Edenton Returns Three Arms to Front 2014 Rotation
February 11, 2014 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, N.C - The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plain League announce today the first official signees for the 2014 season. Pitchers John Williams, Jake McCoy and Rohn (pronounced RON) Pierce are three of the five total returners from the 2013 squad that won both first and second-half East Division titles, had a league-high eight midseason all-star selections, garnered four Player of the Week awards, wrapped up Edenton's 10th straight season with a winning record and a playoff appearance, a league mark, and finished ranked sixth in the nation according to Perfect Game CrossChecker.
Williams, a right-handed junior out of George Mason University (VA) in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Ten Conference, is projected to be a weekend starter for the Patriots this spring. The 6-1, 195-pound Haymarket, V.A., native made 10 appearances a summer ago for the Teal and Black, including five starts. In his 44.2 innings on the hill, Williams pitched two complete games, one shutout, added two saves, a 1.41 ERA, .90 WHIP, .201 batting average against, struck out 36 batters to allowing only eight walks, good for a 4.5 K:BB ratio, and finished with a 5-0 record. For his work last summer he was named a postseason all-star as a first-team starting pitcher. He finished fourth in the league in K:BB ratio and fifth in the league in ERA and WHIP amongst pitchers with 40-plus innings on the mound. Williams provided an unforgettable moment last season when, on July 10th, he tossed the first no-hitter in franchise history, defeating the Florence RedWolves 4-0. He was the unsung hero of last summer's pitching staff after opening the season dominantly in a long-relief role before entering the rotation at the midpoint. He combines a great blend of stuff, competitiveness and moxie to consistently perform at the level he showed last summer in Edenton.
McCoy, a Longview, W.A. native, also projects to be a weekend starter this spring for the Saint Catharine College (KY) Patriots in the NAIA Mid-South Conference. The 6-4, 250-pound, right-handed redshirt-sophomore made 22 appearances for the Steamers last summer. In 30.2 innings pitched he went 7-0, tying the Edenton franchise record for wins, led the CPL with 11 saves and had 33 strikeouts to only eight walks, good for a 4.13 K:BB ratio, which was ninth in the league for pitchers with 30-plus innings. He finished with a 2.05 ERA, .82 WHIP and .165 batting average against. For his effort, McCoy was named a midseason all-star and postseason first-team relief pitcher. Heading into the 2014 spring, McCoy was named a NAIA Player to Watch by Collegiate Baseball after transferring from College of the Desert (CA) and being one of the dominant closers in the CPL last summer from start to finish. A starter by trade, he almost did not realize his destiny last summer when he was long considered the frontrunner for the opening-night starting role. However, a rash of injuries to Edenton's projected bullpen in late May combined with its ultimate rotation depth paved the way for McCoy's power profile to be a perfect fit for the ninth inning. He features a heavy fastball in the 89-94 miles-per-hour range and a put-away slider that allowed him to limit opposing hitters to a .204 slugging average (only four doubles) all summer long.
Pierce, out of Canisius Colege (NY) in the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, projects to be a weekend starter for the Golden Griffins this spring. The right-handed junior stands at 6-3, 220 pounds and hails from Newfane, N.Y. Last summer for Edenton he totaled 13 appearances, all out of the bullpen, and pitched 28.1 innings. While on the mound, he finished with a 1.59 ERA, .81 WHIP, .173 batting average against, 1.34 strikeouts per inning pitched, which was eighth in the league for pitchers with 20-plus innings and notched 38 strikeouts to issuing only six walks. His 6.33 K:BB ratio last summer was second in the CPL for relievers. Pierce was another starter by trade turned reliever for the Steamers 2013 bullpen. After arriving late following Canisius's NCAA Regional appearance, he was slotted into his multi-inning setup role in front of McCoy and dominated. Snubbed from postseason all-star consideration because he was not a closer, Pierce features plus stuff and arguably the best command among all CPL relievers last summer.
Like McCoy, he was also very tough for hitters to square up, allowing just five doubles all summer for an opponent slugging average against of .224.
Williams, McCoy and Pierce will give the Steamers an opportunity to feature three pitchers with the ideal traits of stuff, experience and mental toughness to frontline their 2014 rotation.
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 11, 2014
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- Edenton Returns Three Arms to Front 2014 Rotation - Edenton Steamers
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