Sox organization and Anderson, Indiana, Earley has had one of the top offensive seasons in Miners history in 2015. Entering play on Thursday, Earley is hitting .331 with 10 homers and 61 RBIs, ranking in the top-10 in batting average, RBIs and doubles (with 25, the second-highest single-season total in team history) while playing in every single game for Southern Illinois this year. He also leads the Frontier League in total hits with 123, just five away from tying the Miners' single-season record of 128 set by Carlos Mendez in 2013. Earlier this year, Earley went on a 16-game hitting streak, tied for fourth-longest in team history. He is the first Miners position player to be named to the Postseason All-Star team since Javier Herrera in 2012, and is the fourth Miners outfielder to land a spot on the team, joining Joey Metropoulos (2008 and 2009), Jereme Milons (2010) and Herrera.

"Michael's daily approach to the game sets a standard for players in how to be a true professional player," Pinto said. "He impacts the game every day with his all-out style of play. As an offensive player he is one of the best to ever put on a Miners uniform. Michael plays to win every day and it's been an honor to have him with us this season. I hope this leads a major league organization to draw him to their clubs next spring."

O'Sullivan came to the Miners from the Rockford Aviators, where he spent the previous four seasons as their hitting coach. With a background that includes a decorated career as a player and 200 minor league home runs, he has helped the Miners to a .271 team batting average entering play on Thursday, which ranks third in the league. Miners hitters have also struck out the second-fewest times in the league this year while drawing the fifth-most walks. He is the second Miner to be named Coach of the Year after former hitting coach Ralph Santana in 2012.

"Sully is one of the hardest-working hitting coaches in the league," Pinto said. "Not only is he extremely dedicated to the success of each of his hitters, he works tirelessly each day to help them improve and fulfill their potential. He is an intuitive thinker and looks for the new way, the new idea. His innovation of our unique metric system has given us a new formula to not only evaluate true player performance but to motivate team-oriented performance."

Tim Arseneau was the longtime general manager and later the vice president for the Miners. Having recently left to accept a postition with the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the San Diego Padres, during his tenure in Southern Illinois, the Miners led the Frontier League in attendance in each of the team's first four seasons (2007-10, setting a league record in 2007 that still stands to this day), won the Frontier League's Organization of the Year award three times (2007, 2009 and 2010) and also captured the team's first Frontier League championship in 2012.

The Miners continue their regular season schedule on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. on the road against the Gateway Grizzlies before returning home for the season's final weekend to face the Florence Freedom in a three-game series beginning at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night.


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