CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

2011 First Half a Great Success for Pelicans

Published on June 20, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC - This spring, there was already a buzz on the Grand Strand about the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. After hosting their new parent club, the Texas Rangers, in an exhibition game in March, the excitement has carried into the summer as the Pelicans are enjoying a wonderful season that has seen them clinch the Carolina League's Southern Division first-half title and a playoff berth.

In making the postseason for the first time since 2008, the Pelicans have provided high-quality baseball in addition to the great fun and entertainment that Myrtle Beach fans know and love. The success the Pelicans have had through the season's first half have been highlighted by star performances on the mound, at the plate and in the field.

Heading into Tuesday's All-Star Game, the Pelicans capped the first half with the best record in the Carolina League Southern Division with a mark of 40-29. That includes the league's best home record of 22-9. The Birds finished only one half-game behind the Northern Division champion Frederick Keys for the best overall mark in the league.

Manager Jason Wood has pushed all the right buttons in his first season as a manager in the minor leagues. The Birds have scored the most runs in the Carolina League and allowed the fewest, giving them the best run differential in the circuit by far. The offense, guided by hitting coach Julio Garcia, also leads the league in on base percentage and is second in batting average. The pitching staff, under the tutelage of pitching coach Brad Holman, has been the greatest strength of the club.

Myrtle Beach hurlers lead the loop in ERA with a 3.14 mark. They have racked up the most strikeouts and allowed the fewest home runs. The staff finished the half at second in the league in opponent batting average and walks per nine innings. The team defense has excelled as well, making only 60 errors in 69 games, tied with the Kinston Indians for the fewest errors in the league.

While many minor leaguers are enjoying a few days off this week, four Pelicans were honored by being selected to the Carolina League All-Star team. They'll take on the California League's All-Stars at 10:30 EDT on Tuesday night at John Thurman Field in Modesto, CA in the California-Carolina League All-Star Game.

One of the players representing Myrtle Beach is center fielder Ryan Strausborger. If there was a Carolina League Most Valuable Player award given out for the first half of the season, the former Indiana State Sycamore would be at the top of the list. Ryan ranks third in the league with a .305 batting average while leading the loop in both hits with 84 and at bats with 275. Strausborger will be one of three starting outfielders for the Carolina Leaguers on Tuesday night.

In his first full minor league season, the 2010 16th-round pick is second in the league in runs, 47, and total bases, 135. He trails only Winston-Salem's Ian Gac, the only other Carolina Leaguer to play in all of his team's first-half games. Strausborger ranks seventh in the league in both on base percentage and slugging percentage with great speed to go along with his power. He's tied for the league lead in triples with seven and his 21 stolen bases are the second-most in the circuit.

Ryan has also starred in center field, leading all outfielders with 133 putouts. Tied for fourth with seven outfield assists, baserunners should be wary of his throwing arm as well. He ran up a 16-game hitting streak in June, the longest in the league this year, and his active 30-game on base streak is the longest in the league this season as well. Strausborger had a three-homer day during an April 27 doubleheader against Potomac that helped him take home Carolina League Player of the Week on May 2.

Catcher Zach Zaneski earned a reserve spot on the All-Star squad. One of two backstops to represent the league, Zaneski batted .295 in the first half, 25 points ahead of the next highest catcher. The former Rhode Island Ram crushed left-handed pitching with a .407 batting average and six home runs. After going undrafted in 2008, Zaneski has worked his way through the Texas farm system and has helped guide Myrtle Beach's league-leading pitching staff behind the plate.

The man in the cleanup spot of the lineup between Strausborger and Zaneski for most of the season, Mike Olt, dominated opposing pitchers and would have started the All-Star Game at third base if not for a broken collarbone suffered on June 6. Even without playing the final two weeks of the first half, Olt's ten home runs were tied for the fourth-most in the league. He ranks in the top ten in on base percentage (.395, 2nd), slugging percentage (.508, 6th) and batting average (.286, 7th).

After batting .424 with three home runs and ten runs batted in in his first nine games, Olt was the inaugural Carolina League Player of the Week on April 18. At the hot corner, Olt tied for the league lead in assists and is second in both fielding percentage and double plays. He should return to action in early-to-mid August.

Although the Pelicans are a well-rounded team, their greatest strength is their pitching staff, especially their starting rotation. Even with the departure of one of their aces they have barely missed a beat. Right-hander Joe Wieland has impeccable control and some mind-boggling numbers.

The Reno native has only walked four batters in 85 and two-thirds innings this season, giving him the best walks per inning ratio in all of minor league baseball. From April 18 to June 7 Joe tossed 64 innings, a span of 227 batters faced, without issuing a free pass. Wieland leads the Carolina League in both strikeouts (96) and WHIP (0.96). Those totals rank seventh and eighth respectively among all minor league hurlers. He has also posted a miniscule 2.10 ERA that is the second-lowest in the league.

The 2008 fourth-round pick is the only player in the Carolina League to win a weekly award twice. He was named Pitcher of the Week for his dominant performance in Potomac on May 4 when he struck out 13 and allowed only two infield hits in seven shutout innings. With seven shutout innings against Wilmington on May 28, the righty won it again after striking out nine.

Wieland has some company atop the league leaderboards with teammate Robbie Ross. The southpaw is tied for the league lead in wins with seven and with only two losses on his record, holds the best winning percentage in the circuit (.778). Ross's 2.87 ERA is the seventh-lowest in the league and he and Wieland have stepped up after a call-up from one of their star teammates.

Robbie Erlin was ticketed for a Carolina League All-Star nod as well before he was given an even greater reward for his stellar first half. The lefty was leading the league in strikeouts, WHIP, opponent batting average and fewest baserunners per nine innings when the Rangers moved him up a level from Myrtle Beach to Double-A Frisco on May 27. Erlin has continued to shut down opposing hitters as he leads all of minor league baseball in both opponent batting average (.175) and WHIP (0.75). Robbie earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors on May 2 after a pair of brilliant starts in which he gave up one run in a combined 14 innings.

With strong pitching, a relentless offense and outstanding defense, the Pelicans have had at least a first-place tie since May 14 and took over the top spot for good on May 25. The season was not without its share of hardships, however. First baseman Chris McGuiness missed about half of the team's games so far with injuries, but Jared Bolden and Mitch Hilligoss filled in exceptionally well in his absence. With Olt's injury creating an even greater hole in the lineup, Hilligoss shifted over to third and has performed solidly.

After a five-game winning streak vaulted them into first place in the last week of May, the Pelicans were seemingly starting to run away with the division crown as they opened up a lead of five and one-half games. They hit a 7-10 early June skid, however, with the low point being a heartbreaking 23-inning loss at rival Kinston on June 12 that was the longest game in Carolina League history.

The lead evaporated to just a game and a half with three to play in the first-half's final weekend. The resilient Pelicans beat the Northern Division champion Keys on June 17 to hold off hard-charging Kinston and take the Southern Division first-half championship. They will play the rest of the season knowing they have a playoff bid secured and will host the postseason opener on Wednesday, September 7.

After two difficult and disappointing seasons, the Pelicans are on their way back to the postseason. As an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, Myrtle Beach struggled in 2010 with a 58-82 record. In their first season as a Texas Rangers' farm club, the Pelicans have already racked up 40 wins. The Birds did not reach the 40-win plateau last year until July 25th in their 100th game.

The Pelicans look to build on their amazing first half once the second half gets started at BB&T Coastal Field on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. The Potomac Nationals come to Myrtle Beach for a three-game series as the records reset to 0-0. Tickets for all Pelicans home games, including the postseason, are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, and by phone at 843-918-6000 or 877-918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from June 20, 2011


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