Latest Baseball PostsGoHuskies.com caught up with senior outfielder Caleb Brown to find out a little more about what makes him tick. Brown is one of only two seniors on the roster and had a solid weekend in the Huskies' series win at UC Irvine. Last Saturday, he went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI against the Anteaters.
Here's what Caleb had to say:
Q&A with Senior Outfielder Caleb Brown
Why did you choose Washington? I chose to come to Washington because of the opportunity to play baseball at the highest collegiate level while also enabling myself to be successful off the field whenever my career ended. The fact that the UW was in my backyard caused the University to be very familiar to me while growing up. These factors helped construct a very clear picture to me about where I belonged and made the decision to attend reasonably simple.
Do you have a pre-game ritual? I am not too wrapped up in superstitious behavior or anything like that. However, I do believe in visualization as a tool that can lead to better performance. That being said I typically like to take a couple of minutes before a game to visualize what I want to do and how I want to do it and I feel those few moments translate strongly to how I perform on the field. In short, visualization is the only pregame ritual that I have other than a good night of rest.
As a Seattle-area native, did you grow up watching Husky baseball? The first Husky baseball game I ever saw was in my senior year of high school after I had already committed. Even though my awareness of the baseball program specifically did not arise until my recruitment, I have come to learn and love the tradition that has been made here and will forever wear my participation in the program as a badge of pride especially considering the top-tier talent that have also called this program theirs.
What sport would you play if you didn't play baseball? Golf would be my first choice but that's not because I am especially good at it. I just love being outdoors and that teamed with the strategy and perseverance an individual must have in order to be successful in golf I feel translates well to my personality. If I were to choose another sport based on my ability it would most likely be football. I enjoy football because I feel that it is the most pure form of the utilization of athleticism that occurs within sports. High school football games were some of the most fulfilling and fun experiences I have ever enjoyed playing sports. The camaraderie amongst teammates who engage in football games that require extreme physical and mental exertion is hard-pressed to be matched by any other sport.
What do you like to do during summer vacations? Summer ball is always something that a college baseball player experiences and I have enjoyed the few experiences I have had with it. Other than baseball I also enjoy spending time on the water around Washington. There is no better place in the world to enjoy a summer than in the state of Washington. When I am not playing baseball, golf and boating generally fill up my schedule and as far as I'm concerned that's not a bad life.
What's your favorite thing about Seattle and why? I enjoy the diversity of the city. The ability to enjoy a downtown setting in Seattle while walking around Pike Place Market to crossing the lake and enjoying the higher end places like Bellevue Square is unmatched by many other college cities. It also does not hurt that I get to enjoy Seahawks and Mariners games at a whim, a luxury I did not enjoy growing up.
What's your favorite class you've taken at UW and why? Introduction to Political Economy has been my favorite class. The class was the most real-world oriented material that I have had at the University. Beyond the technical applications of intellectual hypotheses, the class provided strategies that can be applied to simple life decisions as well as a basis for a future understanding of the ever-present connection between social, political and economic institutions.
Which teammate is the biggest comedian? It is hard to pinpoint one individual that could be dubbed team clown. The funniest conversations or situations that arise are generally dominated by a large portion of the team and I think that is what makes our team so fun. The diversity of personalities on our team can cause a simple conversation about which NFL team is better to a full-fledged comedic argument between a dozen individuals. Those type of situations often become the funniest and most memorable experiences.
What are you most looking forward to about this season and why? I am excited to experience the success that I can see breeding from the attitude surrounding this team. This team feels unlike any other team I have been on here. The mutual competition amongst ourselves has caused this team to continually grow in every aspect of the game and I am excited to see the culmination of all the work we have put in leading up to the season.
What do you want to do after your playing career is over? First and foremost I want to have a job that allows me to be mentally engaged as well as excited to go to work every day. Any job that can satisfy those two requirements while allowing me to comfortably support a family that I can happily watch grow would be all that I can ask for.
What is your favorite place to play an away game in the Pac-12 and why? USC has the best field, stadium, and weather to offer while on the road and those factors create a good experience while playing there. ASU however provides the best atmosphere for playing on the road. The crowd size they attract on top of their fans appreciation and knowledge of the game cannot be beat on the road in the Pac-12.
What musical artists are currently in your iPod? There is a lot of Kanye West, John Legend, and Jay-Z. Other than those three it varies a lot. A little country here, jazz there, I enjoy a lot of different genres of music.
What are you majoring in, and why? Political economy. Other than typical business-related degrees such as economics and finance I felt that political economy offered the greatest understanding of how different controlling entities of our current world work with and against each other. I thought this knowledge combined with the specific understanding cultivated about the political and economic worlds would provide me with the most functional basis to enter the business world and contribute to a company immediately.
Who is your favorite major league player, and why? Torii Hunter. His style of play is something that I think coincides nicely with my abilities and as such, I try to model my game after him. He also displays a high level of maturity given his background growing up and his team-first attitude is something to be desired and modeled after.
What family member has been most inspirational to you? My parents are easily the most inspirational people in my life. Every perk I enjoy in my life today is because of them and the sacrifices they made raising me and my siblings. I cannot complain about the childhood I enjoyed and the type of person it has made me today. I can only hope to be half the parent to my kids that they were to me. GoHuskies.com got a minute to catch up with senior catcher BK Santy.
Santy, a team captain and leader from San Diego was a JC transfer in 2010 from Palomar College. He caught 43 games last spring for the Dawgs, hitting .288 with seven doubles, one home run and 18 RBI.
We wanted to find out some more about the man behind the mask. Here is what we learned:
Q & A with Sr. Catcher BK Santy
Why did you choose Washington?I chose UW because I wanted to play in the best conference in the nation, and I knew this was the best option in terms of academic prestige.
Do you have a pre-game ritual? A pre-game ritual I have is visualizing success a few minutes before the game, and singing some of my favorite songs to calm myself.
As a junior college transfer, what has been the biggest different from JC to the Pac-12? In JC ball there are a few guys on each team that are special in terms of their ability to play baseball at a high level. In the Pac every guy has that ability no matter who you play, and every game is going to be a challenge and a grind.
What sport would you play if you didn't play baseball? If I didn't play baseball I'd either be a beach volleyball player or play professional dodgeball player.
What do you like to do during summer vacations? During summer vacations I like to go to the beach all day, surf, and play volleyball.
What's your favorite thing about Seattle and why? My favorite thing about Seattle has got to be the beautiful surroundings. It's always fresh and clean everywhere which is extremely refreshing.
What's your favorite class you've taken at UW and why? My favorite class at UW was probably history of the Vietnam War. It was great learning about Vietnam's brutal history and get an in-depth glimpse of the Vietnam War.?
What does it mean to you to be a Husky? Being a Husky means working hard not because you have to but because you want to. This year we have bought into this motto and the attitudes of every individual player on our squad is something I'm pumped about.
Which teammate is the biggest comedian? The biggest comedian on the team is sneakily Zack Wright. Anything that guy does makes me laugh.
What are you most looking forward to about this season and why? This season I'm looking forward to playing with a dugout full of Huskies who want to win just as bad as I do. I want to prove people wrong and leave the UW on a positive note, knowing that I was an important part in the transformation of Husky Baseball. Above all else I want to win, and make the post-season tournament.
What do you want to do after your playing career is over? After my baseball career is over I want to be a high school history teacher and baseball coach somewhere. I love working with people and socializing, and I can't see myself becoming bored with a job like that.
What is your favorite place to play an away game in the Pac-12 and why? My favorite place to play in the Pac 12 is probably USC just because it's closest to home which allows my family and friends watch me play, because USC is only an hour and a half north of San Diego.
What musical artists are currently in your iPod? Music artists currently on my iPod are Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, ACDC, Jack Johnson, and Tribal Seeds.
What are you majoring in, and why? I am majoring in history, because it's the only subject that doesn't bore me, and I'd like to teach to teach it one day.?
Who is your favorite major league player, and why? My favorite MLB player is Derek Jeter, mostly because I am a huge Yankee fan (blood not bandwagon), and he is the ultimate symbol of class, respect, and consistency in the game of baseball.
What family member has been most inspirational to you? The most inspirational family member for me is a tie between my mom and dad. My dad has always been my coach and great teacher of the game, but at the same time he never put too much pressure on me, and wanted me to enjoy playing the game of baseball. My mom on the other hand did care about baseball, but much more about me succeeding in life, and being a good person. She has shown me nothing but love and support in every aspect in my life, and I am blessed to have such great and devoted parents. Two members of last season's Husky baseball senior class have been enjoying the "winter" by playing for the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League. With the southern hemisphere's summer moving along, Jacob Clem and Geoff Brown are a part of a Perth squad that begins the playoffs today as the top-seeded team.
Clem recently made headlines with a remarkable relief outing in a 15-inning victory for the Heat. In the same manner as he was known to do it for the Huskies, Clem went seven innings in relief, allowing just two hits, before a teammate's homer in the 15th delivered the victory. Meanwhile, Brown, the Huskies' all-time pitching appearances leader, posted a sparkling 5-0 record and 1.88 ERA for the Heat, who finished the regular season 34-11. Perth hosts Melbourne in the first round of the playoffs while in the other semifinal series, Sydney takes on Adelaide. Here are a few links: ABL Playoff Schedule Former Husky pitcher Forrest Snow ('10), who wrapped up his second year of pro ball with AAA Tacoma, got in touch today. He's pitching in the Arizona Fall League and will pitch for his team tonight. Here's what Forrest had to say:
Hey Dawg fans! I bring you this message from Peoria, Arizona, spring training home of the Seattle Mariners.
As UW's fall ball is in full swing on Lake Washington, the 20th season of the Arizona Fall League is now underway as well. Being a prospect league, each team is comprised of five different big league organizations. We have top prospects from the Cardinals, Brewers, Mets, Padres, and of course, the Mariners.
I'm having a great time getting to know the playing styles and philosophies of the different clubs, as well as the players from all over the nation. Danny Hultzen, the Mariners' second overall pick of this year's draft is on our staff, and I'm excited to see what he brings to the table to make our organization the championship contender I know it can be.
Other top picks like Gerrit Cole (former UCLA Bruin and #1 overall pick of this year's draft) and Bryce Harper (#1 overall pick of the 2010 draft) make this one of the most exciting off-season leagues in the nation!
I've got the rock tonight against the Salt River Rafters (Dodgers, Astros, D-Backs, Rockies & Tigers). Even though the forecast calls for sun, I'm thinking about bringing a blizzard to Scottsdale. LET IT SNOW!!! GO DAWGS! GO M'S! One of the all-time great Husky sluggers, Kyle Conley, sent us this report from his summer in the Minor Leagues. Here's what he had to say:
Kyle Conley here checking in from Palm Beach, Fla., where I'm fortunate enough to be playing for the Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals). We're on game 125 down here, and are in the playoff hunt chasing former UW pitcher Jason Erickson's Bradenton Marauders team (Pittsburgh Pirates). We're looking at a season within a season as the next 15 games have the ability to erase memories of a tough first half for us, and hopefully we can make a run at the Florida State League Championship.
Palm Beach has been a great place to play baseball. The nice ballpark, sunny warm weather, and great group of teammates and coaches has made it a fun and positive experience. Our pitching coach is Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez, who had a 23-year MLB career, threw a perfect game, and is regarded as one of the best Latin players ever to play the game right up there with the likes of Roberto Clemente. In Spring Training I got to work with Mark McGwire a bit on my swing and hitting approach. It's been a fun experience just being around people who were so successful in their careers at the game everyday and picking up on the little things.
Our team has been comprised of guys from all over the US, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Cuba, and Colombia. It's fun to practice and play with guys from different places and really has shown me the game of baseball is universal and made me realize how special of a game it is and can be. My understanding and appreciation of Latin America and its different cultures has grown exponentially from my experience here and building great friendships with teammates.
Personally this season has been very challenging after missing all of last year with an injury. I started in the Low A Midwest League in Davenport, Iowa, and had to battle through inconsistencies in performance which were not unreasonable to expect. The organization showed faith in me with a move to High A Palm Beach in April and I'm trying to get back on track with my career and progression through Cardinals the minor league system. With baseball being a finesse game based on failure, it's easy for guys to get discouraged, frustrated, down, up, and everywhere in between, but I've committed myself to just giving it my best honest effort and dealing with the results, positive or negative.
I'm looking forward to the off season here soon in the Northwest and watching the Huskies ball club come together this fall, but still have 15 games left to win or lose here. That's kind of the theme in pro baseball: always another game tomorrow. Hopefully will have another update for y'all here soon with good news about the playoff run, and always...GO DAWGS!!!!! The Times-Standard newspaper, located in Eureka, Calif., wrapped up the Humboldt Crabs' season, in which the Crabs won the inaugural Far West League title, with a story on the amazing, season-long performance of Husky pitcher Aaron West. His numbers were truly remarkable.
Here's a link to the story. Forrest Snow, the former Husky hurler from Seattle, is rapidly working his way up the ladder of the Seattle Mariners' organization. In fact, he's made it all the way up to the AAA level with the Tacoma Rainiers (he's actually played for three different teams in the Mariners' chain this summer). Forrest got in touch with the following rundown of his recent travels:
With one month left in my first full professional season, I now fully understand what the "dog days" of August truly mean (even though I think it should be spelled Dawg).
After four months and over 100 games in the books, I bring you this update from the Mariner's AAA team in Tacoma, on a road-trip in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
After a very successful mini-camp and spring training in February/March, my season started in April in Clinton, Iowa, home of our Low-A team, the Lumber Kings. To say the least, the Midwest League is one-of-a-kind. Nestled on the bank of the mighty Mississippi River, Clinton is your typical Midwest farm town, full of all the sights, sounds and smells you'd expect from the middle of nowhere. The first thing I noticed when I got off the bus was the smell. Just outside the city limits, a dog food factory emits an unmistakable odor which, when the humidity rises, makes the whole city smell like a kennel.
My favorite part of the Midwest was the crazy thunderstorms. On a long bus ride back from Appleton, Wisconsin, I was awoken from blissful slumber by a barrage of strobe-light lightning. Needless to say, my nose was pressed against the window for the rest of the ride.
After two months and 13 starts in Clinton, I was promoted to our Advanced-A team in Southern California, the High Desert Mavericks. Yet again, Adelanto, Calif., was a city in the middle of nowhere. Instead of corn and dog food, the desert landscape was littered with cacti and sagebrush. The Cal League, notorious for being a hitter's paradise, lived up to its hype. Our home field was small, the infield was hard, and the wind blew straight out to left-center, making it a pitcher's worst nightmare. I took this as an opportunity to learn how to pitch down in the zone, keeping the ball in the park, and forcing as many groundballs as I could.
The day before my seventh start in High Desert, I was called into our manager's office and told I would meet our triple-A team on the road in Salt Lake City. I made my debut that night against Salt Lake, striking out 9 in 6 innings of relief work.
Two days later, I was home. I hadn't seen my family since January and was excited to pitch in front of a Washington crowd. Needless to say, the reunion was a joyful and successful one. I've had two more outings since then, one at home in Tacoma, and one here in Albuquerque.
One of the biggest differences between the lower levels and AAA is the approach of the hitters. They swing and miss less often, and hit mistakes more often. But there's no better way to learn than the hard way, in combat. Every day is another chance to get better, to work on something that can make my arsenal more dangerous, and I intend to take my skills all the way to the top. Go Dawgs! More updates to come... Zach Wright sent us the following from his summer-team home in Wisconsin:
ZACH WRIGHT, La Crosse Loggers
Out in the Northwoods League, the La Crosse Loggers are a half game out of first. We still have ten games to grind out maybe more depending on whether or not we make playoffs.
We've had a crazy schedule as of late, hanging out at the park one day from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. to get a doubleheader in, only to get on a bus for an eight-hour bus ride back home. The weather here is something else; I have never seen anything like it.
My pitching has gone pretty well, along with most of the guys on the Loggers. While I have been here I have met some pretty fun people and made a few friends, which I should be keeping in touch with. I would have to say that I can't wait to get back home and see my family and friends, then get started with Husky Baseball and get after it in the fall and winter.
My host family has been great. They are very warm-hearted people, and they have been very supportive throughout the season. Coming to La Crosse has been a great experience. Everything about it has made me better in some way, whether it be the schedule, the competition, or the coaches. As soon as this season's over I know I will be itching to get back at it. WILL SPARKS, Neptune Beach Pearl
Hey Husky Fans. Heading into the last series of the regular season my team is sitting comfortably in fourth place in the Far West League with a 16-9 record in league play. The top six teams make the playoffs, so it is safe to say that we will be heading up to Humboldt next weekend to make a run at the championship.
Over the past few weeks, we've lost about one-third of our team due to early departures and injuries. It's gotten to the point where we have had to bring in a pitcher to play the outfield. We're currently on a five-game winning streak though so we're not worried about it.
We had our last home game yesterday at Alameda's prestigious Willie Stargell Field and it resulted in one of the crazier endings I've ever been a part of. Going into the nine inning, we were up 11-5. Our pitcher recorded two quick outs and then got, what seemed to be, the final batter to ground out.
Our team ran to the mound to give each other high-fives and the celebratory music started playing. Unfortunately, there was a catcher's interference call that nobody seemed to hear. After everyone awkwardly ran back to their positions, the inning continued. The next two batters reached base on errors, followed by a base hit to put the tying run on deck. Our pitcher then struck out the last batter to end the game, this time for real.
Playing for the Pearl this summer has been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the playoffs next weekend. That being said, I can't wait to head back up to Seattle in a few weeks and get back to work. Go Dawgs!
JEFF BRIGHAM, Bend Elks
What's up Huskies! I am Jeff Brigham, taking a break out of my ridiculously busy life down in Bend, Oregon, to write about my amazing summer experience. I was fortunate enough to be placed on the best team in West Coast League (I'm talking about the chemistry, camaraderie and fan support) and arguably the nation. Jacob Clem and Ben Guidos told me of their splendid stay here in Bend and it has lived up to and surpassed everything they had told me.
Whether you're out floating the river, golfing, going out for a little morning hot yoga (yes I tried hot yoga), or going to the versatile Bend Athletic Club, you can always find something to do.
My host family is phenomenal. I am the luckiest player on my team to have such awesome host parents. They are a retired couple from California who would break their backs to help anyone out. The wife forces the most delicious food down my throat for every meal of the day, while the husband kicks my butt at pool on a routine basis. My stay here in Bend would not be the same without them.
Currently this year we are in second place and looking to make the playoffs. Our team has a ton of talent to go along with great chemistry, which has won us a couple games by itself. It amazes me of how well our entire team has bonded over just a few short months. I am going to miss everyone a lot when this summer is over.
I personally have been throwing well. After missing three weeks due to an injury following two starts, I have assumed the role as the closer and am thoroughly enjoying the pressure that accompanies the position. I have also enjoyed watching the success of my fellow Huskies, especially the pitchers. Shout outs to Austin Voth, Tyler Kane, and Z brain who have been representing our class of pitchers very well. And of course Adam Cimber tearing up the Northwoods one softball pitch at a time :). Aaron West is dominating... need I say more. I am excited to see the improvements our team makes this year and for our pitching staff to dominate.
This summer has flown by! I am sad to see it go but looking forward to a new beginning. I hope that both the hard work I have put in as well as the work I know our team has put in will carry over to this fall, where we can begin our run at a Pac-12 title and a College World Series!
You stay classy Dawgs!
ADAM CIMBER, Green Bay Bullfrogs
Hey guys, checking in again from Green Bay. The past few weeks have been interesting. The team has been getting injured like crazy. It seems like we have somebody go home every couple of days while a new guy joins us in his place. I'm getting to meet a lot of new people.
And yet, we still have been winning a ton of games. Right now we're a half-game back of Zach Wright's team, the LaCrosse Loggers, for first place and the last playoff spot. The season is far from over. We still have 13 games left in the regular season, and if we make playoffs, possibly another six.
The weather has been crazy. A couple days ago we had a storm that I'll remember forever. It was clear skies when all of the sudden black skies were headed our way. The whole team rushed out to tarp the field because we had heard what was coming, but as soon as we started to spread it, it hit.
All of the sudden a gust of 80-plus mph wind hit us and wreaked havoc. The tarp looked like a giant was shaking the sand off of his beach blanket. People holding on were getting tossed around, while others ran to get away from the tree branches and debris flying onto the field. A couple of our cars got smashed by falling trees in the parking lot. A transformer on a power line started going haywire and sparking, while one of the stadium lights almost came down on our clubhouse. A huge tree fell and smashed the back of the press box. Really fun, but a little scary. Never seen anything like that before.
With the weather has come a lot of rainouts. With rainouts comes a lot of double headers. We've played four in the last week. There was a point a couple days ago, due to unusual start times, we played five games within 48 hours. It's definitely a grind, but this summer has been one of the best. I've met a lot of cool people, and two or three friends that I know I'll keep in touch with for a long time. I've been throwing really well this summer, and our team has been winning a lot of games. I've seen a couple ballparks, Miller Park and Wrigley Field. Rafted a river, went fishing a few times, had some fun bonfires. My family and girlfriend came to visit... A lot of good times. Definitely the best summer I can remember.
But like I said, I still have two or three weeks left. Got to keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing! Going to finish strong and then get back home to everybody. Really missing my UW family. Can't wait to see you all in a month. Here we go Dawgs! On Monday, we posted summer updates from Austin Voth, Joe Meggs and Aaron West. Since that, we got another missive from Husky catcher B.K. Santy. Here's what he had to say:
B.K. SANTY, Anchorage Bucs
What's up guys? BK Santy here reporting from Anchorage Alaska, with the Anchorage Bucs. We are nearing the final stretch and are only two games back from the leading Kenai Oilers. Although we are losing guys and a lot of guys are banged up after a long season and a long summer, we are playing loose and keeping the game fun no matter the circumstances because after all, it's a fun game. We have some games remaining with the Oilers so those games will be crucial. This has been an experience that I'll will never forget, and I encourage anybody to play out here because of the good competition and phenomenal atmosphere.
In terms of living I'm now living all alone. Peanut Afenir left a couple weeks ago due to a minor injury. Now my time away from the field is seldom at my host house. I lift with guys from Dallas Baptist and Rice ... Texans know how to lift, trust me. As time has gone on I've actually grown very fond of the majority of our players.
Being one of the older guys on the team from a Pac-12 school, I find a lot of the younger guys look up to me in terms of how to act on and off the ball field. I'm expecting to have that role next year at UW and can't wait to start with a new bunch of talented studs. I'll enjoy the remainder of the summer but I am STOKED about a new year at UW. Go Dawgs and adios from the AK!
Throughout the summer, we've been hearing from Huskies playing summer baseball across the country. Here's the lastest from Aaron West, Joe Meggs and Austin Voth.
AARON WEST, Humboldt Crabs
Hello Husky Nation! Ending the second to last weekend of league play we took two out of three from the Nevada Bullets. These wins improved our conference record to 19-5 and are overall record to 32-11. We end our league play with a three-game series against the Redding Colt 45's next weekend. The league tournament will begin the following week.
The weather is still around the 60-degree mark with the occasional rain and wind. We have also had some great days as well making this experience a very good one down here in California. I am looking forward to taking home the championship here for the Humboldt Crabs. We have some great coaches and good players on this team.
I have had a good summer so far. My coaches told me yesterday I was 5-0 with a 0.24 ERA and 66 K's in 39 IP! I had no clue! Glad I have been able to come down here and pitch and have some success. I am looking to continue on with this success up in Seattle very soon for the Huskies! Go Dawgs...
JOE MEGGS, Terre Haute Rex
Hello all
My team is currently right in the middle of the playoff hunt. We have 10 games left and we are sitting a half game up in first place for the second half. It's been nice to play in meaningful games all summer because I think that helps me get prepared for the next season at school. I'm sure the playoff spot won't be clinched until one of the last days of the season, so we have a lot to look forward to.
The weather here in the Midwest has been a little different than in Seattle. The heat index hovered around 115 for games last week, and game time temperature is routinely around a pleasant 95 degrees. It makes for a challenge but it is all part of the experience.
The summer season has gone by fast but at the same time I'm excited for fall ball to start again. Our program has a lot to look forward to and we are going to surprise a lot of people come spring time. Talk to you soon
AUSTIN VOTH, Brewster Whitecaps
Life in the Cape Cod has been great. My team is in first place in our division, the weather out here has been great and I just found out I made the All-Star team. It's a great opportunity to play against the top 40 players in the Cape. Next Thursday is when the All-Star Game will be played at Fenway. I have never been to or played at Fenway Park before, so this will be an exciting day for me.
There are five other players on my team that have been selected to go to the All-Star Game as well. My uncle came up for a couple days this last week and it was really nice to see him.
The Brewster Whitecaps are still in first place and will hopefully stay that way going into the playoffs. Our team is very talented and I believe we have a good chance to go all the way. I talked to my pitching coach the other day and he said there will be a chance that I will be starting some games in the playoffs because of how well I have been throwing.
This whole summer I've been throwing out of the pen and had a lot of success. As summer ball comes to an end, I know that we will make a good run at winning the championship this year. We just got another update from a Husky busy at work with his summer team. Here's a missive from Joe Meggs, who checks in the from Terre Haute, Ind.:
JOE MEGGS, Terre Haute Rex The Terre Haute Rex are currently on a three-day break for the Prospect League All-Star Game. We are tied for first so far for the second half. The season has been going by very quickly, and before you know it will be time for fall ball. The weather has been pretty hot. The heat index for a recent game was 115. It was probably the hottest game I've ever been a part of. It's a good thing I am always hydrating.
We had a new addition to our team recently. Erlin Santosa, a pitcher, joined our team from the Dominican Republic via Western Oklahoma State College. "E" as he is known amongst our team speaks little English, so it has been educational and humorous trying to communicate with him. Initially people on our team just asked him to translate their favorite four-letter words into Spanish and everyone had a good time with that.
I've been able to talk to him a bit thanks to three years of high-school Spanish. It's been easier and easier every day for him, as he learns more English and we learn more Spanish. Due to my above-average Spanish speaking skills I have earned the nickname "Mexicano" from E. Other notable nicknames he has given include "Pedroia" (our 3rd baseman), "Gordo" (our catcher), and "Mariano" (our closer). E has a terrible taste in music but it has been cool getting a taste of a foreign baseball culture. Several more Husky baseball players have sent in updates from their summer ball teams. Today, we hear again from Humboldt Crabs ace Aaron West, as well as for the first time from players like Will Sparks, Zach Wright and incoming JC transfer pitcher Jacob Coats.
Here's what they have to say.
ZACH WRIGHT, Lacrosse Loggers
So far my experience here in Lacrosse, Wisc., in the Northwoods League has been pretty good. The town is small, and I haven't had much time to explore Lacrosse because we play nearly every day, but the people who live here are nice. Our team is finally complete with the last couple guys coming in after finishing up at the College World Series. And since them we have been playing pretty well winning seven of our last nine games I believe. Our head coach Andy McKay from Sacramento City College talks a lot on the mental aspect of baseball and that has been the focus it seems since I have been here.
Since I have been here I have had two starts, getting the no decision in the first, coming out in the fifth with the score tied 1-1, and getting the win the second coming out after the sixth. Pitching in the Northwoods so far has been a great experience, the stands are always packed, and we regularly have a couple thousand people in attendance.
A typical day as a Logger pitcher consists of showing up at the ballpark between 1:00 and 2:00 depending on the game time which is usually between 6:00 and 7:00. Once we are there coach McKay talks to us for a bit, then we get stretched out and pitchers go and throw. We have about forty-five minutes to throw, stretches, do band work, and throw short-boxes before the hitters start batting practice and we have to go shag. After shagging, we sometimes have time for PFP's, but usually have fifteen minutes to rest then go and start our conditioning that we do every day. Once were done with that we have about an hour to hang around, get ready, and get the field prepared for the game.
All in all I feel I have gotten a great deal better and am ready to come back to the UW and help the Dawgs fight for a Pac-12 title! Can't wait for fall ball. Thanks for checking in. I'll update you more very soon!
AARON WEST, Humboldt Crabs
The week of the 4th of July was filled with some great baseball by the Crabs and our opponents. On the 4th we beat the Gnats while throwing a combined no-hitter for nine innings. In the first Far West League game against the Atwater Aviators and former Husky Julien Pollard, the bats exploded, scoring six runs in the first inning.
The second game was a different story because the Aviator pitcher had a no-hitter going into the ninth inning. Brett Morgan of UC Davis hit a single up the middle to end the no-hitter. In the third game our bats exploded again and we put the nail in the coffin with a seven-run fifth inning. Before playing us the Aviators were 6-0 in league and were in first place. Up next is a three-game Far West League series against the California Glory.
Thanks for checking back in. More to come soon ...
WILL SPARKS, Neptune Beach Pearl
Summer ball has been going on for about a month now and things are going great. I'm playing for the Neptune Beach Pearl, located in Alameda, Calif. Alameda is relatively small city located right outside of Oakland and about an hour away from my hometown of Saratoga. Because of the proximity to my house, I've been living at home and commuting to and from the park everyday instead of living with a host family. It's kind of a pain driving that much but my bed is really comfortable and my mom is a really good cook so it's worth it!
Even though I've grown up close to Alameda, I've never spent much time there until now. It's a great community and the people been really supportive of our team. For the 4th of July, Alameda hosts an annual parade that attracts around 50,000 people. Our team took part in the event and it was pretty exciting. We had a good amount of fans that seemed pretty pumped up to see us. Despite our best efforts, we didn't take home the "Best Float" award. Maybe next time.
As far as our team goes, we've got a good group of guys from all around the country and I've been having a lot of fun. Right now our record is 15-13 and we're right in the hunt to make the playoffs.
Our most interesting trip so far was easily our weekend in Arcata. After a six-hour drive, we got ready for a three-game series against the Humboldt Crabs (fellow Husky teammate Aaron West's team). The Crabs housed a little over 1,000 fans per game making it the most hostile environment we've encountered so far. We ended up getting swept and the fans were relentless the entire time. There was a lady who went up to the fence and screamed at our on deck hitters, a man who threw newspapers in our dugout, and another man in right field who constantly yelled at me for wearing my socks too high.
On Saturday, our starting pitcher was so rattled he walked the first four hitters and was pulled without even getting an out. With all of this said, I can't wait to go back up there for the playoffs and get another chance. I need some redemption. Thanks for stopping by Husky fans, I'll update you more very soon ...
CHASE ANSELMENT, Brewster Whitecaps
Hey Chase Anselment here. I'm out in Brewster, Mass., for my third week playing for the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League. In the past week I feel like I have really progressed as a player defensively and offensively as a result of playing against the great competition found here in the Cape. The weather here has been amazing and we have been playing almost every day. It is a great challenge to play baseball every day. Probably very similar to what one would face as a minor league player.
Along with playing baseball I have been working in the mornings 8-12 Monday through Friday as a maintenance worker at a special needs school with a fellow teammate. The job has been pretty tough but gives me an opportunity to make some money and help out the community as well. I have some great teammates, one of them being fellow Husky Austin Voth, who is pitching very well for us over the last few weeks. Overall I'm enjoying my time out here in Cape Cod and would recommend this as a vacation spot. I am anxious to get back to Seattle to start fall with my team, but for the time being I am having a blast. I'll update you guys more very soon. Go Dawgs!
JACOB COATS, Bellingham Bells
Baseball has been going great in Bellingham. I've been up here playing in the West Coast League for the Bells. I'm still building up to my first start from my elbow surgery but I feel I've been making progress with the pitching coach here and I'm excited for that to transfer over to UW [note: Jacob is an incoming transfer from Everett CC.].
I've made three appearances here pitching only an inning each to build up my arm strength. My pitch count has stayed low and I'm due to get a couple more innings of work here soon. The team here is great and the pitching staff is phenomenal. We have a ton of a good arms including Husky pitcher Nick Palewicz, who is dominating as a closer. I can't wait to be with the Huskies and help contribute to the program. I will check back in again very soon. Go Dawgs! Here's are two more entries from UW baseball players and their summer-ball adventures. Today, we hear from Adam Cimber and Tyler Kane:
TYLER KANE, Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs
Hi there again from Little Falls, N.Y. The DiamondDawgs just snapped a 10 game losing streak tonight! It was a brutal week and a half. Other than losing so many games things are going great here. I've gotten into a routine of going to the YMCA every day to lift, some days I run there and back. After that I head over to the field for our games.
The best part of this summer has been some of our off days. Just this last Monday I went to Fenway Park for the first time and it was incredible. I even got to see Travis Snider who plays for the Blue Jays and is from my home town, Mill Creek, Wash. He also played with Husky teammate Geoff Brown in high school. On a day that we got rained out at home we had a great time with tarp sliding. We had about six inches of water on the tarp and would run and slide about fifty feet.
Baseball couldn't be much better for me right now. I'm in the closer role as of right now and am proud to say I have not walked one person. I am actually getting a start this Saturday at home and pumped for that. Not too much else to report but I'll be checking in later on.
ADAM CIMBER, Green Bay Bullfrogs
What's up? Checking back in from Green Bay. Riding a bus to Wisconsin Rapids as I write this. The weather's gotten a lot warmer since my last post. Hasn't been raining as much and most days are clear skies. Hot and HUMID. With the increase in heat comes an increase in bugs.
Before I got here I talked to people who knew the area, and they all said be sure to bring bug spray. Then I got here and was like "Ehhh, bugs aren't that bad." This past week has been unbelievable though.
Mosquitoes run this city. Apparently when the Bullfrogs were formed a few years ago, we were almost called the Green Bay Skeeters, 'cause of all the pests. Right around the seventh inning, a cloud of them just cruises in and eats everybody alive. My buddy in the pen counted yesterday and has 108 bites on him. It was a manic panic in the dugout yesterday, everyone fighting to grab the single can of bug spray we had with us. You look out at the field and see guys at every position dancing around smacking themselves trying to kill them. It's gross.
Baseball-wise, I'm having more fun than ever. Doesn't get much better than sleeping in, hitting the gym, playing a game, and hanging out with the guys in between. It's a good group of guys and I think we've got a good shot at making the playoffs. The way the Northwoods works is the season is divided into two halves. The winner of the first half gets a playoff birth and the winner of the second half gets the other.
With two divisions, four teams go. We just came up short the first half, one game back of the first place team.
Personally, I've been throwing well. Put on five pounds already. Working hard and having fun. Miss my UW family though and can't wait to see them in a couple months. I'll be checkin' back in soon. Later! Husky baseball players are spending their summers all across the nation, playing for a variety of summer teams and leagues stretching from Cape Cod to Alaska to California.
Recently, we heard from several of those Huskies, who share with us how their summers are going. Here's what they had to say:
AUSTIN VOTH, Brewster Whitecaps
Since my last message, I have played in a lot more games and learned more about the town. I have been doing very well so far in our season. I have a 0.00 era with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. I am one of the three players on my team that has an era of zero.
The Brewster Whitecaps (my team) is in second place in our division and will have a chance to move up to first place tonight when we play the Harwich Mariners. They are a well-rounded team with speed, power, and pitching.
I am getting to know the people of this town very well. A couple days ago, my team and I went to a local library where we signed bats and balls while answering any questions from the people of Brewster.
It was amazing to find out all the people who were interested in your life and wanted to know about your baseball career. Also at many of our games, during and after the games, kids come up to us either if were in the bullpen or going to the bathroom wanting our autographs.
Many of the players on my team have been doing very well. Taylor Davis is leading the division in batting average and Tanner Nivins is tied with the lead in home runs and leads the division in hits. An exciting thing to see last week was seeing Scott Griggs accomplishing his goal of hitting 97 mph. We are almost half way through the season and I'm looking forward to seeing my team slide into first place.
AARON WEST, Humboldt Crabs
I arrived in Arcata, Calif., on June 15 and since then life has not been the same. Arcata is a small town with a population of 15,700. This town is full of local businesses and restaurants. The only major corporate store is a Safeway that I tend to frequent a lot because I love to eat.
Every restaurant has some sort of pizza or burger that you can buy. The weather here is not typical California weather. It hasn't gotten above 62 degrees here yet and at night during are 7 p.m. games it is usually 50 degrees with lots of wind. Most of the guys are from southern California and can be seen bundled up with two sweatshirts and pullovers.
The fans here in Arcata are amazing to say the least. We average 800 people attending our games and will fill the house at 1,500. When opponents play us there also playing the screaming and heckling fans as well. One wild pitch or one bad play adds fuel to the fire, a fellow Husky Will Sparks can vouch for that as his team's starting pitcher walked four straight hitters causing the Arcata fans to go crazy.
The field itself is different from most baseball fields out there. A home run to right gives someone the chance to put a dent in a cop car in the police station while a home run to left puts the ball onto the freeway with cars going 65.
The mound is a short flat bump on the field that cause many opposing pitchers to trip and fall on their first warm up throw, again the crowd will go wild.
Every night there is a 50/50 raffle that the fans will buy tickets for to get a chance to win half of the money that they team makes that night. I have yet to see a winning below $200 and on our 4th of July game the winning total was $1,530 which was about an eight-inch stack of money. My grandparents have yet to win but they will be here for a few more days so there's still a chance.
Unlike most summer teams we do not live with host families. The entire team lives in one apartment complex that is a block away from the field. Three of us live in a small, two-bedroom apartment but it's free so no one is complaining.
The Crabs players are treated like kings in this small town. On Sundays we go to Big Pete's to get pizza and drinks and if we win the fans get free pizza as well. Pretty awesome deal as they really know how to treat their players. Overall this has been a great experience. I am very excited to get back to UW to see my teammates and to get going this fall! That is all for now, GO DAWGS!
TY AFENIR, Anchorage Bucs
Hello Husky Nation, Ty Afenir here. We traveled to Kenai last weekend to play a pretty good team called the Oilers. We beat them in extra innings so it was worth sleeping in the 4-by-8 bedroom with two bunk beds that night. We stayed in a bingo hall with walls that didn't even go up to the ceiling, which separated each room. It added to the experience! I have been hitting the ball well this last week. The competition is very good as to be expected with this league.
The wildlife is awesome in Kenai. The place to fish is in the Kenai River where you can find king salmon. The town was small and it was mostly older people living there but if you ever get a chance to go to Alaska, I would highly recommend visiting Kenai.
Last night was the 4th of July doubleheader against our city rivals which always turns out to be a good game. We played two seven-inning games. We lost the first and won the second and ended the great night with fireworks. There was about 6,000-plus fans in attendance, which produced a pretty fun environment to play in. Half the season is over and I'm looking forward to the second half. Talk to you guys soon!
GoHuskies has the full list of dispatches from Dawgs based in various summer baseball sites around the country.
My name is Tyler Kane and I am playing this summer for the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. It's a relatively new league but the competition is great. The first couple of days were a little awkward trying to learn everybody's name, and I am the only one from the West Coast on the team. So far things have been off to a good start. The team is 4-3 now and I'm in the same late-reliever role that I had at UW. Although I am hoping to get a few starts later this summer. Little Falls, the town we are located in, is very small. It's a great atmosphere because everyone on the team is like a celebrity over here. We have done a few community things to reach out and help. I was involved in going to an elementary school to do a read-aloud for the kids. But they had a field day and so instead we played kickball with them. My host family is great, they have three kids and we all get along great. I feel right at home. The weather here the first few days looked exactly like Seattle, a little rainy and gray. It finally got nice and for the last week it's been 85 and humid, perfect baseball weather. The summer has only just begun and I'll keep you updated on how it goes. Former Husky pitcher Tim Lincecum, star of the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, was honored today by the Seahawks as he was selected to raise the 12th Man Flag at Qwest Field ahead of the Hawks game vs. Atlanta.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner and 2006 Golden Spikes Award honoree recently purchased a home in Seattle. Here's a video interview of Tim with Seahawks.com's Tony Ventrella. One of the more iconic pictures of the 2010 World Series was that of San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum being carried on the field by his teammates after his team defeated the Texas Rangers in Game 5.
It's great that the rest of the country is also able to see what a special talent Lincecum is, something those of us here at Washington have known for years. The pressure of the big stage never seemed to bother Lincecum, as noted by Giants outfielder Cody Ross to the New York Times earlier this week. "He was dancing around, singing, doing all his stuff 40 minutes before the game, like he wasn't pitching," Ross said. "That's just how he is. He's a happy-go-lucky guy, doesn't let anything affect him. He's a bulldog, that's why he did what he did." Since the World Series ended, there's been an impressive amount of copy written about the Giants' ace and former UW star. Here's a sampling of the best ones. Tim Lincecum's Giant-Sized Legacy - ESPN (Jerry Crasnick) New Ace For An Era - New York Times A Fresh Ace - The New Yorker Tim Lincecum Repays San Francisco Support With Title - USA Today We also enjoyed this GIF of Lincecum's sartorial capabilities, as he arrives to the Rangers' ballpark in a bowtie. Check out this story at ESPN.com from Jim Caple (former Seattle P-I and UW Daily writer) on former Husky and current San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum and his relationship with his father.
Lincecum will start Wednesday night vs. the Rangers in game one of the World Series. If it wasn't for Roy Halladay's no-hitter for the Phillies one day earlier, people might be talking about Tim Lincecum's pitching performance for the Giants in game one of the NLDS last night was the greatest postseason outing since ...
Either way, it was tremendous as Lincecum struck out 14 in a two-hit shutout of the Atlanta Braves to lead the Giants to a 1-0 win. Lincecum, who pitched at the UW from 2004-06 and won the NY Cy Young Award the last two years, was pitching in the postseason for the first time as the Giants made the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Here's a roundup of some of the news coverage of Lincecum's night: ? First a game story from the AP, here at gohuskies.com. ? Plenty of comments (all good!) from his Giants teammates in this story from the San Francisco Chronicle. ? The San Jose Mercury-News' Mark Purdy gives an overview of the scene in San Francisco. ? The Sacramento Bee's Marcus Breton stops just short of calling Lincecum a god. ? Tom Verducci of SI.com, who also worked the game for TBS television, has some interesting breakdowns of Lincecum's night. ? Here's the view from Atlanta, from the Journal-Constitution. ? ESPN.com has this look from a statistical standpoint, including mention that the Braves swung and missed an amazing 31 times vs. Timmy. ? Finally, the USA Today wonders whether Lincecum's outing was more impressive than Halladay's? Former Husky Tim Lincecum will get the ball as the San Francisco Giants open their postseason today with game one of their NLDS series vs. Atlanta.
Here's much more from the Giants' website. You can watch the game on TBS television, starting at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time today. Former Husky star Tim Lincecum has been a key cog to the San Francisco Giants' current run towards the National League West title.
Last night, Lincecum picked up the victory in a 3-1 win over Arizona, striking out 11 in seven innings, despite reportedly not feeling well. The Giants won a day game Thursday as well, beating the D-Backs 4-1, to reduce their magic number to just one. Lincecum has, compared to his incredible standards that led to Cy Young Awards in each of his first two big-league seasons, has had a dip in form in 2010. But, he still leads the National League in strikeouts with 231 and is 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA - certainly WELL above-average numbers. Here are his 2010 stats, including a look at his recent outings. During the stretch run, he's gone 5-1 over his last six starts, with that only loss coming by a score of 2-1. With one victory over San Diego this weekend, the Giants will be back in the postseason. Former Dawg and current Chicago White Sox shortstop Brent Lillibridge, who's enjoying his most successful big-league season, was among those who were excited over the release of the latest "Halo" video game, Halo: Reach.
Via his twitter, Lillibridge let the cat out of the bag that he was in line, waiting for the midnight release yesterday. Here's the story from espn.com. If you have a chance, check out the terrific documentary on the 1982 Kirkland Little League team that's airing as a part of ESPN's 30 For 30 series of films.
The movie, "Little Big Men," debuted last night and will air now and then on the various ESPN channels in the coming days and weeks. Included in the film are interviews with a number of players on that team, including former Husky catcher Erik Johnson, who was the Kirkland team's catcher in 1982. Former Husky pitcher Chad Hartvigson was also a member of that world-champion squad, though he wasn't featured in the film. For more, check out the ESPN 30 For 30 official site. After an incredible start to his professional career with the Everett (Wash.) Aquasox, former Husky pitcher Forrest Snow has already moved up in the Mariners' minor-league ladder.
The tall righty, drafted this past June by his hometown team, didn't allow a single run in 25.1 innings with Everett and now plays for Clinton (Iowa) in the single-A Midwest League, a step up from the short-season A Northwest League. Unfortunately, Snow's scoreless streak didn't last upon his arrival in Iowa, as he allowed a single run in his first outing with the Lumberkings. Since then, he's had two scoreless relief outings. All totaled, he's give up just one run in 30.1 innings of pro ball, good for a miniscule 0.30 ERA. Husky pitcher Adam Cimber, who will be a sophomore next season, pitched a complete game to lead his summer team, the Kitsap BlueJackets, to a 5-2 victory over Moses Lake in a West Coast League game on Sunday.
Cimber, from Edgewood, Wash., threw nine innings, scattering nine hits while striking out eight and walking none. UW classmate Chase Anselment drove in his 30th run of the season with a sacrifice fly to assist in the victory. Here's a recap from the Kitsap Sun. Washington sophomore-to-be Chase Anselment belted his seventh homer of the summer for the Kitsap (Wash.) Bluejackets last night in an 11-3 loss to Moses Lake.
Anselment now leads the West Coast League, a wood-bat collegiate summer league, in homers. The catcher from Edmonds is also tied for second in the league with 29 runs batted in. Husky classmate Eric Peterson also ranks high in both of those power categories. Playing for the Wenatchee AppleSox, Peterson ranks No. 3 in homers with five and seventh in RBI with 26. Here's a link to the WCL leaders. Husky senior-to-be Geoff Brown threw a complete-game, nine-inning shutout for his summer team, the Newport (R.I.) Gulls last night in a 2-0 win over the Keene Swamp Bats in a New England Collegiate Baseball League game.
Brown, from Jackson High in Mill Creek, gave up six hits and didn't walk a man in his nine-inning gem. He struck out three to pick up his second win of the year. Here's the box score. Former Husky pitcher Forrest Snow pitched three more scoreless innings last night as his Everett Aquasox beat Salem-Keizer, 5-4, in 14 innings.
Snow, who was drafted and signed by the Mariners organization after the 2010 college season, has now worked 22.1 innings in his pro career without allowing a run, earned or not. Last night in Salem, he pitched three innings, allowing a hit and four walks, but no runs. Also, don't forget that you can vote for Snow in Minor League Baseball's "Minors Moniker Madness," which is seeking to find the best name in baseball. Former Husky star Brent Lillibridge, who is in town with the Chicago White Sox for a series vs. the Mariners, is profiled in today's edition of the Everett Herald. You can read it by clicking here.
Lillibridge, who was originally drafted by the Pirates before being traded to the Braves and then the Sox, is enjoying a renaissance in Chicago this summer since being called up from AAA. Keep up the good work, Lilly! Forrest Snow, the former Washington pitcher, kept his perfect earned run average in tact with four scoreless innings Sunday at Yakima as his Everett Aquasox beat the Bears, 5-3.
Snow, who joined the Aquasox after being drafted and signed by the Seattle Mariners, has yet to allow a run, earned or not, in 19.1 innings this season. Sunday in Yakima, he worked four innings, allowing two hits and walking one while striking out seven to earn a save, his third of the year. Here's a write-up of the game from the Yakima Herald. Former Husky catcher Pierce Rankin, who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays after last season, hit his first two minor league homers in a Gulf Coast League game Monday.
Rankin belted two homers while going 3-for-4 with three RBI for the GCL Blue Jays in a 9-1 win over the Pirates. Those two homers moved him into a tie for the team lead, and he also shares the lead with nine RBI through Tuesday's play. Closer to Seattle, another former Husky has continued a terrific streak to begin his pro career. Forrest Snow, playing for the Everett Aquasox, the Mariners affiliate in the Northwest League, has yet to allow a run in seven outings and 15.1 innings of pro ball this summer. Yesterday, Snow threw three scoreless innings at Yakima. He's now allowed just four hits and walked only four while striking out 16 this summer. A couple of notes from action in the West Coast League (a wood bat summer league located in the Northwest) from Sunday:
Husky lefty Ben Guidos, playing for the Bend (Ore.) Elks, tossed a nine-inning complete game in a 6-1 win over Bellingham. Guidos allowed one run on a solo homer, didn't walk anyone and struck out six. His ERA is now 1.69, second-best in the league. UW's Eric Peterson, who plays for the Wenatchee Applesox, had a big night in a 5-0 win over Walla Wall. Peterson went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a homer and two RBI. With four home runs this season, he's tied for second in the league, trailing only Husky teammate Chase Anselment, who has hit five this summer for the Kitsap BlueJackets. Peterson is also currently second in the league with a .385 batting average while Anselment is fourth at .363. Husky first baseman Troy Scott has had a hot bat lately, playing summer ball for the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League. Tonight, he really broke through, going 2-for-3 with five RBI and two homers in a 13-6 win over the Wisconsin Woodchucks.
Tuesday night, Scott hit a two-run homer in the first inning and then a three-run shot in the third. Scott also homered in a win over the Woodchucks on Monday and, with four homers this summer, is tied for third in the Northwoods League. A quick glance at the West Coast League stats today shows that Husky baseball players are leading the league in two major categories
Lefty pitcher Ben Guidos, playing for the Bend (Ore.) Elks, is the league leader in earned run average with a sterling 1.00 mark. Guidos is 2-0 with wins over Cowlitz and Moses Lake. Slugger Chase Anselment leads the WCL, a wood-bat summer collegiate league, with four homers. Anselment, who plays for Kitsap, has four homers to share the league lead. He also has 14 RBI and leads the team with a .327 batting average. Former Washington pitcher Forrest Snow has had an easy time of it in the Class A (short-season) Northwest League since joining the Everett Aquasox after last month's draft.
Snow has now appeared in four games and has yet to allow a hit, much less a run, over eight and one-third innings. Snow doesn't have a decision, but does have one save. In his 8.1 innings, he's allowed two walks while striking out nine. Here are his current stats. Tim Lincecum picked up his third head-to-head win of the season against Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt tonight as Lincecum's Giants beat the Astros, 3-1.
Lincecum, now 8-2 on the season, picked up his third straight victory after having hit a rough patch through most of May. Tuesday night, he gave up just one run (unearned) on seven hits over eight innings, striking out seven. Here's a box score and a recap via Yahoo.com. Another recently drafted Husky has made his professional debut in the minor leagues. Pierce Rankin started at catcher for the Blue Jays' team in the Gulf Coast League Monday in Florida. Here's a box score from that game against the Phillies' GCL club.
Rankin will, at least for the time being, play his baseball in Dunedin, Fla., Toronto's spring training site. All of the teams in the GCL play at their parent club's spring training home. Rankin and Forrest Snow have both started their minor league careers. Doug Cherry also signed with the Cubs, but has yet to see any action. Ben Guidos delivered a nine-inning complete game for his summer team, the Bend (Ore.) Elks, on Sunday.
Guidos, who will be a senior at the UW next year, gave up just two runs on seven hits over the nine innings. leading the Elks to a 10-2 win over Moses Lake in a West Coast League game. He didn't walk anyone and struck out six. Here's the box score. Former Husky pitcher Forrest Snow made his professional debut Sunday for the Everett Aquasox in a 7-6 win over Salem-Keizer down in Oregon.
Snow, who signed with the Mariners organization after having been drafted by the hometown team for the second time, worked one scoreless inning of relief for the Aquasox. He walked a pair, but didn't allow a hit and struck out one. Everett surrendered a late lead, but came back with a run in the ninth to win it. Husky pitcher Andrew Kittredge, playing for the Orleans Redbirds, made his Cape Cod League debut Saturday and pitched well in Orleans' 4-3 win over Wareham.
Kittredge worked four and one-third innings in the seven-inning contest, allowing just one earned run and striking out four. To see where all the Husky baseball players are spending their summer, check out this page at gohuskies.com. Former Husky pitcher Tim Lincecum had an odd ending to his outing yesterday afternoon vs. the Baltimore Orioles as a line drive up the middle hit him in the shoulder. It was, at least briefly, a scary sight, but Lincecum was fine.
In the end, he gave up two runs and struck out 10 in six innings for the victory, a 6-3 victory over the O's in interleague play. Here's a recap of the game from the San Francisco Chronicle, with some typically amusing quotes from Tim. Here's a box score. With final exams and graduation at the UW having happened, Husky baseball players are now able to begin their summer season (college players must wait until their university's spring quarter or semester ends before they can play summer ball).
Pitchers Jacob Clem and Ben Guidos put up an amazing run last night for the Bend (Ore.) Elks. Clem started the game, pitching five innings and allowing only one unearned run on two hits and no walks while striking out seven. Guidos relieved him and pitched four no-hit innings, allowing only one walk while fanning four. But, the Elks still fell to the Bellingham Bells, 2-1, in 12 innings. Here's the box score. Keep an eye on the baseball page at gohuskies.com, where we'll have a list of all of the Huskies' summer team assignments posted sometime early this week. Two former Huskies had a good night on the diamond Friday as both Tim Lincecum and Brent Lillibridge helped their teams win.
Lillibridge, only recently called back up to the White Sox, hit a pinch-hit double in a victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The other day, he had a pinch-hit, three-run homer. He's also been enjoying the Chicago Blackhawks' recent success. Check it out on Lillibridge's twitter. Meanwhile, Lincecum, who had suffered through a rough patch of late (by his very high standards), was back in the wins column as the Giants beat Oakland 6-2. Former Husky baseball star Brent Lillibridge has spent most of the 2010 season in the minor leagues, but he was recently called up to the Bigs and made a splash last night for the Chicago White Sox when his three-run homer capped a seven-run eighth inning. Batting right-handed, the switch-hitting Lillibridge belted a LONG homer to center field, and it was well out of the park.
It was the first big-league hit of the year for the Jackson High grad, who made his Major League debut for Atlanta in 2008 and played in majors for the White Sox much of last season. Here's a video from MLB.com with highlights from that seven-run inning. Here's MLB.com's recap of the game. And the Associated Press recap. The annual Major League Baseball draft begins Monday at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
On Monday, only the first round will be held, with rounds 2 through 50 to take place the following two days. You can read up on the draft at MLB.com's website by clicking here. Also, here's MLB's drafttracker, which allows you to look up potential draftees in a number of different ways, including by home state. Finally here's a link to live audio and video. MLB.com has this interesting story on former Husky All-America closer Brett Merrick, who has spent he last couple of seasons as a batting practice pitcher for the Mariners.
One of the all-time Husky greats, Merrick was a key cog in the UW's 1994 team, which came within one game of the College World Series before losing to a Georgia Tech team that included Jason Varitek, Nomar Garciaparra and Jay Payton. Merrick saved a school-record 20 games in 1994 before playing in the Indians' organization. A couple of changes have been made to the 2010 Husky baseball schedule -- a pair of time changes for next weekend's series at USC.
The Friday, May 28 game will now begin at 7:15 p.m. at Dedeaux Field, and the game on Saturday, May 29, will start at 2:00 p.m. The regular-season finale on Sunday, May 30, will still get underway at 1:00 p.m., as originally schedule. First up, of course, the Huskies take on Oregon this weekend at Husky Ballpark. Game times are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Both Saturday and Sunday's games vs. the Ducks will air live on Comcast SportsNet. Former Husky Tim Lincecum got back in the wins column Saturday as his San Francisco Giants beat the Astros, 2-1 at AT&T Park.
Lincecum, the 2006 Golden Spikes Award winner as a Husky junior and two-time NL Cy Young Award recipient, squared off against Roy Oswalt in a repeat of the season opener for both teams. The righty from Liberty High School had a somewhat unusual start in that he walked five and struck out only five, both the worst totals of the season for him. However, he gave up only one run on three hits over eight innings, and Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for the save. Lincecum had gone three straight starts without a decision after opening the year with victories in his first four starts. In each of those three straight no decisions, Lincecum had left the game with the lead. Saturday vs. Houston, the Giants almost squandered the lead in the ninth as the Astros loaded the bases and Kazuo Matsui fouled off a bunch of two-strike pitches before flying out to end the game. Lincecum is now 5-0 with a 1.76 earned run average and leads the league with 69 strikeouts. If you haven't checked out the story in the Sunday Seattle Times on Husky assistant baseball coach Kevin Ticen, have a look here at the piece from Times columnist Jerry Brewer.
Ticen, a former catcher and third baseman for the Dawgs who belted 15 homers as a senior in 1999, has been battling cancer. He's now the UW's volunteer assistant coach after having served as the team's operations director the last few years. Two former Husky baseball teammates will reunited this summer to form part of the coaching staff of the new Willmar Stingrays in the Northwoods League.
Matt Hollod, who played outfield for the Dawgs, will manage the Stingrays, which are in their first season of existence while Tyler Shepple, a hard-throwing pitcher at the UW, will serve as his pitching coach. In his "regular" job, Hollod works as an assistant coach at Southern Utah, having previously worked at Portland and Willamette. The city of Willmar is west of Minneapolis, Minn. The Stingrays will play in the North Division of the Northwoods League, one of the better summer college leagues in the nation. The schedule gets underway on June 2. Due to a tight travel schedule, this Sunday's baseball game against Stanford has been moved to a 12:00 p.m. start at Husky Ballpark. The game was initially scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
The Husky baseball team takes on Gonzaga tonight at 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. This weekend, the Dawgs host Stanford at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and then, on Saturday, the UW plays the Cardinal at Safeco Field at 6:30 p.m. Former Husky baseball phenom Tim Lincecum's star status has hit new heights as he's the subject of a story in this month's issue of GQ magazine.
Here's a link to the story, which includes a bunch of videos, including Lincecum's ESPN SportsCenter commercial, which was recently released. Baseball America, which covers minor league baseball like no one else, posted this recent story on some big-league prospects, including former Husky Nick Hagadone.
Hagadone, who was originally drafted by the Red Sox before being traded to the Indians, is playing for Kinston (N.C.) in the Carolina League. His ascent up the baseball ladder was slowed by Tommy John surgery, but things are now going very well for the big lefty. Husky Ticket Trivia on Facebook! The Huskies play the Stanford Cardinal on May 1st at 6:30 p.m. in Safeco Field. Want to score a pair of tickets to the game? It's easy to become a part of the drawing! First, make sure you are a fan of the Washington Huskies Official Facebook fan page. Second, be the first to correctly answer a baseball trivia question throughout this week (April 19-23). There will be multiple questions posted throughout the day - be sure to check the page often for your chance to be the first to post a correct response (one winner per person)! Stay tuned to find out if you are the lucky winner! The winner will be announced on Monday, April 26th on the Washington Huskies Official Facebook fan page, of course!
It was a remarkable day for the two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner Saturday at Chavez Ravine as Tim Lincecum pitched (and hit) the San Francisco Giants to a 9-0 win over their chief rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The former Husky ace worked six shutout innings for the win, his third in three starts this year. He gave up four hits and walked two while striking out seven to improve his season stats to 3-0 with a 0.90 earned run average. What's more is that Lincecum led the way for the offense as well, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. He plated what proved to be the game-winning run in the second with a bunt single. In the third, he came through with a two-run single. With his three RBI in Saturday's game alone, he drove in more runs than he's allowed all year (two). Read about it in the San Francisco Chronicle or on mlb.com (with video). A week after opening the 2010 baseball season with a seven innings of shutout ball vs. Houston on opening day, former Husky Tim Lincecum was nearly as spectacular Sunday in his second start of the season.
Despite a rain delay of more than four hours, Lincecum fired the Giants to a 6-3 win over Atlanta Sunday in San Francisco in his home debut. Lincecum struck out 10 in seven innings for the victory to improve to 2-0 on the season. Here's a recap of the game, focusing on Lincecum, from the San Francisco Chronicle. The Washington baseball game at Portland next week has been moved to Wednesday due to Founders' Day events on the UP campus. The game was originally scheduled to be played Tuesday.
Game time remains at 3:00 p.m. For the most up-to-date UW baseball schedule, click here. The Seattle Times will host a chat today with UW baseball coach Lindsay Meggs and softball coach Heather Tarr.
The chat runs from noon to 1:00 p.m. You can read, or ask questions, by following this link. Both the baseball and softball teams will play at home this weekend, and both will be hosting Arizona. The softball series matches the No. 1 Dawgs vs. the No. 2 Cats. Game times at Husky Softball Stadium are 6 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturday and noon Sunday. If you can't attend in person, you can catch Saturday and Sunday's games live on UWTV (channel 27 on most Washington state cable systems). The baseball team hosts the Wildcats Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will air live in the Seattle area on KKNW AM-1150. Former Husky star Tim Lincecum provided one of the top performances of Opening Day in the San Francisco Giants' 5-2 win at Houston Monday, throwing seven shutout innings for the victory.
The two-time defending NL Cy Young winner worked seven innings, throwing just 98 pitches (66 of them for strikes). He gave up four hits (all singles), didn't walk a batter and struck out seven. He left the game after seven innings with a 5-0 lead. Houston scored two in the ninth, but Brian Wilson came on to retire the last two batters to end it. There had been some questions about Lincecum's level of sharpness during spring training, but this outing should quiet those doubts for a few days. Two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum will, no surprise, start on opening day for the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants open their season at Houston tonight at 6:00 p.m. Central Time (4:00 p.m. Pacific) in a game that will air on ESPN2. Lincecum, the 2006 Golden Spikes Award winner as a junior at the UW, will square off against a pitcher he is/was commonly compared to: Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt. While both taller and heavier than Lincecum, Oswalt is another pitcher of smaller-than-average stature (for a big-league pitcher) who throw hard, like Lincecum. In other Opening Day news, former Dawg Sean White will once again be in the Seattle Mariners' bullpen tonight as the M's open in Oakland (7:00 p.m., ESPN). Very quietly, White had a very good season in 2009, going 3-2 with a solid 2.80 ERA over 52 appearances. Planning on attending a Husky football practice this week? Remember that, on both Thursday and Saturday, there are other events going on at the UW.
Thursday, the second practice of the spring is set for 4:00 p.m. It should end at about 6:00 p.m. That's the time that both the UW baseball and softball teams will be getting their Pac-10 seasons underway. The No. 1-ranked Husky softball team takes on No. 5 UCLA in the first game of a three-game series - the first conference series of the year for both teams. Also starting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday at Husky Ballpark is the first of three games between the Huskies and Washington State - also the first Pac-10 game of the season for both teams. On Saturday, football practice gets underway at 1:00 p.m. If you arrive early, you can catch a good portion of the softball game vs. UCLA, which begins at noon. And, on your way out, you could stop by Husky Ballpark for the last part of the UW-WSU game, which also begins at 1:00 p.m. Of course, don't forget, the UW-UCLA softball series and the UW-WSU baseball series also have games Friday at 6:00 p.m. (there's no football practice on Friday). For tickets, call the Husky Ticket Office at (206) 543-2200, or click here. Thursday, April 1 Football Practice, 4:00 p.m. UW Softball vs. UCLA, 6:00 p.m. UW Baseball vs. WSU, 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 2 UW Softball vs. UCLA, 6:00 p.m. UW Baseball vs. WSU, 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 3 UW Softball vs. UCLA, 12:00 p.m. Football Practice, 1:00 p.m. UW Baseball vs. WSU, 1:00 p.m A couple of former Washington Husky baseball standouts recently reported for spring training in Peoria, Ariz. and were in the news today for somewhat offbeat reasons The Seattle Mariners went head-to-head against the San Francisco Giants yesterday in the first Cactus League game of the spring. Back-to-back National League Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum was clearly seeing his first action of the spring and pitched just one inning. But, it was a moment he experienced after he came out of the game that made the news. Popular Mariners veteran Ken Griffey, Jr. came over to the Giants dugout to have a brief meet-and-greet with Lincecum. Here's a couple of comments from Geoff Baker's story in the Seattle Times: "He's a Northwest guy," Griffey said with a shrug, in explaining the gesture. "He's a good kid. He does look like an extreme sports kid, I will say that." "Just to have a great like that come over just caught me off guard," (Lincecum) admitted with a laugh, adding that it was a little surreal. "The first time getting to face him ... I don't really know what to say." The Associated Press also noted the Griffey/Lincecum exchange in this story about the Husky still adjusting to life in the spotlight. The Everett Herald's Kirby Arnold had this note today about a prank played on former Husky Sean White in the Mariner's front office in Peoria: The long hallway leading from the players' parking lot to the clubhouse contains a gallery of 28 life-size posters of current Mariners. Sometime recently, two more appeared, although the new images certainly aren't in proportion with the others. From the Seattle Mariners public relations office: The Seattle Mariners will officially open Cactus League play tomorrow with a 1:05 p.m. MT/12:05 PT spring training game against the San Francisco Giants. Right-handed pitcher Doug Fister (3-4, 4.13 with Seattle in 2009) will make the start for the Mariners. The Giants will counter with two-time reigning National League Cy Young award winner (and Washington Husky) Tim Lincecum. A few months ago, the Huskies, Bulldogs, Aggies and Tigers all decided they'd travel to Tucson, Arizona to open the 2010 baseball season in the sunny, warm surroundings of the desert Southwest. Sounds reasonable, right? After all, the February weather in Seattle, Spokane, Las Cruces, N.M. and Columbia, Mo. is sketchy this time of the year. The allure of playing four games in three days and opening the season at the spring training ballpark of the Arizona Diamondbacks made the Cactus Classic perfect. Well, apparently things don't always work out as planned. Just six innings into this morning's game between New Mexico State and Gonzaga showers move into Tucson, causing a four hour, nine minute weather delay. The rain lasted only about an hour, but the field took on a significant amount of water before the umpires halted the game and the grounds crew (with the help of the coaches and players of the two teams) pulled a tarp over the infield. The two teams returned to the field at 5 p.m. (PT) to complete the game. The Washington vs. Gonzaga game was cancelled, as was the 6 p.m. (PT) Missouri vs. New Mexico State game that was supposed to take place at a Diamondbacks practice field across the street. Washington's game against Missouri will take place at 6 p.m. (PT) During the delay, the Huskies grabbed some sandwiches, conducted a team meeting and several players watched NBC's coverage of the Vancouver Olympic Games. First-year Washington baseball coach Lindsay Meggs earned his first win as a Husky Friday night when the Dawgs handed New Mexico State a 4-2 loss in the second game of the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. It was the season opener for both teams. GoHuskies.com has a complete recap of the game. But, here are some comments from Meggs that didn't make the story. "We did just enough offensively tonight to give ourselves a chance to win. We talked to our guys after the game. (NMSU) is on the road, too. This is very much like their home ballpark. The elements and the way the field plays. We really give our pitchers credit for keeping the score low and keeping the ball in the park. Really, if we don't have a guy fall down at second and our centerfielder catches a fly ball, we throw a shutout. You have to be pleased with the pitching." Congrats go out to Coach Meggs, assistant coaches Dave Nakama, Greg Moore and Bill Haselman and the players. Solid first effort.
Gonzaga and Missouri play the tournament's first game at 12 noon (Pacific), while Washington faces New Mexico State in the nightcap at 5 p.m. (Pacific). Live coverage for the Washington games is available on GoHuskies.com. Gametracker and live audio for the non-UW games are available on the other schools' websites: www.mutigers.com, www.gozags.com and www.nmstatesports.com.
Meggs joined the UW athletics program in July and has been tirelessly working to get the UW baseball team ready for the upcoming season. The team started practice recently and opens the regular season on Feb 19 against New Mexico State in the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. The Diamond Dawgs will play their first home game on Feb. 26 in the first of a three-game series against Fresno State. Tarr led the Washington softball team to its first-ever national title last spring. The Huskies were picked as the favorites to win the Pac-10 title and are ranked No. 1 in both national polls. The UW, which returns 2009 National Player of the Year Danielle Lawrieand five other starters in 2010, begins its title defense on Feb. 11 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. Major League Baseball teams are holding a variety of auctions with the proceeds going to benefit UNICEF's earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Among the three auction items offered by the San Francisco Giants are a chance to take 10 swings off of a Giants starting pitcher, and a chance to have a private meeting with two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, the former Husky ace.
Here is a press release about MLB's cooperation with UNICEF. To bid on any of the Giants' items, click here. The NCAA released its annual report of graduation success rates among Division I instititions and, once again, the University of Washington showed it ranks second in the Pac-10 and second among all public institutions on the West Coast. Washington's football federal graduation rate is just two percent shy of the rate for all Division I student-athletes. For the complete story and links to the NCAA reports, visit this piece posted yesterday on GoHuskies.com. The Associated Press also wrote a good story on the topic, which you can find here. A couple of facts that were not widely reported included the graduation success rate (GSR) among football programs in the Pac-10. Among scholarship athletes, the Huskies rate second in the league in both graduation success rate and the four-year rolling federal graduation rate average. Below is a chart showing how the UW fares against league rivals.
A couple of other key facts that the report revealed about the academic success of various UW sports programs:
? The graduation rate for UW scholarship student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility at the school during this reporting period was an impressive 90 percent. A total of 503 student-athletes fit into this category. Recently, Washington Husky athletic department officials and student-athletes showed their appreciation to its scholarship donors at its annual luncheon in the Don James Center. Husky student-athletes Victor Aiyewa and Danielle Lawrie presented thanks to the benefactors on behalf of all of the UW's scholarship student-athletes. Check out this great photo gallery from the event. Women's soccer coach Lesle Gallimore gave a passionate speech that outlined the tremendous responsibility each coach accepts as they makes decisions on who and when to award athletic scholarships. "As a coach I am entrusted with the task of awarding scholarships to young women whom my staff and I determine are worthy of your generosity," said Gallimore. "This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I have done nothing for the dollars that I am doling out. It is not my hard work that has made these scholarships possible and yet it is my duty to select people that will live up to their commitment of striving for athletic and academic excellence. The Washington baseball schedule for the upcoming 2010 season has been posted here at gohuskies.com.
Click here to have a look. The Diamond Dawgs, under first-year head coach Lindsay Meggs have a varied non-league schedule that includes hosting a tournament in Tucson, Ariz., plus home dates against Cal State Fullerton and Gonzaga, plus a home game vs. Seattle U., which is back and playing baseball for the first time in more than two decades. Road trips include visits to Long Beach State, BYU and Dallas Baptist. In conference play, the Huskies play host to cross-state rival Washington State, Arizona, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon. The Huskies will begin fall practice in a couple of weeks. Here's a brief rundown of some highlights of former Huskies currently playing in professional baseball. Click on the players' names for a link to their stats rundown on milb.com.
Kyle Conley, who got his pro career off to a bit of a slow start, has begun to come around at the plate. Now with the Batavia Muckdogs in the New York-Penn League, Conley is batting .354 with seven doubles and four homers in his time with the Muckdogs. Jake Rife, who has spent time with three teams this summer, continues to play well with the advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Cal League. Overall this summer, Rife is batting .319. Brian Pearl has notched five saves for the Billings Mustangs in the Pioneer League while Jason Erickson has a solid 2.42 ERA as a part-time reliever/part-time starter for State College in the NY-Penn. The final Dawg who signed this past June, Jorden Merry, is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA for Pulaski in the Appalachian League. Former Red Sox prospect Nick Hagadone, still making steady progress in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, was traded to Cleveland this summer. Overall, since returning the mound, he has struck out 45 and allowed only 18 hits in 33.2 innings. Another lefty, Nick Haughian, is tearing up the New York-Penn. Playing for the Aberdeen Ironbirds, Nick is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA this season. Finally, a little more off the beaten track in the independant Golden League, former UW outfielder Andre Marshall is batting .306 with a team-high five triples for the Tucson Toros. For a complete list of Huskies in pro ball, click here.  An unusual scene at Husky Ballpark yesterday when FC Barcelona, the Spanish soccer club in town to play Seattle Sounders FC, used some of its morning practice session to work on their baseball skills.Funny to see some of the world's most famous athletes trying out a sport it's likely none of them have ever played before. And that photos of them swinging the bats on the Husky Ballpark turf are even showing up on soccer gossip blogs in Europe (this one, for instance). Here's an English-language story from Barcelona's official web site, which includes a number of photos. The UW athletic department was proud and happy to host the Spanish and European champions during their stay in Seattle.  Former Husky pitcher Nick Hagadone was a part of a last-minute deal today as the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox made a trade just before the deadline, which was 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.Hagadone was the Sox' top draft pick following the 2007 season. After a hot start, he missed all of last year due to Tommy John elbow surgery. His return to action has been slow and steady, but also very successful (click his name above to view his minor-league stats). He was dealt by the Red Sox along with fellow minor-league pitchers Bryan Price and Justin Masterson for Cleveland's All-Star catcher Victor Martinez. Here's the story on mlb.com and in the Boston Herald.  Two brief updates on former Huskies currently toiling in the Minor Leagues.First, top Boston Red Sox prospect Nick Hagadone, the Sox' top pick in the 2007 draft, is continuing to progress in his comeback from "Tommy John" surgery. He's been making short starts for the Greenville (S.C.) Drive in the South Atlantic League and is continuing to attract attention. Next, Jake Rife has enjoyed a very quick rise up the ranks of the Los Angeles Angels' organization. A 48th-round draft pick, Rife, from Arlington, Wash., started his minor league career just a few weeks ago in Arizona at the lowest level of the system. He moved quickly to Orem (Utah) and now finds himself excelling in the advanced-A level California League with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Here's a newspaper story from the San Bernardino Sun on his early success (6-for-7 with 3 RBI in two games with the Quakes). Through Minor League Baseball's website, you can also check in on of recent Husky signees Jorden Merry, Brian Pearl, Jason Erickson, and Kyle Conley by clicking on their names.  Not surprisingly, former Husky Tim Lincecum has been named the National League' starting pitcher for the All-Star game tomorrow night in St. Louis.Lincecum, who last pitched for the Dawgs in 2006, when he won the Golden Spikes Award, will square off against American League starter Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays. The game air live tomorrow night (Tue., July 14) at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Fox. Here's the Associated Press story on Lincecum being named the starter on gohuskies.com. And here's a brief story from the San Francisco Chronicle. Also, on the subject of Lincecum, here's a link to a terrific story in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, published on Saturday. This Friday, July 10 at SAFECO Field is Husky Summer Celebration Night with the Seattle Mariners. UW alumni, faculty, staff and students can get tickets at a discounted price to see the M's and Texas play through this exclusive online ticket offer. Included with the purchase of these special tickets is a FREE purple Mariners baseball cap that can be picked up at the game. The first 20,000 fans through the Safeco Field gates shall receive a Seattle Mariners Classic Commercials DVD. That's two giveaways in one evening and a chance to cheer on the M's with your fellow Huskies. As an added bonus, a portion from every ticket goes toward UW student scholarships! For more info and to buy tickets, visit the UW Alumni Association website by clicking here.  The last of the five Huskies taken in this year's Major League Baseball draft has signed with his pro team as former UW outfielder Kyle Conley has inked a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.Conley, a two-time All-Pac-10 first-teamer from the Tri-Cities, will report to the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa. The Bandits are on the road to face Cedar Rapids this evening. Here's a story (with video) from KEPR-TV in the Tri-Cities and another brief mention from a scout.com site that covers the Cards. Conley joins Brian Pearl (Reds), Jason Erickson (Pirates), Jorden Merry (Mariners) and Jake Rife (Angels) in this year's draft class. Check out this list of former Huskies in professional baseball to see where all the Dawgs are playing now. MORE INDEPENDENCE DAY BASEBALL NEWS: July 4 didn't only mean the annual national holiday in the baseball world Saturday, it was also the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech, when the ailing Iron Horse bid New York fans farewell two years before succumbing to the illness that now bears his names.  Ceremonies in remembrance of the speech were held in San Francisco, and former Husky Tim Lincecum gave the 34,582 in attendance another terrific show as his Giants blanked Houston, 9-0. Lincecum, the 2006 Golden Spikes Award winner as a Husky, improved to 9-2 on the season with a seven-inning outing. He struck out nine, allowed only three hits and even scored a pair of runs for the Giants. He's now thrown 23 straight scoreless innings. As mentioned in this AP story, Tim has a good shot to start for the National League in the All-Star game. Congrats, Tim, and keep up the great work!  Everett Herald columnist Larry Henry wrote a cover story on longtime former Husky baseball coach Bob MacDonald, who came out of retirement to serve as hitting instructor for the Everett Aquasox, the Mariners' short-season, single-A affiliate.If you want to check in on Mac and the Sox, they'll be back in town for five straight vs. Yakima, starting tomorrow, July 4 (there will be post-game fireworks on the fourth). Here's Everett's full schedule.  Former Husky Tim Lincecum, the 2006 Golden Spikes Award winner after his junior year, turned in what may have been his best professional performance last night in St. Louis as the Giants blanked the Cardinals.Lincecum needed only 95 pitches in the 10-0 win that lasted only two hours and six minutes. He allowed just the two hits and no walks while striking out eight in his third complete game in his last four outings. He currently leads the Major Leagues with 132 strikeouts and his 2.37 earned run average is second-best in the National League. The newspapers in both the Bay Area and St. Louis had plenty to say about his gem. Here's a rundown of some of the highlights: First, mlb.com has this glowing game report, including some video. The San Francisco Chronicle points out Lincecum's typical humility. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at it from the opponents' point of view, and has a nice photo of a fine defensive play that Lincecum made. Finally, the San Jose Mercury News opines on the financial windfall that is certain to come to Lincecum, sooner or later. The Associated Press' All-State high school baseball teams have been announced today. Five of the UW's class of incoming recruits earned first-team honors.
Eric Peterson, an infielder from Liberty High in Renton, was named the 3A co-State Player of the Year, and was also listed on the first team. Also on the 3A first team were catcher Chase Anselment of Meadowdale High and infielder Jacob Lamb from Bishop Blanchet. Two Dawgs-to-be were listed on the 4A first team: Adam Cimber, a pitcher from Puyallup High and Brian Wolfe, a pitcher from Snohomish High. News has come in on a few former Husky baseball players who have signed professional contracts and are set to get their minor-league careers underway. Information on signings and minor-league assignments is often hard to come by, but here are a few links to stories:
From KEPR-TV in the Tri-Cities comes this story (with video) on right-handed pitcher Jorden Merry signing with the Mariners. According to the story, he'll play with the Everett Aquasox, just up the road from the UW. Next, according to this story from Pittsburghlive.com, right-handed pitcher Jason Erickson, drafted by the Pirates, is in camp with the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League. Additionally, outfielder Jake Rife has signed with the Angels, but we're still waiting for confirmation on where he will play this summer. As always, check back here for more information as it becomes available. So far, one current Husky and one likely future Husky have been drafted on the third and final day of the Major League Baseball Draft.
Jacob Lamb, a high school senior at Seattle's Bishop Blanchet, was taken by the Pirates in the 38th round. If he doesn't sign with the Bucs, he'll enroll at the UW this fall and play as a freshman on the 2010 Husky team. Senior right-handed pitcher Jorden Merry was also drafted today, taken by the hometown Seattle Mariners in the 40th round. His likely first stop in the minor leagues would be with the Everett Aquasox, just up I-5. UPDATE: Moments ago, senior outfielder Jake Rife became the fifth Husky baseball player drafted when the L.A. Angels selected him with their 48th-round selection. SECOND UPDATE: The draft has now completed, so in all, five members of the 2009 Husky team were selected: Kyle Conley, Brian Pearl, Jason Erickson, Jorden Merry and Jake Rife. Also drafted were Jake Locker (quarterback on football team, but not a UW baseball player) and two incoming freshmen: Eric Peterson and Jacob Lamb. Check gohuskies.com later this afternoon for more on the Huskies and the 2009 MLB draft. In other baseball news, here's a (belated) link to a piece in the Kitsap Sun, listing the All-Olympic League baseball team for 2009. Husky signee Andy Smith was named the league MVP and former Husky catcher Jeff Weible (1992-93), his coach at North Kitsap, was named Coach of the Year. Additionally, fellow signee Tyler Sullivan, from Kingston High, was named a first-team all-league pitcher. Washington quarterback Jake Locker met with the media via teleconference this afternoon to talk his 10th round selection in the Major League Baseball Draft. He confirmed that his number one priority was Washington Husky football. If he does sign a contract with the Angels, the club would hold his rights for six years. UPDATE: Here's a link to the transcript of a teleconference that Locker held with reporters today: transcript link. Before the teleconference began, Husky head football coach Steve Sarkisian had this to say about Locker being drafted: "Obviously, being draft that high by a big-league baseball team shows the athletic ability that Jake Locker has. Jake has reassured us that he's committed to playing football for the Huskies, and I know that he's anxious for the upcoming season." Washington right fielder Kyle Conley was the first Husky selected in the 2009 MLB Draft, going to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 7th round (219th overall).
Shortly thereafter, Husky right-handed pitcher Brian Pearl was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 9th round (269th overall). UW quarterback Jake Locker was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels with the final pick of the 10th round. Locker has never played baseball in college, but did play summer ball for the Bellingham Bells last summer and was a top prospect out of Ferndale High School. Most recently, senior right-handed pitcher Jason Erickson was taken by the Pirates in the 24th round. Erickson, from White River High, was a 45th-round selection out of high school (2006) draft, so he moved up considerably as well. Check gohuskies.com later in the day for more on the Huskies in the draft. Today (Wed.), is the second of three days of the draft. The Everett Herald ran two prominent stories today with ties to Husky baseball.
First was this story about former Husky Sean White collecting his first big-league save Sunday vs. the Twins. The second is on future Dawg Chase Anselment, who has signed a Letter of Intent to join the Huskies next year. He was named the Herald's area player of the year. Check it out. The Major League draft gets started tomorrow (Tuesday, June 9) and continues through Thursday. Make sure to check gohuskies.com for all the news. A couple of stories to pass along on former UW baseball pitchers Sean White and Nick Hagadone.
This Seattle Times story on White details his off-season work on his mechanics. White is off to a terrific start to 2009, boasting a 1.59 ERA over 21 appearances for the hometown Mariners. In other news, Nick Hagadone, the Boston Red Sox' top draft pick a few years back, is set to make his first appearance in more than a year today. Hagadone, who developed into an All-Pac-10 first-teamer at the UW, underwent Tommy John elbow surgery and has been re-habbing for a year. Here's a story on his return to the mound. Good luck, Nick!  It wasn't until about 1:15 this morning that the Husky baseball team finally made it to its hotel ahead of this weekend's series against Washington State here in the Palouse.The lateness was thanks to an unexpected pause in the pass after the bus the Huskies were riding on blew a tire. A new bus had to be summoned from Seattle and driven out to just beyond the summit. Thankfully, no one was hurt and other than the expense of a new tire and a repair to the side of the bus that was knocked off by the burst, there was no further damage. And, with the weather as nice as it was, the hour-plus pause along the shores of Lake Keechelus was actually pretty enjoyable. Check out this brief photo gallery. Also today, the Everett Herald had two lengthy stores: one on the UW players from Snohomish County (here), and one about UW closer Brian Pearl (here). Also, the Tri-City Herald has this story on UW slugger Kyle Conley, while GoHuskies.com has this story on Conley. The Dawgs take on the Cougars in the final series of the regular season beginning tonight at 5:30 p.m. Former longtime UW baseball coach Bob MacDonald has been named the hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners affiliate Everett AquaSox, the Northwest League club announced today.
MacDonald served as the Huskies' head coach from 1977 to 1992 before leaving for the U.S. Naval Academy. After one year as an assistant, he was the Navy head coach for seven years. "Mac" was also a pitcher at the UW, earning varsity letters in 1962 and 1964. When he left as the Husky head coach, he'd compiled 422 wins, most in Husky history at the time. He was named to the Husky Baseball All-Century Team as a coach. Since retiring from Navy, MacDonald has lived in the area and helped out the Mariners organization as a batting practice pitcher, among other activities. The AquaSox, the short-season A-ball affiliate of the Mariners, begin their season June 20 at Vancouver and open the home slate June 23 against Spokane. For more, here's a link to the AquaSox press release. What a great year for Husky sports teams! An incredible 15 of the 18 sports that have completed its regular season participated in NCAA postseason championships. Washington is ranked among the top-10 in the Learfield Sports Director's Cup and three teams won Pac-10 titles!
Last weekend, the women's tennis team kept its national title hopes alive with a gutsy 4-3 upset victory at USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies now travel to College Station, Texas for the NCAA round of 16 match against South Carolina. The winner faces either Georgia or South Carolina in the quarterfinals. The softball team clinched second place in the Pac-10 with a thumping of Cal in its regular-season finale, then found it it would be the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Women's golf finished just five strokes from advancing to the NCAA Championship round after finishing 10th at the NCAA Central Regionals in Columbus, Ohio. A great accomplishment from a team that did not finish as well as it would have liked at the Pac-10 championships. Men's tennis staged one of the most incredible comebacks ever in its first-round NCAA victory over Texas Tech, but didn't have enough left in the tank on the road Texas in the second round. The baseball team took two of three games against #25 Oregon State and Husky freshman Jeremy Taiwo placed third at the Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships. With just more than a month left in the college sports season, there are plenty of chances for Husky greatness ahead. Keep an eye on GoHuskies.com and cheer on the Dawgs! IMPORTANT LINKSMOST RECENT POSTS
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