Lions and Bear Meet in Edenton
February 29, 2016 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, NC - A Bear and two Lions will join forces for the Steamers this summer as the Teal and Black announce the signings of Richard Cunningham, Ryan Byers and Kade Granier. Though it is not an NFC Central matchup, these three players will provide just as much excitement to the Clams roster this summer.
Cunningham, a redshirt-freshman out of Baylor University (TX), serves as the Bears' right fielder and a mid-order bat this spring. The 5'10" 180-pound outfielder hits and throws left-handed and spent last summer with the Southern California Catch of the California Collegiate League. Cunningham slashed .322/.426/.476/.902 in 148 at bats while tallying a league-high six triples and stealing 13 bases on 17 attempts with the Catch. He made a big impression on the West Coast last summer in his true-freshman turn against predominantly older and more experienced competition after redshirting in 2015 at Baylor. Cunningham has plus power for his profile, as evidenced by his current slot in the middle of Baylor's lineup, but he holds the total package for candidacy in the top third of the Steamers lineup. The Austin, TX native has the offensive skillset to produce across all categories: hitting for average and slugging, drawing walks and stealing bases. He combines a right-field arm with center-field speed and posted a 2.23 range factor in center last summer for the Catch. He is off to a searing start in 2016; through 24 at-bats, his averages are .333/.467/.708/1.175 with five walks to three strikeouts. Most impressively, Cunningham is creating almost three runs per start.
Ryan Byers joins the Clams from Southeastern Louisiana University. A redshirt-junior, Byers is serving as an everyday outfielder for the Lions this spring. The 5'11" 195-pound Ponchatoula, LA native spent his 2015 summer in the Jayhawk League with the Derby Twins. Byers maintained a .300/.404/.675/1.079 slash line for the Twins while averaging more than one steal per game without getting caught. He was on his way to being one of the top players in the Jayhawk last summer when his season was cut short after just a couple weeks. Byers is a returning everyday performer on a SELU squad that eclipsed 40 wins in 2015 and was one of the top outfits in the nation. He has the defensive versatility to man all three outfield spots with above-average aplomb. Byers could also make a huge impact on offense, featuring all the attributes the Clams look for in a leadoff man - power, patience, speed and a natural aggressiveness for setting the tone. Through 24 at-bats this spring, the righty stick has a .791 OPS powered by two doubles and a homer.
Pitcher Kade Granier (GRON-yay) joins his fellow Lion (above) in Edenton this summer. The Destrehan, LA native serves as a multi-inning weekend setup man. The 6'4" 205-pound sophomore pitched for the Quincy Gems of the Prospect League last summer. Granier made six starts in 11 appearances while maintaining a 2.14 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through 58.2 innings. The right-hander's 57 strikeouts were good enough for second in the Prospect League and his five wins landed him in the top 10. Granier has a terrific sinker/slider profile with outstanding size and upside. He flourished last summer in a swing role and could take the next step this summer in Edenton as a rotation stalwart. Granier appears to be reprising his role this spring for the Lions as a key weekend setup guy, and he could see some starts as the spring unfolds.
Granier is expected to make an impact on the Steamers' staff this summer from whichever role he performs, his versatile track record of success providing another potentially flexible projection for Coach Hill, depending on his development and the team's personnel. Byers and Cunningham should be key guys in the outfield, featuring speed on both sides of the ball, as well as the ability to provide pop and patience, potentially in the top third of the order. Finally, all three ooze with the intangibles, which have hallmarked Steamer success for more than a decade.
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