Five Blue Sox Named to NECBL All-Star Team
July 14, 2014 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Valley Blue Sox News Release
HOLYOKE, MA- The Valley Blue Sox are set to host the NECBL All-Star Game this Sunday, July 20, and when they do so, they will have five players representing the team on the field, as catcher Josh Graham and shortstop Garrett Black will start for the North Division, while first baseman Trey Sikes, second baseman Angelo La Bruna, and third baseman Frank Crinella will be reserves for the North.
Graham, from Roseburg, OR and a junior at the University of Oregon, is hitting .276 on the year, with 16 hits in 58 at-bats, four runs and eight RBI in sixteen games, and has thrown out seven would-be base stealers in eleven games behind the plate. He has posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Black, from Lima, OH and a senior at Ohio University, is hitting .308 this season, with 20 hits in 65 at-bats, scoring seven runs and drawing seven walks in nineteen games.
Sikes, from Hinesville, GA and a junior at Savannah State University, is hitting .247 this season, with 21 hits in 85 at-bats, including a team-best four home runs, and has scored 10 runs and driven in 11 in 25 games, with no errors.
La Bruna, from La Canada, CA and a senior at the University of Southern California, is batting a team-best .333 this season, with 23 hits in 69 at-bats, with a team-best seven doubles as well as 10 walks.
Crinella, from East Longmeadow, MA and a junior at Merrimack, is batting .284 with a team-high 27 hits in 95 at-bats over all 27 games, with six doubles, a triple, and 12 runs, playing primarily at third base.
The All-Star Game festivities begin with the All-Star Brunch at 10:30 a.m. on the 12th floor of the La Quinta located at 100 Congress Street in Springfield; gates open at 12:00 p.m. at Mackenzie Stadium for the festivities, which include the 60-yard dash, throwing accuracy competition, and home run derby, prior to the All-Star Game which is slated to start at 5:05 p.m.
The 2014 season will represent the Blue Sox seventh season in the Pioneer Valley, playing at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke. The Blue Sox have been a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL; www.necbl.com) since 2008. The NECBL is funded in part by Major League Baseball and is comprised of 12 teams throughout all six New England states who recruit the elite athletes and premier pro prospects from around the world.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 14, 2014
- NECBL Weekly Roundup - NECBL
- Five Blue Sox Named to NECBL All-Star Team - Valley Blue Sox
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