Baseball Summer League Recap
August 14, 2023 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – With the start of the 2023 fall semester a week away, members of the UNC baseball team recently concluded their stints in the various summer leagues across the country.
During the offseason, Diamond Heels competed in the Appalachian League, Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL), Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), Coastal Plain League (CPL), Northeast Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), Northwoods League and Valley Baseball League (VBL).
Appalachian League
Connor Hegan (Burlington Sock Puppets)
Hegan posted a 2-1 record with a save in 11 appearances for the Sock Puppets. He made two starts and nine relief appearances, converting his only save opportunity. He posted a 3.60 ERA with 17 strikeouts against 11 walks in 20.0 innings pitched. Hegan was named to the East squad for the Appalachian League All-Star Game.
Cal Ripken League
John Long (Bethesda Big Train)
Long was a part of the Bethesda's Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League championship team. Longs saw limited action, accumulating 46 at-bats in 19 games played.
Cape Cod League
Casey Cook (Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox)
Cook racked up nearly 100 at bats (97) over the course of 36 games with Yardmouth-Dennis, helping the Red Sox into the playoffs. He batted .294 in the CCBL Playoffs with a home run, double and RBI in his team's playoff run.
Ryan Fischer (Bourne Braves)
Before transferring to Carolina from New Jersey Tech, Fischer tossed 30.2 innings and made eight appearances, including five starts. He completed the season with a 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio (24 Ks, 6 BB) and a 3.52 ERA. Fischer fanned seven of 23 batters faced in 6.0 innings against Harwich and six of 12 versus Cotuit, helping contribute to the Braves' second consecutive league championship.
Dalton Pence (Bourne Braves)
Pence posted a 3-1 record with 32 strikeouts against just 13 walks in 25.1 frames over the summer. He made five starts and three relief appearances, converting his lone save opportunity. Pence registered more strikeouts than innings pitched in seven appearances, helping the Braves' win their second consecutive CCBL championship.
Ben Peterson (Chatham Anglers)
Peterson made five appearances, including two starts, and tossed 14.2 innings. He struck out 10 batters and walked seven, while compiling a 1-0 record with a save. Peterson finished the year by striking out eight in 7.2 frames over his final two appearances.
Shea Sprague (Harwich Mariners)
Prior to joining the Diamond Heels as a transfer from Elon, Sprague made three starts for the Harwich Mariners. He posted nearly a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio (11:4) in 13 innings pitched.
Coastal Plain League
Carter French (Asheboro Zookeepers)
French finished second in the Coastal Plain League with 13 stolen bases and third in batting average (.367). He played in 16 games and went 18-for-49 at the plate with more walks (15) than strikeouts (11). French posted the third highest on-base percentage (.515) in the league and fourth-best OPS (.903).
Cameron Padgett (HP Thomasville HiToms)
Padgett appeared in four games and made two starts. He had 15 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched with a strikeout to walk ratio of 5:1 (15:3).
Kyle Percival (Lexington County Blowfish)
Percival made six appearances for the Blowfish and averaged over a strikeout per inning (23 Ks, 22.1 IP). He tossed at least four innings in five appearances, fanning six in 4.0 innings against Macon and Forest City. Percival also posted over a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio (23:11).
New England Collegiate Baseball League
Elliot Dix (Valley Blue Sox)
A transfer from Longwood University, Dix played in 25 games for Valley and registered 99 at bats. He compiled seven multi-hit games and finished the season by reaching base safely in each of the final eight games.
Anthony Donofrio (Newport Gulls)
A graduate transfer from Quinnipiac, Donofrio enjoyed one of the top offensive summers of any Diamond Heels' player with a slash line of .418/.467/.618 and an OPS of 1.085. Donofrio collected six multi-hit games in 17 games played with 23 hits in 55 at bats. He hit safely in 14 games and reached base safely in 15 games.
Northwoods League
Will Simmons (Madison Mallards)
Simmons made 14 appearances and pitched 52.1 innings for the Madison Mallards. He compiled a 4-3 record with one save and a 3.61 ERA. He struck out 44 batters and walked 24.
Ohio Valley Baseball League
Reece Holbrook
Holbrook helped Full Count Rhythm win the 2023 Ohio Valley League championship with a record of 35-10. He played in 29 games and finished sixth in the league in stolen bases with 15. Holbrook ended his season by going 6-for-14 with three stolen bases and five RBIs in his final three games.
Valley Baseball League
Jackson Rusiecki (Culpeper Cavaliers)
Rusiecki joined the Culpeper Cavaliers of the VBL in mid-July after beginning the summer with the Asheboro Zookeepers of the CPL. He played in 11 games for the Cavaliers and batted .400 (16-for-40) with two home runs, two triples and four doubles for an OPS of 1.000. Rusiecki hit safely in nine games, collecting multiple hits in six of those games, highlighted by a 3-for-5 performance with four RBIs against the Staunton Braves.
During the offseason, Diamond Heels competed in the Appalachian League, Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL), Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), Coastal Plain League (CPL), Northeast Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), Northwoods League and Valley Baseball League (VBL).
Appalachian League
Connor Hegan (Burlington Sock Puppets)
Hegan posted a 2-1 record with a save in 11 appearances for the Sock Puppets. He made two starts and nine relief appearances, converting his only save opportunity. He posted a 3.60 ERA with 17 strikeouts against 11 walks in 20.0 innings pitched. Hegan was named to the East squad for the Appalachian League All-Star Game.
Cal Ripken League
John Long (Bethesda Big Train)
Long was a part of the Bethesda's Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League championship team. Longs saw limited action, accumulating 46 at-bats in 19 games played.
Cape Cod League
Casey Cook (Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox)
Cook racked up nearly 100 at bats (97) over the course of 36 games with Yardmouth-Dennis, helping the Red Sox into the playoffs. He batted .294 in the CCBL Playoffs with a home run, double and RBI in his team's playoff run.
Ryan Fischer (Bourne Braves)
Before transferring to Carolina from New Jersey Tech, Fischer tossed 30.2 innings and made eight appearances, including five starts. He completed the season with a 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio (24 Ks, 6 BB) and a 3.52 ERA. Fischer fanned seven of 23 batters faced in 6.0 innings against Harwich and six of 12 versus Cotuit, helping contribute to the Braves' second consecutive league championship.
Dalton Pence (Bourne Braves)
Pence posted a 3-1 record with 32 strikeouts against just 13 walks in 25.1 frames over the summer. He made five starts and three relief appearances, converting his lone save opportunity. Pence registered more strikeouts than innings pitched in seven appearances, helping the Braves' win their second consecutive CCBL championship.
Ben Peterson (Chatham Anglers)
Peterson made five appearances, including two starts, and tossed 14.2 innings. He struck out 10 batters and walked seven, while compiling a 1-0 record with a save. Peterson finished the year by striking out eight in 7.2 frames over his final two appearances.
Shea Sprague (Harwich Mariners)
Prior to joining the Diamond Heels as a transfer from Elon, Sprague made three starts for the Harwich Mariners. He posted nearly a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio (11:4) in 13 innings pitched.
Coastal Plain League
Carter French (Asheboro Zookeepers)
French finished second in the Coastal Plain League with 13 stolen bases and third in batting average (.367). He played in 16 games and went 18-for-49 at the plate with more walks (15) than strikeouts (11). French posted the third highest on-base percentage (.515) in the league and fourth-best OPS (.903).
Cameron Padgett (HP Thomasville HiToms)
Padgett appeared in four games and made two starts. He had 15 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched with a strikeout to walk ratio of 5:1 (15:3).
Kyle Percival (Lexington County Blowfish)
Percival made six appearances for the Blowfish and averaged over a strikeout per inning (23 Ks, 22.1 IP). He tossed at least four innings in five appearances, fanning six in 4.0 innings against Macon and Forest City. Percival also posted over a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio (23:11).
New England Collegiate Baseball League
Elliot Dix (Valley Blue Sox)
A transfer from Longwood University, Dix played in 25 games for Valley and registered 99 at bats. He compiled seven multi-hit games and finished the season by reaching base safely in each of the final eight games.
Anthony Donofrio (Newport Gulls)
A graduate transfer from Quinnipiac, Donofrio enjoyed one of the top offensive summers of any Diamond Heels' player with a slash line of .418/.467/.618 and an OPS of 1.085. Donofrio collected six multi-hit games in 17 games played with 23 hits in 55 at bats. He hit safely in 14 games and reached base safely in 15 games.
Northwoods League
Will Simmons (Madison Mallards)
Simmons made 14 appearances and pitched 52.1 innings for the Madison Mallards. He compiled a 4-3 record with one save and a 3.61 ERA. He struck out 44 batters and walked 24.
Ohio Valley Baseball League
Reece Holbrook
Holbrook helped Full Count Rhythm win the 2023 Ohio Valley League championship with a record of 35-10. He played in 29 games and finished sixth in the league in stolen bases with 15. Holbrook ended his season by going 6-for-14 with three stolen bases and five RBIs in his final three games.
Valley Baseball League
Jackson Rusiecki (Culpeper Cavaliers)
Rusiecki joined the Culpeper Cavaliers of the VBL in mid-July after beginning the summer with the Asheboro Zookeepers of the CPL. He played in 11 games for the Cavaliers and batted .400 (16-for-40) with two home runs, two triples and four doubles for an OPS of 1.000. Rusiecki hit safely in nine games, collecting multiple hits in six of those games, highlighted by a 3-for-5 performance with four RBIs against the Staunton Braves.
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