Gems Add Two, Lose Two
April 17, 2012 - West Coast League (WCL)
Klamath Falls Gems News Release
KLAMATH FALLS, OR - The Klamath Falls Gems of the West Coast League today announced the addition of two players and the loss of two from the 2012 roster. Joining the Gems are 1B/3B Austin Byler (Nevada-Reno) and 1B Kevin Davidson (UC Riverside). Leaving the Gems roster are 2011 Gems RHP Patrick O'Rourke (U. of Hawaii) and 1B/OF Steven Fisher (UC Santa Barbara). O'Rourke has decided to play summer ball closer to his Elk Grove, CA home for family reasons, and Fisher will not be playing summer baseball this year.
Committing to the Gems are:
- Byler, a 5'11", 175 pound true freshman. Byler is a college teammate of Gems OF Jamison Rowe and was a high school teammate of Gems LHP Tyler Crawford. A native of Peoria, AZ, Byler starred at Sunrise Mountain High School. He has started 33 of the Wolf Pack's 35 games and is currently hitting .270 with three home runs, 13 RBI and is 3-4 in stolen bases.
- Davidson, a 6'4", 220 pound true freshman. Davidson was activated from redshirt status last week and has started all four games the Highlanders have played since his activation. Named Inland Empire Player of the Year and MVP of the Citrus Belt League at Yucaipa (CA) High School in 2011, Davidson hit .510 (50/98) with 18 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI as a senior. As a pitcher he also went 8-1, 2.13 for Yucaipa in his senior year. Davidson's brother Matt was a first round draft choice of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 and is currently at AA Mobile in the D-backs system. Kevin is a UC Riverside teammate of Gems OF Devyn Bolasky. In his four games for UC Riverside Davidson is 9-for-16.
The Gems are members of the West Coast League, a nine-team professional style wood-bat summer college league. The WCL features pro prospects from major conferences across the country. More than 150 WCL alums played affiliated professional baseball last season, and more than 20 ex-WCL stars played in the Major Leagues last season. For more information on the league, visit www.wccbl.com . For more information on the Gems, visit www.klamathfallsgems.com.
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West Coast League Stories from April 17, 2012
- Gems Add Two, Lose Two - Klamath Falls Gems
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