Baseball Draft Picks Succeeding, Panthers Tearing Up Summer Ball Leagues
7/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 18, 2011
PITTSBURGH—After a record six Pitt baseball players were selected in this year’s MLB draft, the former Panthers’ stars are continuing their success at the professional level.
Kevan Smith, a seventh round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox, is currently playing for the team’s Rookie Appalachian League affiliate Bristol White Sox. In 21 games this season, Smith currently leads the team in batting average (.392), hits (31), RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.633).
Two additional draftees are spending the summer competing in the Gulf Coast League. John Schultz is a member of the Florida Marlins system while David Chester is representing the Boston Red Sox affiliate.
Chester, a 33rd round pick, leads his team with 13 RBI and is tied for the team lead in hits (18), doubles (5) and home runs (5), while playing all 21 games at first base.
Drafted one round after Chester, Schultz leads the Marlins with 26 runs and 15 walks. In 20 games, the outfielder is batting .319, collecting 26 hits.
Pitt’s final two draft picks, Travis Whitmore and Corey Baker, are playing in Class A Short-Season Leagues.
Whitmore is spending time with the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League. In 25 games, Whitmore has played in 24 contests at second base, amassing 17 hits in 70 at-bats. The Burlington, Iowa native has added five doubles and nine RBI while slugging .343.
Baker, a member of the Batavia Muckdogs of the New York-Penn League, leads the pitching staff with three wins. In 10 appearances, Baker holds a 3-1 record while recording one save in 18 innings of work.
In addition to the five professional players, several current Panthers are making a splash in summer ball leagues across the country.
Redshirt junior Ray Black, who was selected in the seventh round by the San Francisco Giants but elected not to sign so that he can return to the collegiate level, is pitching for the Brainerd Lakes Area (Minn.) Lunkers of the Northwoods League. In four relief appearances, the Wilkes Barre, Pa. native has pitched 2.2 innings, striking out three batters and earning one save.
Joining Black on the Lunkers roster is sophomore Casey Roche. Roche has 16 hits in 19 games, including five for extra bases. He’s also successfully swiped four bases on five attempts.
In all, six Panthers are playing in the Northwoods League northern division.
Senior Matt Iannazzo has teamed up with juniors Alex Caravella and Ronald Sucre as members of the St. Cloud River Bats.
Iannazzo, last season’s top pitcher, has shutdown hitters in his four starts with an impressive 0.83 ERA. The left-handed hurler has tossed scoreless performances in his last two starts and has not allowed a run since July 2. Iannazzo is 2-0 with 22 strikeouts in 21.2 innings pitched.
Caravella has played a pivotal role as a reliever with the River Bats, making eight appearances and striking out 17 batters in 14 innings on the mound. In late June, Caravella picked up back-to-back saves.
An infielder playing primarily at third base, Sucre has produced 19 hits in 23 games for the River Bats. The Miami, Fla. native has four doubles and a home run while adding 10 RBI.
Senior Rick Devereaux rounds out the Pitt players seeing action in the Northwoods League. A catcher for the Alexandria Beetles, Devereaux has played in 30 games and is batting .291 with 32 hits and 17 RBI. In his most recent game, Devereaux went 3-for-6 with two RBI in a 17-4 win over Rochester.
One of the top freshman pitchers in the BIG EAST conference last season, Matt Wotherspoon is pitching for the Baltimore Redbirds in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. In seven starts, Wotherspoon is 3-3 with 19 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched. In his last five starts, the sophomore is 3-1 with two straight wins.
Many of the summer ball leagues wrap up next month as the Panthers will return to Pittsburgh for fall ball and conditioning.
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