Cavemen Brings Back Players For 2013 Season
March 26, 2013 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Hannibal Cavemen News Release
The Hannibal Cavemen will have familiar faces in 2013. Five players, including two 2012 Prospect League All-Stars, will return for the 2013 season.
All five players have Missouri roots and made significant contributions to the 2012 Hannibal Cavemen team, which earned a team history high 31 wins.
Zach Nichols, a Hannibal High School alum, was a 2012 Prospect League All-Star, putting together the best offensive season by a Cavemen player. Nichols batted .350 with 8 HR and 60 RBI. His batting average and RBI are both Cavemen single-season records.
Nichols, who now attends William Woods University, also made ten appearances as a pitcher, striking out 13 batters in 10 innings.
"We are very excited to have Zach back," said Cavemen Manager Jay Hemond. "As the numbers show, he brings a big bat to the middle of the line-up. In the clubhouse, he is a great teammate. I enjoy having Zach on the team."
All-Star pitcher Dylan Terrell will also play for the Cavemen in 2013. He went 6-2 with a 3.08 ERA. Terrell's 6 wins rank second on the team. Only Kris Gardner, who was the Prospect League's Co-Pitcher of the Year, had more with 7 wins.
"Dylan is one of the most of the loyal players we have ever had and we are thrilled to have him back. Dylan really knows how to pitch," said Hemond. "To have the kind of year he had as a freshman, in a league as good as the Prospect League, is a testament to his abilities."
Catcher Derek Fletcher and pitcher Adam Brush, both juniors from William Woods University, will also re-join college teammate Nichols on the 2013 Cavemen roster.
Fletcher, who was limited to just 17 games in 2012 due to an injury, batted .271 with 2 HR and 11 RBI.
"Having a good defensive catcher is very important," Hemond said, adding "but Derek has offensive abilities, too. He can catch, throw, hit, and hit with power."
Brush had an impressive debut for the Cavemen, highlighted by an opening day win over the rival Quincy Gems - pitching 7 innings, with no runs, and striking out 7 - that paved the way for Hannibal's claim of the paddle in the "Battle for the Paddle" series against Quincy 8 wins to 4.
"Adam has a fast ball in the low- to mid-90's," Hemond exclaimed. He is a big-game pitcher with great potential."
Lee University pitcher Dustin Lawson will pitch for Hannibal for the third consecutive year. Last summer Lawson went 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA. He appeared in 15 games (two starts) and struck out 34 in 30.1 innings.
"Dustin is a very versatile pitcher," Hemond explained. "He has had success has a reliever and a starter for me. He has that ability to get a strike out when he needs it."
The Hannibal Cavemen open their home season at Clemens Field on May 29, 2013 at 7:05 p.m. versus the Danville Dans.
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Prospect League Stories from March 26, 2013
- Cavemen Brings Back Players For 2013 Season - Hannibal Cavemen
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