August 13, 2008

Aug. 13, 2008

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -

As the summer comes to a close, moving towards the start of the 2008-09 school year, the Cal State Northridge baseball players who participated in a variety of leagues throughout the continent turned in some outstanding performances for their summer league teams.

•In the Northeast, 2008 Big West Freshmen of the Year Ryan Pineda finished with a .273 batting average, 11 doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs while playing for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod League.

• The Matadors' other player in the Cape Cod League, Drew Muren, played for the Hyannis Mets and went 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA in three starts

• Playing for the Mankato Moondogs, incoming pitcher Bryan Longpre and senior C.J. Belanger helped lead the team to the Northwoods League North Division First-Half Championship and a spot in the playoffs

• Longpre went 4-2 this summer with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts. He limited opponents to a .243 batting average in his 12 appearances.

• Belanger finished with 11 extra-base hits, 28 runs scored, 24 RBIs and 33 hits for the Moondogs.

• Richard Cates, John Parham, Peter Mendez and Taylor Austin all performed well for the Humboldt Crabs.

• Cates hit .325, drawing 26 walks to only 10 strikeouts to finish with a .458 on-base percentage. He added 30 RBIs and scored 31 runs, both totals representing the second-best figures on the team.

• Parham finished with a .301 average, adding 11 steals in 13 chances. He also finished second on the team with 11 doubles and led the team with six sacrifice hits.

• On the mound, Mendez went 4-1 with a 1.92 ERA in nine starts. He fanned 44 batters during the summer compared to only 19 walks issued. Opponents hit just .176 off Mendez this summer.

• Austin finished with a microscopic 0.33 ERA and a 2-1 record in 11 appearances and 27.2 innings of work. He allowed only one earned run in the entire summer.

• For the Rockville Express, sophomore Todd Eskelin earned Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate League All-Star Team honors after hitting a team-high .292 with 13 extra-base hits and a .450 slugging percentage. His 35 hits, 20 RBIs and nine doubles led the team and he also added four stolen bases in six chances.

• Justin DeMarco also played well for the Express, finishing third on the squad with a .264 batting average, scored a team-high 21 runs scored and added 13 RBIs.

• In the M.I.N.K. League (Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska and Kansas League), sophomore Dominic D'Anna led the Chillicothe Mudcats in hitting with a .404 batting average, adding 15 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs. He also finished the summer hitting .370 with runners in scoring position.

• Teammate T.S. Reed also finished up his summer strong for the Mudcats, ending the season with a .283 average and five doubles. He also scored 30 runs and had a team-high 20 stolen bases.

• Bryce Schoening, Paul Tremlin and Ryan Juarez all turned in good performances for the Santa Maria Valley Packers this summer.

• Schoening was 2-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 15 appearances. He fanned 24 batters in 34.1 innings of work and issued only five walks.

• Tremlin went 3-2 with a 2.05 ERA in 13 appearances and eight starts. He also turned in a complete game performance during the season, the team's only complete game of the summer.

• Juarez was also overpowering from the mound, finishing with a 1-1 record, a 1.85 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He tossed 39 innings of work, allowing only 29 hits and 11 walks.

• Billy Ott sported a 1-0 record in nine appearances, including five starts, and a 3.25 ERA playing for the Palm Springs Power. He did not allow a home run this summer and fanned 35 batters in 33.2 innings.

• In the Boise Summer League, Billy Swanson led the Nampa Stars and the entire league with a .462 average. He collected a team-high 48 hits, 10 of which went for extra bases, and was 14-of-17 in stolen base chances.

• Matt Warr enjoyed his time in Canada playing for the Melville Millionaires. He led the team with a .401 batting average and 57 hits. He also added 15 doubles, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

• P.J. Rousey finished up well for the Melville Millionaires, ending with a 3.78 ERA to go along with a 2-1 record in nine appearances, including one start. He limited opponents to just a .227 batting average in 16.2 innings of work.

• Jeff Pruitt also performed well for the Millionaires this summer. The sophomore hit .236 and swiped 26 bases in 29 chances. He also collected 30 hits and scored 20 runs.

• Finally, incoming transfer China McCarney has spent his summer with the Braves in the Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League. The pitcher finished 3-1 with a 3.85 ERA in five starts. He struck out 41 batters and walked only 12 in 35 innings of work.