Future Star Wins Golden Spikes Award

July 18, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Huntsville, AL – The Milwaukee Brewers' 2003 first-round draft pick became the first player from Southern University to capture amateur baseball's most prestigious honor. USA Baseball has announced that former Southern second baseman Rickie Weeks topped a talented field of five finalists to capture the 2003 Golden Spikes Award.

Weeks could play for the Huntsville Stars as early as next season, which would be his first full pro year. The 2002 winner of the award, shortstop Khalil Greene, began this season with the Southern League's Mobile Bay Bears before a promotion to triple-A in the San Diego Padres organization. Weeks, who has won every 2003 National Player-of-the-Year award to date, was the 2nd overall pick in this past June's Major League Baseball Draft.

Weeks - a native of Altamonte Springs, Florida - won back-to-back NCAA batting titles (2002-03) with batting averages of .495 and .479, respectively. In 2003, Weeks went 78-for-163 with an NCAA-best 1.61 runs scored per game (82 in 51 contests). He added 16 home runs and 66 RBI and was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second straight year. Weeks led Southern to the nation's best winning percentage (.863) in Division I baseball this season at 44-7. The standout capped his season by belting a two-run homer to push the Jaguars into the second round of the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional with a 5-3 triumph over Southern Mississippi.

"Growing up as a little kid, I always wanted to be considered one of the best players in the country," Weeks said. "So, I'm very elated to win the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award – it's the Heisman Trophy of baseball."

For the past 25 years, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award is presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball stars J. D. Drew, Pat Burrell, Mark Kotsay, Jason Jennings and Mark Prior.

Stars Lose Series Finale 3-1

July 17, 2003 – It never hurts to have a little luck, especially in a game of inches. While Mobile starter Chris Rojas quieted Huntsville's resurgent offense, the Bay Bears used three perfectly placed ground balls to defeat the Stars, 3-1, on Thursday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. After splitting a four-game series, the Stars (13-11, 53-39) and Bears (13-11, 42-50) are one-half game behind leader Birmingham in the Southern League West second-half race.

The Bears broke up a scoreless tie with the first of three well-placed hits. Stars starter Ben Hendrickson retired the first nine batters he faced, but two walks set the table for Jake Gautreau with two outs in the fourth. Gautreau swung at the first pitch and sent a seeing-eye bouncer right over the first-base bag. The ball rolled into the bullpen for a double, plating both runners for a 2-0 Bears lead.

In the fifth, Mobile scored without getting a ball out of the infield. J.J. Furmaniak walked and Kevin Reinking struck out, then Rojas sacrificed Furmaniak to second. Bobby Scales hit a grounder between short and third, and shortstop Chris Barnwell's diving stop saved a run. Scales' infield-single advanced Furmaniak to third, and Vince Faison followed with a dribbler up the first-base line. Hendrickson let the ball roll, and it veered toward the chalk then straightened out, staying centered on the white dust until it came to rest halfway up the line. Faison's swinging bunt scored Furmaniak to put Mobile up, 3-0.

Huntsville rallied in the eighth against reliever Bryan Gall, as Alejandro Machado singled on the infield and took third on Dave Krynzel's line-drive single to left-center. Daryl Clark hit a slow roller to short, where Furmaniak let it go right through his legs for an error, scoring Machado and leaving runners at first and second. Krynzel and Clark pulled off a double steal, but Corey Hart fouled out to first. Gall struck out Brandon Gemoll to end the inning.

Rusty Tucker fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 24th save. Rojas (5-6) picked up the win, giving up just two hits and one walk while fanning five over 5 1/3 scoreless frames. Hendrickson (4-2) suffered his second loss, permitting three runs on five hits and three walks with a season-high eight strikeouts in seven innings.

Huntsville returns home to face West Tenn in the first of a four-game series Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Stars righty Ryan Miller (0-4, 3.10) meets Diamond Jaxx right-hander Mike Nannini (7-5, 4.03). Game time is 7:05 p.m. Bill Penney Toyota presents a Miguel Tejada bobblehead doll to the first 1500 fans in attendance and a fireworks spectacular after the game.

Upcoming Promotions

FRIDAY JULY 18th--Bill Penney Toyota presents Fireworks Friday and Miguel Tejada Bobblehead Doll Giveaway
SATURDAY JULY 19th--Skill Lube Bat Night
SUNDAY JULY 20th--Sanmina-SCI presents 3rd Annual Ballpark 3K Run.
TUESDAY JULY 22nd--Twizzler Tuesdays. Two for one admission with Twizzler Proof of Purchase. 2 for 1 sodas and popcorn.
THURSDAY JULY 24th--Knology Night
FRIDAY JULY 25th--Myron Noodleman/Fireworks Friday



Southern League Stories from July 18, 2003


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