Parks and Beebe Earn Player and Pitcher of the Week Honors
July 18, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - On Monday, the Frontier League of Professional Baseball announced that Tri-City ValleyCats' infielder Pavin Parks earned the league's "Player of the Week" honors, and right-handed starter Dan Beebe earned the league's "Pitcher of the Week" honors for the weekend of July 14th to July 16th. The two baseball players were key contributors as Tri-City took two out of three games against the Evansville Otters in their first series after the All-Star break.
Parks is in his fourth professional season, and second with the 'Cats. He had a 3-for-3 effort in Friday's 6-1 win with two doubles, three RBI, and a run scored. The Akron, OH native followed suit with a two-hit day on Sunday with a pair of RBI singles as the ValleyCats came out on top, 5-0.
Parks was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 36th round (1,072 pick overall) in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft out of Kent State University. He played one season in the Detroit's rookie ball affiliate in 2019, appearing in 11 games as a hitter, and pitching five scoreless innings in four games as a reliever. He showcased his two-way ability with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer Baseball League in 2021, making eight appearances from the rubber, and batting .330 with 15 homers along with 102 RBI, 100 runs, and 24 stolen bases in 95 games. Parks was a 2022 All-Star for Tri-City. He has been a terrific defender on the left side of the infield in each of the last two seasons, and has been a weapon out of the bullpen.
As for Beebe, he hurled 7.2 scoreless frames against the Otters on Sunday - the longest start for a 'Cats pitcher this year. He issued four hits, walked two, and matched a season-high with eight strikeouts. Beebe only needed 98 pitches, throwing 72 of them for strikes to blank Evansville's lineup. It was the second shutout win Tri-City had against the Otters this season, and its fourth shutout victory of the 2023 campaign.
Beebe was signed and activated by the ValleyCats on June 9, 2023. On the same day, he earned the win during his professional debut in Sauget, IL against the Gateway Grizzlies after tossing five innings of one-run ball. Beebe played with Division II Palm Beach Atlantic University as a graduate student from 2022-23. The 24-year old was the definition of a student athlete, earning Sunshine Conference Player of the Week honors twice for the Sailfish this year, and made it onto the Provost List for having a GPA of 3.50 or higher. He spent his time as an undergraduate with Division III Rutgers-Camden University from 2017-21. The Berlin, NJ native played two seasons in the Southern Florida Collegiate League with the Pompano Beach Clippers in 2022, and the Delray Beach Lightning in 2021.
Parks and Beebe became the sixth and seventh players in franchise history to earn a Frontier League weekly award. They are the third and fourth ValleyCats' players to receive a weekly award this year, joining outfielder Aaron Altherr from June 12-18, and Carson McCusker from May 30-June 4, who both took home the "Player of the Week" award. In 2021, right-handed pitcher Josh Hiatt received "Pitcher of the Week" honors before first baseman Brad Zunica earned a "Player of the Week" nod. In 2022, outfielder and designated hitter Denis Phipps was the lone ValleyCats player to be nominated for a weekly honor.
Season Twenty-FUN of ValleyCats baseball and entertainment continues tonight, July 18, and they begin a three-game road trip in Ottawa, Canada against the Titans. Tri-City returns to Joe Bruno for six games in seven days with a three-game series against the New York Boulders from July 21-23, and a three-game set against the Joliet Slammers from July 25-27. You can secure your seats today and be a part of the excitement by logging on to tcvalleycats.com or by calling 518-629-CATS (2287).
Frontier League Stories from July 18, 2023
- Crushers Suffer Setback in Loss to Otters - Lake Erie Crushers
- Stanton, Boulders Get Last Laugh Against Gateway - New York Boulders
- Otters Mount Eighth Inning Comeback Over Crushers - Evansville Otters
- ThunderBolts Clasp Pitchers' Duel Over Greys - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Joliet Claims Sudden Death Victory Over the Boomers - Schaumburg Boomers
- ThunderBolts Clasp Pitchers' Duel Over Greys - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Big Inning Leads Boulders Over Grizzlies - Gateway Grizzlies
- Titans and ValleyCats Washed Away, Doubleheader July 19 - Ottawa Titans
- Parks and Beebe Earn Player and Pitcher of the Week Honors - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Fregio Earns First Pro Win, Wild Things Take Opener - Washington Wild Things
- Y'alls Prevail in Series-Opening Slugfest - Florence Y'alls
- Boulders-Jackals Doubleheader Suspended in Game 2 - New York Boulders
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