Edenton Mines Gems from the NAIA
February 24, 2014 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, N.C - The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plain League announce today the signing of three more players for the 2014 summer. Infielder Josh Fuentes, outfielder Orlando Olivera and pitcher Jacob Webb will help the Teal and Black compete for the Petitt Cup this summer.
Fuentes is a junior from Missouri Baptist University in the American Midwest Conference and is the everyday shortstop for the Spartans this spring.
The Rancho Santa Margarita, C.A. native bats and throws from the right side and stands at 6-1, 200 pounds. He suited up for the Mankato MoonDogs in the Northwoods League a summer ago, batting .264, finishing with a .341 on-base average, .432 slugging average and .772 OPS. He smacked 16 doubles, five home runs and ended with 18 walks to 28 strikeouts to go along with his .943 fielding average and 5.08 range factor at the shortstop position.
Fuentes is in his first year with NAIA powerhouse Missouri Baptist after transferring from Saddleback College (CA). He is a gifted defender and above-average offensive player that gives the Steamers the chance to have one of its most complete shortstops since Ryan Khoury (2004-2005) and A.J. Rusbarsky (2010). Through 10 games, Fuentes is off to an excellent start, batting .359 with 12 runs, two doubles and a range factor of 5.20 in 52 errorless chances at shortstop.
A teammate of Fuentes at Missouri Baptist, Olivera is the everyday left-fielder and a mid-order hitter for the Spartans this spring. The junior from Miami, F.L. bats and throws right and checks in at 6-0, 220 pounds. In 24 games last summer with the Saints in the St. Louis Metro Collegiate League, Olivera had 86 at-bats and finished with a .349 batting average, 10 doubles, five homeruns and nine walks to 11 strikeouts. He added a .411 on-base average, .640 slugging average and 1.051 OPS.
Olivera is also in his first season with Missouri Baptist after playing two years with Broward Community College in Florida as an underclassman. He is a well put together physical specimen, who projects to be a threatening run-producer this summer for the Steamers. Through the Spartans 10 games thus far this spring, he is hitting .474 with six doubles, one home run and four bases on balls to only two strikeouts, while accounting for 25 combined runs and RBI. Last week Olivera was selected as the Player of the Week in the American Midwest Conference.
Webb is a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Tabor College (KS) in the NAIA Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The 6-1, 190-pound Riverside, C.A. native is the ace starter for the Blue Jays this spring after spending last summer with the Medicine Hat Mavericks in the Western Major Baseball League. For the Mavs he made 26 appearances, all out of the bullpen, and logged 36 innings pitched. In his time on the mound he compiled two saves, a paltry 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and struck out 49 hitters to allowing only 11 walks.
Webb is an exciting hurler that is still growing into his ceiling as a professional prospect. He absolutely blew hitters away last summer in a relief role when his fastball sat between 90-94 miles per hour and a slider/cutter hybrid at 83-84. He is making the adjustment to a starting role in 2014 by featuring a four-pitch arsenal with a good change-up and developing curveball. Webb has pitched effectively and economically in three quality starts to open the spring. In his 18 innings of work he has allowed just 17 base runners, a .169 batting average against with 15 strikeouts, notching wins in each outing; two of the victories came against then third-ranked Saint Edward's University of Texas (Division II) and preseason fifth-ranked Oklahoma City University (NAIA).
The Edenton Steamers are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 17th season in 2013, the CPL features 14 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.
Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,000 alumni drafted and 63 alums - including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander -make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as cplbaseball).
Coastal Plain League Stories from February 24, 2014
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- Edenton Mines Gems from the NAIA - Edenton Steamers
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