NYPL State College Spikes

Spikes Game Notes

Published on August 8, 2007 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


Lowell Spinners (25-22) @ State College Spikes (23 - 24)

Wednesday, August 8 -- 7:05 p.m.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park - University Park, PA

Game # 48 / Home Game #25

LHP Nick Hagadone ( 0-1, 6.10) vs. RHP Duke Welker (2-1, 2.10)

SPIKES STARTER: RHP DUKE WELKER will make his sixth start of the season. Welker, the Pirates' second-round draft choice this past June out of the University of Arkansas sports a 2-1 record with an ERA of 2.10. Welker, who has pitched into the fifth inning in every one of his starts, has struck out 21 on the year while walking only 8. He comes off his best two starts of the year, both against the first-place Auburn Doubledays, where Welker pitched a combined 10.0 innings, giving up seven hits, striking out nine and walking just two. Welker is holding opposing hitters to a .250 average while right handed batters are swinging just .234 against him. Welker has experienced much more success on the road as opposed to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, as Welker is 0-1 with a 3.07 ERA at home in three starts, as opposed to 2-0 with a microscopic 0.82 ERA in two starts. Seven of Duke's eight walks have been issued at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. At Arkansas, Welker was one of three elite starting pitchers that were selected in the first two rounds of this year's draft. Former Razorbacks Nick Schmidt (first round, San Diego Padres) and Jess Todd (second round, St. Louis Cardinals) were both in the Arkansas rotation with Welker in college.

SPINNERS STARTER: LHP NICK HAGADONE will make his fifth professional start for the Lowell Spinners tonight. The Boston Red Sox first round supplemental draft choice this June (55th overall selection) from the University of Washington is off to an 0-1 start and sports an ERA of 6.10. The 6'5" 230 pound southpaw has not worked more than 2.0 innings in any particular start. His best outing came on July 29 at Hudson Valley when he went 2.0 innings giving up just one hit and striking two. This season, left-handed hitters are swinging the bat at a .455 clip (5-for-11) against Hagadone while right-handers are hitting just .211 (4-for-19). At the University of Washington, the Sandpoint, Idaho native was used primarily out of the bullpen as the club's closer, only starting two games all year. Hagadone only pitched 25.2 total innings for the Huskies, and sported a 6-1 record with 11 saves to go along with a 2.77 ERA.

LAST NIGHT'S GAME: The State College Spikes had a record setting night at the ballpark on Tuesday evening. The team pounded out a record 12 runs on 14 hits including the first back-to-back-to-back home runs in team history en route to a 12-2 victory over the Lowell Spinners. Bobby Spain lead the offensive outburst with a 3-for-4 evening including a home run and four RBI. With the win, the Spikes crawled within one game of .500 and they are now only five games behind Auburn, who was rained out and will play two against Oneonta today starting at 6:05 p.m.

THE SIX DEGREES OF EDMOND, OKLAHOMA: Most of Edmond, Oklahoma will be paying close attention to tonight's game between the Spikes and Spinners because of two former Sante Fe High School standouts who happen to be best friends will play against one another tonight. Spikes' outfielder Austin McClune and Lowell catcher Ty Weedon played high school ball together for head coach Lonnie Cobble and were both drafted out of high school last year. Weedon was drafted in the 16th round by the Red Sox, while McClune, of course was picked up by the Pirates in the 7th round in 2006. The duo also played high school ball with Kody Kaiser, who is older than the two, but now plays for the Williamsport Crosscutters. Kaiser played at Oklahoma City University with current Spike Bobby Spain. Weedon's older brother, Brandon was a former second-round draft pick of the New York Yankees. The elder Weedon is out of baseball and is a quarterback for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

KALISH WAS THE CATALSYT: The Lowell Spinners have been without their offensive catalyst Ryan Kalish for nearly a month. Kalish, who injured his wrist against Auburn on July 16. paced Lowell was the top-of-the-order sparkplug Without Kalish in the lineup, Lowell has sputtered to a 9-12 record since, falling three places in the Stedlar Division. Before his injury, Kalish was hitting .368 (32-for-87) with 3 home runs, 13 RBIs and 27 runs scored in just 23 games. Despite not playing for nearly a month, Kalish still ranks third in the NYPL in stolen bases with 18 steals in 21 opportunities.

SPIKES VS. SPINNERS: The Lowell Spinners are in the midst of their first-ever trip to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park tonight. The Spikes lead the all-time series 3-1, after taking two out of three against Lowell at Edward LeLacheur Park in 2006, and the first game of the series last night. State College won on 7/18 by the score of 3-1. Lowell prevailed on 7/19/06 by the count of 12-4, while The Spikes took the rubber match the following day, 10-2. This year against teams in the Stedlar Division the Spikes are just 2-4. State College will travel to Tri-City Friday morning to play the basement dweller Valley Cats for a three-game set.

SPEAKIN' OF STREAKIN': With a 3-for-5 performance yesterday, Justin Byler extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while Austin McClune had a modest four-game hitting streak snapped. Ever since returning to the lineup after getting hit by a pitch at Staten Island on July 21, Brian Friday has hit in every game he has played (eight straight). During the eight-game hit streak, Friday has recorded four multi-hit games.

TOP SHELF STUFF: Last night, the Spikes top five hitters in the lineup (Friday, Simon, Byler, Walker & Spain) went a combined 11-for-21 with 11 RBIs and nine runs scored.

OUTSTANDING O: With 12 hits last night, the Spikes have catapulted themselves back to top spot in the New York-Penn League in team batting average. The Spikes enter play tonight hitting .263 as a team, tied for the lead with the Brooklyn Cyclones. Over their last 10 games the Spikes are swinging the bat at a .289 clip. Their situational hitting has also improved significantly. The Spikes are now hitting .222 with runners in scoring position - a far cry from the .195 average w/RISP they had on July 21 heading into play against the Staten Island Yankees.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: Last season, the State College Spikes had a season high 16 hits and 10 runs in a 10-2 victory over the Lowell Spinners on July 20. OF Nathan Southard went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. 1B Mark Hamilton also hit his league leading eighth home run of the season in the game and was promoted soon after.

MUY CALIENTE! Bobby Spain has been on fire over the last two weeks collecting hits in 10 of the Spikes last 14 games raising his batting average 60 points from .188 with just one RBI on July 21at Staten Island to its current .238 mark with eight RBIs. Spain is also one of the Spikes most consistent hitters when they play at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Spain is swinging the bat at a .290 clip at home.

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION: PITTSBUBRGH (45-64) won at Arizona, 8-3. LHP Tom Gorzelanny struck out a career-high nine batters en route to pitching 7.0 innings... INDIANAPOLIS (59-56) won at Louisville, 2-1. RHP John Van Benschoten (8-4, 2.28) pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed six hits. 1B Steve Pearce (.357) hit his 27th home run... ALTOONA (59-54) won at Portland, 6-1. RHP Yoslan Herrera (6-6, 4.47) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings... LYNCHBURG (47-63) lost at Salem, 7-2. LHP Kyle Bloom (9-9, 4.79) allowed six runs in five innings... HICKORY (55-57) was off... BRADENTON (17-23) swept a doubleheader from the Reds, 7-6 and 14-3.

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