Westerners Sign Three Additional Bats
May 30, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Danbury Westerners News Release
Danbury, CT- May 30, 2013: The Danbury Westerners, the longest tenured team in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, are proud to announce the signing of Binghamton Universities Zach Blanden, East Tennessee State University's Chris Riopedre, and Stony Brook University's Johnny Caputo.
Zach Blanden (Homer, NY) is a sophomore outfielder for the Binghamton University Bearcats. Zach has started all 52 games for the Bearcats this year. He is batting .273 on the season with 29 RBI. Zach leads the team in triples (4) and stolen bases (11) and is second on the team in runs scored (36). During his freshman year Zach batted .281 with 19 RBI. Zach attended Homer High School, where he holds the all time hit record and was named to the All-CNY team his senior year. Zach is the son of Wally and Marie Blanden and is majoring in industrial and systems engineering.
Chris Riopedre (Miami, FL) is a sophomore infielder for the East Tennessee State University Bucs. Chris has started 55 out of the Bucs 58 games so far this year. He is batting .224 with 34 RBI and two home runs on the season. Chris batted .261 in his freshman year while playing in 47 games. Chris graduated from Monsignor Pace High School where he made the All-Dade County Third Team his senior year. Chris is the son of Vince and Maritea Riopedre and plans to major in criminal justice.
Johnny Caputo (Toronto, ON) is a freshman infielder for the SUNY Stony Brook Seawolves. Johnny started in all 59 games this past season for the Seawolves. Johnny batted .271 this year and drove in 20 runs. He led the team in extra base hits with 15 (10 2B, 5 3B). Johnny was named to the Second Team All-American East team this past season. Johnny was drafted in the 2012 First Year Players Draft by the Oakland A's in the 12th round.
Paul Schaffer, President of the Danbury Westerners commented, "The signing of Blanden, Riopedre and Caputo will further bolster our offense. Blanden and Riopedre are playing in the NCAA Regionals this weekend, and Caputo has excelled in Canada and is a former MLB draftee. We are very fortunate to acquire this talent, and it's an excellent testimonial to the program we continue to build upon here in Danbury."
The Danbury Westerners 9th annual Celebrity Golf Tournament will be held on Wednesday, July 17th at Richter Park, Danbury CT. Former professional athletes tentatively scheduled to appear include New York Yankee World Series Champion Tommy John and New York Giants Super Bowl Champion Jeff Feagles. For information on registration, please contact Mike Malone at 203-788-3408. Sponsorships are also available.
Danbury Westerners summer baseball camps are back! There are three sessions, starting July 8, July 15 and July 22. For additional information and registration please contact Paul Schaffer at 203-241-4655 or go to http://www.21stcenturysportsonline.com/.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from May 30, 2013
- Westerners Sign Three Additional Bats - Danbury Westerners
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