Edenton Begins Final Touches to Roster
May 2, 2016 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, NC - The Edenton Steamers are happy to announce the signings of Robert White, John Russell and Bobby Schuman to the 2016 team.
White joins the Clams from the College of William & Mary of the Colonial Athletic Association. The 6'4" 210-pound Chesapeake, VA native spent last summer with the Charlottesville TomSox of the Valley League, making six starts in seven appearances. White maintained a 2.84 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP through 38 innings while fanning 35 batters and walking just 12. The righty also held opposing hitters to a .243 average and a .626 OPS. White parlayed a stellar freshman summer in the Valley as a rotation guy into a leveraged role this spring as the Tribe's primary setup man. Blessed with plus stuff, and the indicators to match, the sophomore features a fastball into the low 90s and a wipeout breaking ball for strikeouts. However, consistency tied to poor control has plagued him throughout the spring. The key for White this summer will be regaining his command of the zone and letting his natural power repertoire play to his advantage. Through 23 innings this spring, White has amassed 30 strikeouts with just a .195 batting average against, offset by 29 bases on balls.
John Russell comes to Edenton as a sophomore from the University of Connecticut. The 6'2" 170-pound right-handed pitcher made 12 appearances, three starts, for the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate League, turning in a 4-2 record with one save during the 2015 summer. The South Glastonbury, CT native also held a 1.47 ERA and a .63 WHIP through 36.2 innings while collecting 43 Ks to just two walks. The former transfer from University of Connecticut-Avery Point is in his first campaign with the UConn Huskies and not getting much work due to the depth and experience of their pitching staff. Russell overwhelmed Futures League hitters last summer with pinpoint command of an upper 80s fastball and a nasty curveball that resulted in a lot of punchouts.
Bobby Schuman, a redshirt-junior out of California State University- Northridge, is the fourth outfielder for the Matadors this spring. The La Jolla, CA native stands 6'3" and 210 pounds. Schuman spent the 2015 summer with the independent Humboldt Crabs, slashing .358/.423/.580/1.003 in 162 at bats. He also collected a whopping 26 extra-base hits while snagging 26 bags on 29 attempts and creating close to two runs per game. A former transfer from La Salle University in Philadelphia and junior college Louisiana State University-Eunice, Schuman is a physical specimen, oozing with the tools scouts look for. He has dealt with injuries during his college career, including this spring, but his physical potential and ceiling are very intriguing heading into this summer at Historic Hicks Field.
White, Russell and Schuman are as talented as any other trio the Steamers are bringing in this summer, but each has faced different developmental obstacles this spring. Hopefully they will overcome those challenges this summer to become significant contributors for an Edenton roster that should be as deep and productive as usual.
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Coastal Plain League Stories from May 2, 2016
- Edenton Begins Final Touches to Roster - Edenton Steamers
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