2011 Season In Review
August 6, 2011 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Morehead City Marlins News Release
Finishing with an overall record of 27-29, the Morehead City Marlins, in just their second year of life, failed to make the Petitt Cup Playoffs. However, the Marlins accomplished many feats in their sophomore season that most teams in the Coastal Plain League have not, even with much longer histories. The following is a compilation of stats, facts, and highlights from the 2011 Morehead City Marlins season.
The Marlins were a completely different team than a year ago in their inaugural 2010 season, in which the Fish owned a team batting average of .243 and earned run average of 3.05. This summer, they boasted an average of .276 at the plate-good for second in all of the CPL-and stomached an ERA of 4.46.
Freshman slugger Chase McDonald from East Carolina had one of the best individual seasons in the history of the Coastal Plain League. The Marlins' star designated hitter led the league in batting average (.403), slugging percentage (.663), and on-base percentage (.469). Additionally, he not only had more runs batted in than any other player in the league, but he tied the CPL's single-season record for RBIs, driving in 51 throughout the season to match the mark of Jason Dubois of the Rocky Mount RockFish in 1998. McDonald also ranked second in home runs (13) and total bases (120), and third in hits (73).
Returning Marlins shortstop and team captain Joe Sclafani also had a very impressive season. Sclafani's batting average of .375 ended as the third-highest in the league, and he ranked second in on-base (.466), as well as fourth in slugging (.569) and runs scored (40).
Another Marlin from the team's 2010 season returned for another summer and saw success. Marlins pitching ace Shawn Armstrong completed the season with a record of 6-2, earning a decision in every appearance, and with a 2.82 ERA. Opposing batters hit just .191 against Armstrong, the fifth best in the league, and the East Carolina right-hander struck out the second-most batters in Coastal Plain League play with 68. In the 2011 CPL All-Star Game, Armstrong threw nine strikes to three batters to strike out all three in a perfect inning, garnering Defensive Player of the Game honors. Armstrong was also drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the eighteenth round of the MLB First Year Player Draft in June.
The Marlins took home all of the hardware from that night in Fayetteville. First baseman Zach Stephens, who made the National All-Star Team as a replacement due to injury, blasted a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to earn the Offensive Player of the Game award, giving Morehead City the sweep. Stephens finished the season with a .263 average, 6 home runs, and 32 RBIs.
Rice University catcher Geoff Perrott led the Coastal Plain League in runners caught stealing for the Marlins. Perrott gunned 19 base runners through just 25 games played with the Marlins, and his efficiency is the most amazing part of his season. To provide an idea of Perrott's success, the league leader in runners caught stealing in the summer of 2010 threw out 22 runners out of the 85 that attempted to steal bases. Perrott's 19 were only in 42 attempts, meaning that he caught just over 45 percent of runners attempting a stolen base.
There was plenty of excitement at "The Rock" in 2011, night in and night out. The Marlins entertained a total of 36,304 fans this summer, averaging 1,296 per night over the 29 home games played at Big Rock Stadium. The Morehead City faithful, which reached a season-high with 2,087 fans on Carteret General Hospital Foundation's Pink Jersey Auction Night, always had a reason to shake their cowbells. Whether it was an awe-inspiring offensive output (on June 12, the Marlins put up 10 runs in the fifth inning alone and beat the Wilmington Sharks, 16-8) or a down-to-the-wire game in which every pitch is the most important to that point (the Marlins played 34 games that were decided by three runs or less), the Marlins were always fun to watch.
The Morehead City Marlins are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 15th season in 2011, the CPL features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, as well as the Marlins' website at www.mhcmarlins.com. Also, be sure to friend the Marlins on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mhcmarlins and follow them via Twitter (@mcmarlins).
• Discuss this story on the Coastal Plain League message board...
Coastal Plain League Stories from August 6, 2011
- Grizzles down HiToms to advance - High Point-Thomasville HiToms
- Fayetteville's Season Ends with 12-1 Loss to Wilmington in Game 3 - Fayetteville SwampDogs
- Sharks advance to Second Round of Petitt Cup playoffs - Wilmington Sharks
- Tobs WebPass Broadcaster to Finish Season with Kinston Indians - Coastal Plain
- Burns Sends Steamers into Second Round - Edenton Steamers
- 2011 Season In Review - Morehead City Marlins
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
