NYPL State College Spikes

State College Spikes Game Notes - June 22 vs. Auburn

Published on June 22, 2015 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


Monday, June 22 - 7:05 p.m.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park - University Park, PA

AUBURN DOUBLEDAYS - Washington Nationals (3-0) at 

STATE COLLEGE SPIKES - St. Louis Cardinals (0-3)

Game #4 / Home Game #3

Starting Pitchers:

State College - RHP Juan Perez (0-0, 0.00)

Auburn - LHP Matthew Crownover (0-0, 0.00)

TONIGHT (7:05 vs. Auburn): Buck Night presented by 95.3 FM 3WZ

TOMORROW NIGHT (7:05 vs. Auburn): New York-Penn League Championship T-Shirt Giveaway (First 500 Fans, All Ages) presented by ServiceMaster by Holobinko & Merry Maids...part of T-Shirt Tuesday series presented by The B94.5...National Penn Bank Books & Baseball Night

WEDNESDAY NIGHT (7:05 vs. Auburn): Half-Price Wednesday presented by BIG Froggy 101

-SPIKES HOST UNDEFEATED DOUBLEDAYS: The State College Spikes continue to seek to become the first team since the Staten Island Yankees of 2005-06 to successfully defend its NYPL crown, but also look to notch their first win of the year as the 3-0 Auburn Doubledays come to town to start a three-game series. Auburn swept Batavia in three straight road games to begin the season. The Spikes are 46-44 all-time against Williamsport, and are 23-22 against the Doubledays all-time both on the road and at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

-LAST GAME: Jesse Jenner and Thomas Spitz each produced a pair of hits, but the Spikes fell behind early and could not recover as they dropped an 8-1 decision to the Williamsport Crosscutters on Sunday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Jenner, making his professional debut, collected singles in each of his first two at-bats. The University of San Diego catcher, who was selected in the seventh round by the Cardinals in the 2015 MLB Draft, also made his first appearance behind the plate. Spitz delivered a double in the sixth inning and scored the Spikes' (0-3) lone run after coming home on Leobaldo Pina's double down the left-field line. Williamsport took a 7-0 lead after four innings, with Jose Pujols contributing a two-run double in the first, Brendon Hayden hitting a two-run homer to right field in the third and Venn Biter driving in two more runs in the fourth.

-PEREZ STARTS SERIES OPENER FOR SPIKES: Right-hander Juan Perez gets the ball tonight for State College in his first official start of 2015. Perez went 5-3 with a 3.24 ERA over 13 appearances, 10 of them starts, for Rookie-level Johnson City last year. The San Felipe, Venezuela native struck out 59 and walked 27 over 58 1/3 innings as he played a key role for the Appalachian League champions in 2014. Perez pitched a gem in Game 1 of the Appalachian League Championship Series against Daville, striking out a career-high 10 batters over six innings for the win. The 20-year-old righty also faced 191 battters without allowing a home run while with the 2013 Gulf Coast League Cardinals.

-CROWNOVER MAKES MOUND DEBUT FOR D-DAYS: Left-hander Matthew Crownover, the sixth-round draft choice of the Nationals in 2015 out of Clemson, will make the start for Auburn this evening in his professional debut. Crownover was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-American in his junior season at Clemson after going 10-3 with a 1.82 ERA. The southpaw also yielded just a .183 batting average to opposing hitters, and his 108 strikeouts over 109 innings were the most for any pitcher at the school since 1996.

-THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FEELING: Nine players who appeared for the Spikes during last year's championship season return to the club at the dawn of the 2015 season. Friday's starting pitcher, Ian McKinney, is joined by fellow returning hurlers Tyler Bray, Dailyn Martinez and Kender Villegas on the Opening Day staff. The Spikes also welcome back catcher Brian O'Keefe, infielders Ronnierd Garcia and Leobaldo PIna, and outfielders Jhohan Acevedo and Kenny Peoples-Walls from the 2014 squad. Meanwhile, manager Johnny Rodriguez leads a group of seven players who played for the 2014 Johnson City club, including McKinney, Martinez and infielders Casey Grayson and Cole Lankford, among others.

-RIVERA BRINGS FAMOUS NAME TO STATE COLLEGE: Right-handed pitcher Mariano Rivera, Jr., the son of the legendary Yankees closer, joined the Doubledays today after being drafted in the fourth round by the Nationals this year. The Iona College product was also selected by the Yankees in the 29th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, but chose not to sign. Rivera set an Iona record with 113 strikeouts this past spring while going 5-7 with a 2.65 ERA over 85 innings.

-SPIKE MARKS: Friday's Opening Night crowd of 5,921 trailed only the 6,066 fans at the regular season home finale on August 30, 2014 for the largest crowd in franchise history...The Spikes also welcomed 5,801 fans to last year's Home Opener...State College is hitting 4-for-35 with runners in scoring position to start the season, while Auburn is 12-for-36...The Spikes have walked just five batters so far, tied with Hudson Valley for the least in the NYPL

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