Gems Sign First 2012 Players
September 6, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL)
Klamath Falls Gems News Release
KLAMATH FALLS, OR - The Klamath Falls Gems today announce the first group of player commitments for the 2012 season. The initial group of 15 player commitments include three returnees from the 2011 Gems squad. Those returnees are RP Patrick O'Rourke (U. of Hawaii), 1B/P Nick Miller (Northeastern Junior College) and Second Team All-WCL infielder Graham Saiko (Oklahoma State).
Highlighted new players for next season include pitchers Mac Acker (Washington), Ian Ekery (Central AZ College), Andy Lines (UC Irvine) and Ricky Villareal (Pepperdine), who all played for Cowlitz in the West Coast League last season; infielder Conner George (Hawaii), who played for Wenatchee last year, and Klamath Falls native and former American Legion Falcons star outfielder Seth Brown (Merced JC).
Thirteen of the 15 committed players played college wood-bat baseball last summer, 11 in the West Coast League. Third Baseman Andrew Mistone (Mississippi) hit .308 for Kitap in 2010 before sitting out 2011 during his transfer to Ole Miss.
Two players earned 2011 post-season honors in college wood-bat baseball, with Saiko joining OF Aaron Schwoebel (Campbellsville University), who was named to the All-Arizona Summer Collegiate League team. In addition, shortstop Tanner Nielsen (Campbellsville) earned second-team All-Conference (Scenic West Conference) honors, and was named SWC Defensive Player of the Year, at Western Nevada JC before transferring to the Kentucky college.
Pitchers:
Mac Acker, LHP, Washington; 6'2", 190, L/L, 12/30/90, Redmond, WA, Jr.
Cowlitz (WCL) 2011 pitching: 1 G, 2.2 IP, 4 K, 0.00
Cowlitz (WCL) 2011 hitting: .190, 0/0, 0 SB, 7 games
Alaska (summer league) 2011 pitching: 4 G, 15 IP, 18 K, 2-0, 0.60
Alaska (summer league) 2011 hitting: .333, 0/8, 6 SB, 19 games
Ian Ekery, LHP, Central Arizona College; 6'0", 200, L/L, 11/20/91, El Paso, TX, So.
Cowlitz 2011: 14 G, 47.1 IP, 31 K, 4-3, 2.85
Andy Lines, LHP, UC Irvine; 6'4", 191, L/L, 11/4/90, Palos Verdes, CA, Jr.
Cowlitz (WCL) 2011: 11 G, 20.1 IP, 24 K, 2-1, 2.21, 2 SV
UC Irvine 2011: 22 G, 28 IP, 27 K, 5-2, 2.57
Patrick O'Rourke, RHP, Hawaii; 6'4", 235, R/R, Elk Grove, CA, RS Sr.
Klamath Falls (WCL) 2011: 17 G, 36.1 IP, 22K, 3-4, 2.73 (All-Horizon Air Series Team)
Hawaii 2011: Redshirt
Ricky Villareal, RHP, Pepperdine; 5'9", 208, R/R, 8/23/90, Edinburg, TX., Jr.
Cowlitz (WCL) 2011: 6 G, 7.2 IP, 8 K, 0-0, 1.17, 3 SV
Pepperdine 2011: 23 G, 32.2 IP, 23 K, 1-5, 4.41, 6 SV
Eric Yardley, RHP, Seattle U.; 6'0", 165, R/R, 8/18/90, Richland, WA, Jr.
Walla Walla (WCL) 2011: 7 G, 9 IP, 6 K, 0-1, 10.00
Seattle U. 2011: 17 G, 24.1 IP, 8 K, 0-0, 5.18
Infielders:
Mike Bush, INF, Lewis & Clark State; 5'8", 195, R/R, 6/1/91, Seattle, WA, Jr.
Cowlitz (WCL) 2011: .156, 1/5, 2 SB, 15 games
Lewis & Clark 2011: .281, 1/6, 2 SB, 45 games
Beau Didier, INF, Louisiana State; 6'2", 196, L/R, 12/26/89, Federal Way, WA, Jr.
Cowlitz (WCL) 2011: .277, 1/15, 5 SB, 50 games
LSU 2011: .143, 0/1, 0 SB, 17 games
Conner George, INF, Hawaii; 6'4", 190, R/R, birthdate TBA, Tigard, OR, So.
Wenatchee (WCL) 2011: .206, 1/19, 1 SB, 41 games
U. of Hawaii 2011: .000, 0/1, 0 SB, 14 games
Nick Miller, 1B/P, Northeastern (CO) JC; 6'3", 200, L/L, 7/27/91, Loveland, CO, So.
Klamath Falls (WCL) 2011 pitching: 6 G, 11 IP, 8 K, 0-1, 1.64
Klamath Falls (WCL) 2011 hitting: .201, 1/20, 3 SB, 50 games
U. of Nebraska 2011: .154, 0/2, 0 SB, 13 games
Andrew Mistone, 3B, Mississippi; 6'2", 210, R/R, birthdate TBA, La Verne, CA
Kitsap (WCL) 2010: .308, 2/23, 4 SB, 45 games
(transfer from UC Riverside to Mississippi, sat out 2011)
Graham Saiko, INF, Oklahoma State; 5'11", 185, R/R, TBA, TBA, So.
Klamath Falls (WCL) 2011: .301, 0/16, 2 SB, 48 games (second team All-WCL)
Oklahoma State 2011: .143, 0/0, 0 SB, 5 games
Outfielders:
Bryndon Ecklund, OF, Seattle U.; 6'4", 210, R/R, birthdate TBA, Elma, WA, Jr.
Humboldt (summer league) 2011: .288, 0/6, 8 SB, 25 games
Seattle U. 2011: .281, 0/12, 2 SB, 38 games
Aaron Schwoebel, OF/1B, Campbellsville (KY) University; 6'6", 200, L/L, 12/23/91, Campbellsville, KY, So.
Campbellsville 2011: .362, 0/15, 1 SB, 38 games
Arizona (summer league) 2011: .375, 1/9, 3 SB, 56 AB (AZ Summer League All-Star Team)
Seth Brown, OF, Merced JC; 6'1", 195, L/L, birthday TBA, Klamath Falls, OR, So.
Linn-Benton 2011: .304, 1/20, 38 games
Medford Mustangs (summer league) 2011: .512, 9/78, 6 SB, 50 games
West Coast League Stories from September 6, 2011
- Tim Matz Named Head Coach of the Cowlitz Black Bears - Cowlitz Black Bears
- Gems Sign First 2012 Players - Klamath Falls Gems
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