Edenton Signs Talented Sophomore
Published on May 14, 2012 under Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, NC - The Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plain League announce today the signing of two sophomore players for this summer. Infielder/outfielder Blaise Fernández and right-handed pitcher Kevin McCarthy will join the teal and black in Edenton for 2012.
Fernández comes to the Steamers from George Mason University in Virginia in the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association. The sophomore stands at 6'1", 185 pounds and is a middle of the order bat, third baseman and corner outfielder for the Patriots this spring. Fernández bats and throws from the right side and hails from Bernville, PA. He spent his 2011 summer playing for the Herndon, VA Braves in the Cal Ripken Summer Collegiate League. For the Braves last summer, Fernández finished with a .275 batting average, a .331 on-base percentage and a .528 slugging percentage. He hit eight doubles, two triples and eight home runs along with scoring 27 times and driving in 24 in 37 games played. He ended tied for second in the league in home runs, seventh in runs scored, tied for seventh in RBIs and was the 17th-ranked prospect in the Cal Ripken League by Perfect Game CrossChecker. Fernández is a right-handed, middle-of-the-order power bat with true corner versatility in the field because he has already logged ample innings early in his collegiate career at third base and both corner outfield spots. He threatens the opposition offensively with a quick, power stroke that leads to a lot of hard contact. He had some trouble with strikeouts earlier this spring but has been hot over the second half of the season and is a very dangerous hitter when he controls the strike zone.
McCarthy, a sophomore at Marist College in New York in the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, arrives to the Steamers as a 6'2", 190-pound right-handed pitcher. The Rockville Centre, NY native is an ace-in-the-hole reliever for the Red Foxes this spring. A summer ago McCarthy played ball for the Sag Harbor, NY Whalers in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League and finished with a 1.38 ERA over 45.2 innings pitched. He made seven appearances, all as a starter, and compiled a .182 batting average against, a 0.90 WHIP and struck out 34 batters to just 12 walks allowed. He finished second in the league in ERA, third in batting average against and was ranked #2 by Perfect Game CrossChecker and #3 by Baseball America amongst ACBL prospects in 2011. McCarthy is an exciting pitching prospect for the Steamers this summer. He is an immense talent along with a quality makeup, and his character and work ethic give him the chance to make good on a tremendous ceiling. He missed the start of the spring with a knee injury but has since returned to form down the stretch for Marist, serving in a versatile relief role as a closer, set-up man, or multi-inning guy depending on the leverage of the game situation. He sits between the 89 and 92 MPH range with his fastball and touches a notch higher with a good slider that explodes from his loose arm action. McCarthy has all the tools to be a frontline starter and will look to stretch out in that role as springs leads to summer.
In 49 games for the Patriots, Fernández is batting .246 with 23 runs, 12 doubles, three triples and 28 RBI's. McCarthy has made 14 appearances for the Red Foxes this spring. He is 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts and three saves.
The Edenton Steamers are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 16th season in 2012, 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 930 alumni drafted and 51 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 http://www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at http://www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as cpleague).
Coastal Plain League Stories from May 14, 2012
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