HarbourCats Announce Additional Player Signings
January 14, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Victoria HabourCats News Release
Victoria, BC - The Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to announce five more players that will be joining the team in 2013.
Headlined by Brandon Smith, an outfielder from Grand Canyon University who was a previous 15th round draft pick of the Washington Nationals, the players join Austin Russell, Connor Russell, Nick Pivetta, Connor Baits, David Shucknecht and Casey Schroeder on the 2013 HarbourCats roster.
Brief player profiles are provided below.
Brandon Smith - Outfield The 6'3" 195 lb. Brandon Smith hails from Irvine, California and is a freshman at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Smith was recently selected by the Washington Nationals in the 15th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. He hit .429 with 21 stolen bases during his senior campaign at Woodbridge High School in Irvine, while also posting a 2.95 ERA on the mound. Smith led the league in batting average and with 21 stolen bases. He was a two-time First Team All-City selection and earned 2012 First Team All-League and the Woodbridge High Male Sportsmanship Award.
Will Ballowe - Pitcher A 6'4" 237 lb. left-handed pitcher, Ballowe, a native of Danville, CA is in his freshman season at the University of Washington. As a junior in high school in 2011, Ballowe struck out 75 batters in 62 innings with a 1.80 ERA. In the summer of 2012 he played for the Bellingham Bells in the West Coast League, where he averaged over a strikeout per inning pitched. He was named a "Top Prospect" by Perfect Game and is a big lefthanded pitcher with a good fastball, curveball, and change-up and according to Washington Head Coach Lindsay Meggs, "has the type of makeup that will allow him to compete for innings as a freshman."
Anthony Hermelyn - Infield From McKinnney, Texas, Hermelyn is currently a freshman at the University of Oklahoma. The 6'1" 180 lb. Hermelyn was a four-year letter winner at McKinney High School. A two-way player, Hermelyn posted a 1.62 ERA with 31 strikeouts against seven walks over 17.33 innings as a senior. He also hit .417 with six doubles, one triple, one home run and 12 RBIs his senior season. He was named team MVP and first team all-district infield as a senior, honored as team MVP, first team all-state infield and district offensive player of the year as a junior, first team all-district infield as a sophomore and second team all-district infield as a freshman.
Josh Cushing - Infield From Campolindo High School in Moraga, California, the 6'1" 190 lb Cushing is a versatile infielder who is currently attending the University of Washington in Seattle. Cushing has been named one of Perfect Game's "Top Prospects" as well as a first-team All-East Bay and three-time all-academic team member. He was a part of back-to-back CIF North Coast Section championship teams and hit .400 with five home runs and 30 RBIs last year. As a sophomore, he batted .357 with 22 RBI.
Brett Urabe - Outfield A 6'0" 170 lb. outfielder hailing from Huntington Beach, California, Urabe is a freshman for the UCLA Bruins. He a three-year letter winner at Huntington Beach High School where he hit .325 with 18 runs, 28 RBI and seven doubles as a senior (2012) and earned second-team All-Orange County accolades and All-Sunset League honors.
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West Coast League Stories from January 14, 2013
- HarbourCats Announce Additional Player Signings - Victoria HabourCats
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