Perfect Game Names Five 2013 Blue Sox to Top 25 Prospects List
September 14, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Valley Blue Sox News Release
HOLYOKE, MA-Five members of the 2013 Holyoke Blue Sox were named to Perfect Game's list of top pro prospects. Pitchers Michael Burke and Jordan Hillyer, third baseman Brendan Hendriks, and outfielders Jacob Bruce and Vahn Bozoian all made the list. Bozoian was ranked 13th, Burke 14th, Hendriks 15th, Hillyer 22nd, and Bruce 25th.
Bozoian, who is entering his sophomore year at the University of Southern California, had 32 hits for Holyoke, including eight doubles and two home runs, while starting as the Blue Sox right fielder. He played in the NECBL All-Star Game and also participated in the Home Run Derby, finishing second with seven home runs.
Burke, who will start his senior year at the University at Buffalo, was unquestionably the top pitcher in the NECBL. He had a league-best 0.55 ERA after allowing just four earned runs in 65 innings of work while walking only nine batters and fanning 56. He played in the NECBL All-Star Game and was named the winner of the Robin Roberts Pitcher of the Year Award and a First-Team All-Star.
Hendriks, who is coming into his junior season at the University of San Francisco, collected 52 hits for the Blue Sox this season, and his .342 batting average was second best in the entire league. It earned him a start for the Western Division in the NECBL All-Star Game and a First-Team All-Star selection at third base. He also set a league record for games played, as he appeared in every one of Holyoke's 45 contests.
Hillyer, who will be a junior at Kennesaw State this year, had five wins for Holyoke and struck out 64 batters, second most in the NECBL, and allowed just 54 hits in his 62.1 innings of work, earning a spot on the NECBL Second-Team All-Star Roster.
Bruce, who enters his final season with Kennesaw State, was a .325 hitter for the Blue Sox, and while he was dominant with his bat, it was his defense that impressed the most. Bruce committed just one error on the season, and had an uncanny ability to track down fly balls in the cavernous Mackenzie Stadium outfield. His defensive prowess, along with his hitting, earned him a start in the NECBL All-Star Game.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from September 14, 2013
- Perfect Game Names Five 2013 Blue Sox to Top 25 Prospects List - Valley Blue Sox
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