CornBelters Represent in the Minors
July 23, 2018 - Frontier League (FL)
Normal CornBelters News Release
NORMAL, IL - Throughout the 2018 season, the CornBelters have seen three of their starting pitchers leave Normal to play with major league affiliates. LHP Scott Sebald, LHP Matt Portland, and LHP Ryan Lawlor have proven they have the talent to succeed in the minor leagues.
Scott Sebald led the CornBelters starting rotation with three wins (3) before his contract was bought out by the Miami Marlins in June. On June 19, Sebald was assigned to the GCL (Gulf Coast League) Marlins, the rookie league affiliate of the Miami Marlins. As a member of the GCL Marlins, Sebald pitched one game out of the bullpen and finished with a 2.08 ERA in 4.1 innings, where he threw 5 strikeouts and 0 walks. It took the former CornBelter just one game, and three days, to prove he had superior talent and was assigned to the single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers on June 22.
Since, Sebald has played as a member of the Grasshoppers (South Atlantic League) and has started 4 games, holding a 0-3 record. He's thrown 12 strikeouts to 3 walks and continues to be a consistent starter as a part of the Grasshoppers pitching rotation.
Across the country, former CornBelter teammate Matt Portland is off to a red-hot start in his minor league career with the Great Falls Voyagers (Pioneer League). Portland reported to Great Falls, a rookie league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, June 30 after being bought out a day before.
As a Voyager, Portland has played in 4 games, posting a 2-0 record with a starting pitcher-leading 2.65 ERA. Portland has earned wins in his last two starts, refusing to give up a run in either of those ball games. In that span, he's thrown 11 of his 19 strikeouts and threw his longest game (6.2 innings). Overall, with Portland's 2.65 ERA he's recorded: 17.0 IP 16 H 5 ER 5 BB 19 SO, holding his opponents to a .231 batting average.
Portland had this to say about his success in Great Falls, "This is my fourth year of professional baseball so I'm pretty accustomed to the daily routine, whether it being the Frontier League or with an affiliate. I still have the same passion for the game which is incredibly helpful when things get a little monotonous. Fortunately I've been pitching well as of late but I'll continue to work on the things I need to work on to further elevate my game. Success can be elusive in this game so I challenge myself to keep a level head whether things are going good or bad."
Finally, Ryan Lawlor became the most recent CornBelter to be called up to the majors this season. On July 1, the final day of Jose Canseco weekend at the Corn Crib, the Chicago Cubs bought Lawlor's current contract and assigned him to South Bend. The southpaw joins former CornBelter pitching coach Brian Lawrence as a member of the South Bend Cubs of the Midwest League.
Lawlor has pitched twice as a Cub and holds a 1-1 record with a 3.75 ERA in 12.0 innings pitched. He's only given up 5 earned runs on 8 hits, throwing 16 strikeouts to 3 walks. His last start was the highlight of his early minor league career. Lawlor threw 11 strikeouts against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, becoming only the third South Bend Cub to throw 11+ strikeouts in a game. This impressive outing was just 5 innings long and Lawlor retired 6 straight batters to end his night.
All three CornBelters will continue to start for their selective clubs as the 2018 season winds down. The CornBelters team and staff wishes nothing but the best for their future careers.
• Discuss this story on the Frontier League message board...
Frontier League Stories from July 23, 2018
- DeLeon Named Pitcher of the Week - Florence Y'alls
- CornBelters Represent in the Minors - Normal CornBelters
- Isaac Benard Named Player of the Week - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Surging Freedom Return Home for Battle with Belters - Florence Y'alls
- Slammers Finish out July with Hot Promotions - Joliet Slammers
- Rascals Win in Wild Walk-Off - River City Rascals
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.
