Pioneer League Announces "PBL Players of the Week" for Week 14
Published on August 29, 2022 under Pioneer League (PL) News Release
Windsor, CO - The Pioneer Baseball League presented by TicketSmarter today announced the "PBL Players of the Week" for Week 14. A pitcher and position player are selected each week from both the North and South Divisions of the league. Week 14's selections are highlighted below:
North Division:
Ethan McRae - Pitcher for the Billings Mustangs: Sunday's game was of utmost importance to the Mustangs as they tried to hang onto their playoff spot, and Ethan McRae delivered the best performance of his PBL career. He tossed seven innings, allowing just five hits and one run while walking one and striking out five. The outing was the longest of his four starts in the PBL and he threw 70 of his 104 pitches for strikes. While the southpaw didn't get a decision, the Mustangs walked off the Paddleheads to earn a split of their series and stay two games clear of Idaho Falls in the playoff race.
Dusty Stroup - Infielder for the Idaho Falls Chukars: It took the Chukars' lineup a couple games to get in a groove against the Hawks this week, but when they got going, they couldn't stop scoring. Dusty Stroup led the charge, hitting three homers and driving in 13 runs as the Chukars scored 54 runs over their last four games against Boise. Entering Friday's game in an 0-for-18 stretch, Stroup snapped the cold spell in a big way, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam and seven RBIs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle in the Chukars' 23-3 rout. The following day, Stroup went 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs, including a game-tying three-run homer to help Idaho Falls inch past Boise in a wild 17-15 affair. Stroup now ranks second in the league in homers with 22 and his 93 RBIs and 46 extra- base hits both rank third in the league.
South Division:
Mitch Lines - Pitcher for the Boise Hawks: Facing the high-powered Idaho Falls offense, Mitch Lines turned in a gutsy performance to help lead the Hawks past the Chukars on Wednesday night. The right-hander tossed just the second nine-inning complete game of the PBL season and the first of his professional career, allowing five hits and one unearned run, walking three and striking out eight. Lines also threw 141 pitches (91 strikes) and retired the last eight batters he faced.
Jesus Valdez - Infielder for the Ogden Raptors: Despite a rough series for the Raptors, Jesus Valdez had a dominant week at the plate, earning his third South Batter of the Week honor this season. He went a blistering 14-for-25 at the dish, smacking five doubles and a homer while driving in 12 runs. On Wednesday, Valdez went 4- for- 5 with two doubles and three RBIs in Ogden's 19-6 win over the Vibes. On Saturday, Valdez chipped in another 4-for-5 performance, this time hitting a homer and driving in three runs. The infielder enters this week riding a 10-game hitting streak, and ranks second in the PBL in RBIs with 99, second in hits, and seventh in extra-base hits.
Pioneer League presented by TicketSmarter Since 1939, the Pioneer Baseball League has operated in the Mountain West region as an MLB affiliate league. Beginning in 2021, the PBL became an MLB Professional Partner League with clubs in Montana (Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, and Kalispell), Idaho (Boise and Idaho Falls), Utah (Ogden), and Colorado (Grand Junction, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs). For more information go to www.pioneerleague.com.
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Pioneer League Stories from August 29, 2022
- PaddleHeads Leading LA Dodgers for Best Record in All of Professional Baseball - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Pioneer League Announces "PBL Players of the Week" for Week 14 - PL
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