Louisville Completes Highly Successful Summer
August 13, 2015 | Baseball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville baseball team completed one of its most successful summer seasons on record as the Cardinals had three players with the USA Collegiate National Team, three players named as starters for the Cape Cod League All-Star Game and four players on the New England League champions.
The first half of the summer season featured the trio of Zack Burdi, Brendan McKay and Corey Ray competing for Team USA. Midway through the hectic summer slate, Colin Lyman, Nick Solak and Blake Tiberi were selected as starters for the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. Louisville's busy summer ended on Wednesday with Austin Clemons, Riley Jackson and Sean Leland celebrating the NECBL title with their teammates from the Vermont Mountaineers.
Individually, Ray emerged as one of the top layers with the USA Collegiate Team after hitting .355 with a team-high seven doubles, 10 stolen bases, 12 runs scored and a .548 slugging percentage in 16 starts. In the Cape Cod League, Solak ranked fourth in the league in hitting at .329 and was fifth in RBI with 23 and second in walks with 24 in 37 regular season games with the Bourne Braves. In the Northwoods League, outfielder Logan Taylor was third in stolen bases with 33 and hit .311 overall for the Green Bay Bullfrogs.
Listed below is additional information and highlights for the Cardinals during summer league action as well as a complete list of 2015 Louisville baseball summer assignments. Overall, the Cardinals had 26 underclassmen assigned to five different wooden bat leagues as well as the USA Collegiate National Team this summer.
With the completion of the collegiate summer season, players will officially return to campus next week with the fall semester slated to begin on Aug. 24. Louisville's preparation for the 2016 college baseball season will resume with two weeks of individual training, while full squad fall practices are tentatively set to begin on Sept. 8.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
2015 University of Louisville Summer Baseball Highlights
USA Collegiate National Team
• Rising junior outfielder Corey Ray separated himself as one of the top players for Team USA this summer ranking among the team leaders in multiple offensive categories. The Chicago native hit .355 overall to rank second on the team while hitting safely in 15 of his 16 starts. Ray led the USA Collegiate National Team with seven doubles, 10 stolen bases (in 11 attempts), 12 runs scored, seven walks and a .548 slugging percentage while playing error-free baseball in 14 starts in the outfield. He also added a home run and five RBI for Team USA.
• Though his chances were more limited, two-way standout Brendan McKay had a solid summer with Team USA. On the mound, the lefthander did not allow an earned run in his four relief appearances while striking out five in 4.1 innings. At the plate, the Darlington, Pennsylvania native made six starts (three at first base and three at DH) hitting .200 with three RBI, three walks and two runs scored. In his final start of the summer, McKay was 2-for-4 with one RBI against Cuba on July 6.
• Righthander Zack Burdi came out of the bullpen for six appearances on the mound this summer for Team USA. The rising junior from Downers Grove, Illinois had a 3.72 ERA with six strikeouts and did not register a decision or a save in his 9.2 innings of work. Burdi had four straight scoreless outings capped by two dominant innings of shutout relief against Cuba on July 3 when he needed just 12 pitches to record six outs.
Cape Cod League
• Named as a Cape Cod League All-Star starter, rising junior infielder Nick Solak closed the summer ranked fourth in the league in hitting with a .329 average, fifth in RBI with 23 and second in walks with 24. He also added 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts, seven doubles and 21 runs scored in 37 regular season games for the Bourne Braves.
• Infielder Blake Tiberi closed the summer ranked eighth in the Cape League in hitting with a .315 average overall. Chosen as a starter for the Cape Cod League All-Star Game, Tiberi added 20 RBI in 34 regular season games for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, who advanced to the league championship series.
• Tabbed as a Cape Cod All-Star starter, outfielder Colin Lyman hit .301 with 10 stolen bases, 22 runs scored and eight RBI in 32 regular season games for the Brewster Whitecaps.
• In 16 total games (including four playoff games) with the Bourne Braves following his experience with the USA Collegiate National Team, Brendan McKay hit .300 with eight RBI and eight walks. Focusing on only hitting and playing first base while with the Braves, McKay hit .357 with two doubles and five runs scored in four playoff games.
• After joining the Chatham Anglers following his Team USA experience, rising junior righty Zack Burdi made five relief appearances and was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 13.1 innings.
• Catcher Will Smith, who limited his summer action to just 10 games for Brewster, hit .259 overall with four runs scored and two RBI.
New England Collegiate League
• Rising sophomore righthander Sean Leland closed the summer with a 4-0 record and 52 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched for the Vermont Mountaineers, who won the NECBL championship on Wednesday night. Leland made 10 total appearances with eight starts, including two victorious outings in the playoffs. In his final start of the summer on Monday, Leland had six strikeouts and allowed just one run in eight dominant innings to help Vermont avoid elimination with a 5-4 victory in game two of the championship series against Mystic.
• Shortstop Devin Hairston hit .280 with 10 RBI and 15 runs scored in 21 games for Vermont. The summer season for the rising sophomore was halted in mid-July.
• In seven appearances and six starts for the Keene Swamp Bats this summer, rising sophomore righty Lincoln Henzman had 23 strikeouts and only eight walks in 28.1 innings of work and finished with a 2.85 ERA overall. He closed his summer by allowing just one earned run on four hits in six strong innings to the win against North Adams on July 29.
• Righty Kade McClure made seven appearances and five starts for Keene and finished the summer with a 1-0 record, a 4.11 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work.
Northwoods League
• Rising junior outfielder Logan Taylor ranked third in the Northwoods League with 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts while hitting .311 overall in 46 regular season games for the Green Bay Bullfrogs. Taylor also scored 46 runs and had 17 walks this summer.
• Through 52 total games for Green Bay, rising senior infielder Danny Rosenbaum hit .294 with 35 RBI, 26 runs scored, 28 walks and 14 stolen bases.
• In 15 total relief outings for the Rochester Honkers this summer, righthander Jake Sparger was 1-0 with two saves and a 1.67 ERA. He had 18 strikeouts and just five walks in 27.0 innings pitched.
• Catcher Colby Fitch closed the summer with a .264 average, two home runs, eight doubles and 17 RBI in 37 games for the Lakeshore Chinooks.
Coastal Plain League
• Outfielder Jimmy Faul closed his summer with a .333 average, three home runs, nine doubles and 21 RBI in 38 starts for the Fayetteville SwampDogs.
2015 University of Louisville Summer Baseball Assignments
USA Collegiate National Team (Summer schedule ended July 8)
• RHP Zack Burdi
• OF Corey Ray
• LHP/1B Brendan McKay
Cape Cod League
• RHP Zack Burdi, Chatham Anglers (joined after Team USA)
• LHP Drew Harrington, Wareham Gatemen
• OF Colin Lyman, Brewster Whitecaps
• 1B Brendan McKay, Bourne Braves (joined after Team USA)
• LHP Josh Rogers, Bourne Braves (signed professional contract)
• C Will Smith, Brewster Whitecaps
• OF/INF Nick Solak, Bourne Braves
• 3B/1B Blake Tiberi, Hyannis Harbor Hawks
New England Collegiate League
• C/3B Austin Clemons, Vermont Mountaineers
• SS Devin Hairston, Vermont Mountaineers
• RHP Lincoln Henzman, Keene Swamp Bats
• OF/C Riley Jackson, Vermont Mountaineers
• RHP Sean Leland, Vermont Mountaineers
• RHP Kade McClure, Keene Swamp Bats
Northwoods League
• RHP Chandler Dale, Lakeshore Chinooks
• C Colby Fitch, Lakeshore Chinooks
• 1B/3B Danny Rosenbaum, Green Bay Bullfrogs
• RHP Jake Sparger, Rochester Honkers
• OF Ryan Summers, Rochester Honkers
• OF Logan Taylor, Green Bay Bullfrogs
Coastal Plain League
• LHP Butch Baird, Wilson Tobs
• 3B Drew Ellis, High Point-Thomasville HiToms
• OF Jimmy Faul, Fayetteville SwampDogs
• 1B/OF Grant Schreiver, High Point-Thomasville HiToms
Perfect Game League
• 1B Michael Bollmer, Albany Dutchmen
