Comprehensive coverage of Washington, D.C. sports by local writers
The Hagerstown Suns, Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, were eliminated from the Northern Division Championship Series by the Greensboro Grasshoppers in a 7-5 loss at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC on Friday night. The Grasshoppers won the best of three series, two-games-to-none and advance to the South Atlantic League Championship Series.
The Suns return to Hagerstown on Thursday, April 11, 2013. Next season’s schedule has been released with a printable schedule.
Photo from www.counton2extras.com
Matt Skole Named South Atlantic League MVP
Led Sally League in Homers, Walks, On-Base and Slugging Percentages(WOODBRIDGE, VA) – Current Potomac infielder Matt Skole has been named the Most Valuable Player of the South Atlantic League. He still leads the Sallu League in home runs, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
A 2011 5th Round Pick, Skole played in 101 games for the Suns hitting .286 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI. Despite leaving the league on August 14th with more than three weeks remaining in the season, Skole still paces the circuit in home runs, walks (94), on-base percentage (.438) and slugging (.574). He also stole ten bases without being caught for the Suns.
“I’m very honored that the coaches and the voters felt that I deserved that award,” said Skole. “It’s a very prestigious award and I can’t say enough thanks to Brian Daubach my manager in Hagerstown and Mark Harris the hitting and infield coach who just helped me throughout the season.”
Combined with his time with Potomac, Skole is hitting .291 with 102 RBI which ranks in the top ten in all of MiLB. He is just the third Washington farmhand to ever reach the century mark of runs batted in. Skole also ranks second in MiLB with 97 walks. The 23-year old from Woodstock, GA is in the top 25 of Minor League Baseball in HR, OBP and slugging as well.
The 27 homers for Skole are currently tied for the third most ever for a Washington minor league player. His 102 RBI rank third all-time for a single season behind Jason Martinson this season and Tyler Moore’s 2010 Carolina League MVP season.
Team press release:
Souza, Jr. Named SAL Player of the Week
Suns slugger becomes first position player to be receive weekly honorHagerstown, MD – The Hagerstown Suns, Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are pleased to announce that outfielder Steven Souza, Jr. has been named the South Atlantic League (SAL) Player of the Week for July 2-8, 2012. Souza, Jr. is the first Suns position to be selected as a Player of the Week this season.
Souza, Jr. erupted for a monster week at the plate, batting .333 (9-for-27) with four doubles, five home runs and 12 RBIs to earn the honor. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound, outfielder used his award winning performance to also propel him into the top five of several offensive categories in the SAL entering Wednesday’s action, including: home runs (15, T-3rd), RBIs (63, 3rd), and slugging percentage (.561, 4th). Souza, Jr. has been one of the league’s most prolific home run hitters, averaging a homer every 15.93 at-bats, which ranks second behind teammate Matt Skole.
Souza, Jr. joins Suns pitcher Alex Meyer as a SAL weekly award recipient, with Meyer having been previously named the SAL Pitcher of the Week for June 11-17.
SOUZA, JR. STATS FOR WEEK of JULY 2-8:
.333 AVG/.455 OBP/1.037 SLG%, 7 G, 9-for-27, 4 2B, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 9 R, 6 BB, 4 K, 1 SB, 1 CS
Top Nats Prospect Alex Meyer named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for June 11-17, 2012. (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Meyer Named Pitcher of the Week, Skole Reaches Derby Finals
Suns starter earns first SAL weekly honor, Skole bids for Home Run King honors tonightHagerstown, MD – The Hagerstown Suns, Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are please to announce that starting pitcher Alex Meyer has been named the South Atlantic League (SAL) Pitcher of the Week for June 11-17, 2012. Meyer is the first Suns player to be selected as a player or pitcher of the week this season.
The 6-foor-9, 220-pound, right-hander earned the honor by going 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two starts, including a complete game (6.0 IP) shutout victory over the Hickory Crawdads. In his second start of the week, the Nationals’ first-rounder struck out a career high nine batters in a no-decision against the West Virginia Power. In total, Meyer racked up 14 strike outs over 11 innings pitched, while walking just three batters and allowing two earned runs in his two outings combined.
Meanwhile, Suns All-Star third baseman Matt Skole advanced to the finals of the South Atlantic League Miller High Life Home Run Derby on Monday afternoon from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown in Charleston (SC) harbor. Skole, who is tied for the SAL lead in home runs with 14, will participate in the championship round of the derby later this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. prior to the start of the 53rd SAL All-Star Game, which begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Suns will begin their second half schedule at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, at Municipal Stadium against the Lakewood BlueClaws. A Thirsty Thursday, presented by Benny’s Pub, will kick-off a four-game home-stand on Civil War Weekend.
Suns individual game tickets, season tickets, mini-plans, and group packages are on sale now. For more information and to reserve your seat at Municipal Stadium, call 301-791-6266, or www.hagerstownsuns.com. The Hagerstown Suns are owned by Hagerstown Baseball, LLC.
Suns Manager Brian Daubach elected to serve as a coach for a second consecutive seasonHagerstown, MD – The Hagerstown Suns, in conjunction with the South Atlantic League, today announce that Suns infielder Matt Skole, catcher Adrian Nieto, outfielder Caleb Ramsey, pitcher Aaron Barrett and Manager Brian Daubach have been elected to represent Hagerstown on the Northern Division team at the 53rd Annual SAL All-Star Game to be played on June 19, 2012, at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, in Charleston, South Carolina, home of the Charleston RiverDogs.
Skole leads the list of Suns All-Stars having been among league leaders in several offensive categories throughout the season. He is currently batting .294 and ranks second in the league with 12 home runs, while checking in at third in the standings with 53 RBIs. Skole is atop the SAL in walks with 51 in 55 games played, while maintaining the league’s second highest slugging percentage at .441. A true run producer, the Woodstock, GA native has five sacrifice flies this season, first in the SAL.
Skole joined the Suns after an impressive 2011 campaign with Short Season-A Auburn where he led the New York-Penn League in RBIs (48) and doubles (23) while finishing second in extra-base hits (29) and third in total hits (79). He was selected in the fifth-round (157th overall) of the 2011 draft by the Nationals.
Ramsey, an 11th-round pick (337th overall) by the Nationals in 2011, will patrol the outfield as an All-Star. Ramsey has been a .300 hitter for Hagerstown throughout the season (currently .299 BA) while committing just one error in 45 games played. Ramsey is second on the club in hits with 55, including four doubles, four triples, five home runs and 32 RBIs. Ramsey’s consistency at the plate has brought him a seven-game hitting streak, 11 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games.
Nieto, a fifth-round pick of the Nationals in 2008, will represent the Northern Division as one of the league’s top offensive catchers. The Cuban-born backstop is currently batting .261 and coming off a season best seven-game hitting streak. Nieto, a switch-hitting catcher, has smacked eight doubles to go along with four home runs and 25 RBIs and is batting .340 versus left-handed pitching.
Barrett has emerged as one the SAL’s top relievers, especially in late game scenarios. Barrett is 3-1 with a 3.05 ERA and leads the Suns with six saves on the season. The Evansville, IN native has held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average while striking out 33 and walking just eight over 20.2 innings pitched. His swing-and-miss stuff has the right-hander fanning nearly 45% of hitters with an official at-bat against him. Barrett was selected in the ninth-round of the 2010 draft by the Nationals.
Daubach has been selected to serve as a coach for the Northern Division squad after managing the team in 2011. Under his guidance, the Suns are currently at their high-water mark, ten games above five hundred (33-23) and in second place in the division. Hagerstown is one of the SAL’s premier offensive clubs, ranking fourth in team batting average (.271), while checking in at second in home runs (54), runs scored (349) and RBIs (332). Patience at the plate has contributed to the Suns’ success in the first half, as they lead the SAL in walks with 265. Hagerstown’s first half highlights include a six-game winning streak from 5/12-5/18 and a 24-2 drubbing of the Rome Braves on 4/25, which stands as the greatest offensive output by a SAL team this season.
Both all-star teams will be represented by 26 players, selected by the votes of the team’s managers and coaching staffs, local media and front office executives. Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park will be hosting its fourth SAL All-Star game. The last time the All-Star Game was held in Charleston was in 2004, when the Southern Division defeated the Northern Division 4-2.. The annual SAL All-Star Game dates to 1960, when the All-Stars defeated the Salisbury club, 6-2, in Newton, NC.
“Once again, the amount of talent that will be showcased in this game will be incredible,” said Krupa. “The expectations of the fans are high, and I believe they will have a fun time during this exciting event. Executive Vice President & General Manager Dave Echols and his staff in Charleston have been working for more than a year to live up to the tradition and host one of the most anticipated events on our baseball calendar.”
A variety of events have been scheduled in Charleston along with the SAL All-Star Game. On Monday, June 18th, batting practice and the preliminary rounds of the Home Run Derby will be held on the deck of the USS Yorktown. On Tuesday, June 19th, there will be an All-Star Luncheon at the Marriott Charleston where the 2012 SAL Hall of Fame members will be inducted. Carolyn McKee, Bill Murray and Joseph P. Riley, Jr. will be honored as members of the class of 2012. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman will be the featured speaker at the All-Star Luncheon. Beginning at 2:30pm at the stadium, the All-Fan Fest will be an opportunity for fans to get autographs from and pictures with the SAL All-Stars. The final round of the Home Run Derby begins at 5:15pm and the first pitch of the 2012 All-Star Game is scheduled at 7:30pm. More information can be found on the website of the Charleston RiverDogs at www.riverdogs.com.