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State College Spikes

Spikes Game Notes

August 27, 2007 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


Monday, August 27 - 7:05 PM

Game #64 / Road Game # 34

Historic Bowman Field - Williamsport, PA

RHP Brandon Williams ( 0-1, 2.08) vs. RHP Tyson Brummett (3-4, 3.09)

WHAT'S ON TAP TONIGHT/ON DECK TOMORROW:: The Spikes will wrap up the SawBuck season series tonight at Historic Bowman Field. With a loss tonight, the Spikes would drop the 2007 SawBuck Series, assuring that Spikes General Manager Rick Janac will serve as a Williamsport bat boy at Historic Bowman Field during the first Spikes-Crosscutters game. Tomorrow, the Spikes return back home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to take on the Batavia Muckdogs in a pivotal two-game series against former Manager Mark DeJohn and coach Mike Shildt. Tomorrow, Spikes Jersey Bags will be given away to the first 2,000 fans through the gates, while fans can enjoy a fireworks show following the game.

SPIKES STARTER: RHP BRANDON WILLIAMS will make just his third start of the year for the State College Spikes. Williams has taken the spot in the Spikes rotation of RHP Duke Welker, who was placed on the disabled list last week. Williams, who has been used primarily as a long reliever for the Spikes checks in with a 0-1 record and an ERA of 2.08. Brandon has worked 30.1 innings this year while issuing 30 hits. The righty from Tega Cuy, South Carolina has punched out 20 and walked 10, while opposing batters are hitting just .269 off Williams. Originally selected by the Pirates in the 29th round of last year's draft, Williams holds the distinction of being the first player to ever don a uniform for both the State College Spikes and their sister organization, the Altoona Curve (AA - Pirates). Williams made two relief appearances for the Curve on July 4 at Trenton (1.1 IP, 5H, 3ER, 1K) and at Bowie on July 7 (2.0 IP, 1H, 1ER, 1K). Aside from tonight, Williams has faced the Crosscutters once before this season when he made an August 16 relief appearance, pitching 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on four hits, while striking out a season-high five, and walking a season-high three.

WILLIAMSPORT STARTER: RHP TYSON BRUMMETT, the 2007 seventh-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Phillies takes the mound for Williamsport this evening, sporting a record of 3-4 with an ERA of 3.09. Brummett will make his 13th appearance this year, while tonight will also mark the California native's 10th start of the 2007 campaign. Brummett has worked 58.1 innings this season and has only allowed 51 hits to go along with just 20 runs while being a quality starter for manager Greg Legg, working 5.0 or more innings in seven of his last nine starts. Brummett, who is holding opposing hitters to a .229 batting average has also displayed great control punching out 40 batters this year while issuing just 12 walks. In Brummett's three relief appearances this year, all have come in "piggy-back" situations, in which teams will pitch two of their starting pitchers the same night to get them work. Brummett has not made an appearance this year that has gone less than 3.0 innings. The former hurler for the UCLA Bruins has made two appearances against the Spikes on August 16 (ND, 6.0 IP, 6K, 2 ER) and on July 4 (ND, 3.0 IP, 3 K, 3 ER).

LAST NIGHT'S GAME: The 'Cutters secured themselves at least a share of the SawBucks Series championship getting to starting pitcher Matt Foust (2-6) early, putting up a five spot, however, all runs were unearned as State College committed a pair of defensive miscues. After a pair of hits, and a hit batsman, Williamsport was up 5-0. Foust lasted only 0.2 innings, his shortest outing of the year.

State College rallied for a run in the second on a Marcus Davis double that brought home Bobby Spain. In the third, the Spikes kept chipping away with a Miles Durham double, scoring Brian Friday, followed shortly by a RBI groundout by Spain that brought home Matt Cavagnaro, cutting the Williamsport lead to 5-3.

The Spikes drew even in the bottom of the fourth when Cavagnaro greeted him rudely by doubling home Friday and Nick Stillwagon to knot the score 5-5.

WALK THIS WAY? The Spikes have drawn a league-low 154 bases on balls this year. The next team in fewest walks drawn is the Williamsport Crosscutters at 183. The Spikes are averaging just 2.4 walks per game, with the league average set at 3.4. The Brooklyn Cyclones have the league's best percentage, as they average 4.0 walks per game. The Oneonta Tigers have drawn the most total walks (250) which average out to 3.9 free passes per contest.

MOVIN' ON UP: The Spikes had two different players promoted after last night's game. C Ricky Diaz was promoted to Lynchburg (A) while closer Ronald Uviedo was promoted to the Hickory Crawdads (A). Diaz becomes just the second position player to earn a promotion this year. Diaz saw limited action with the Spikes, starting just one game (July 18 vs. Hudson Valley) to go along with nine at-bats. Diaz was 2-for-9 with 3 RBIs. Uviedo proved to be one of the more durable closers in the NYPL, as his 12 saves ranked fourth-best in the league. Uviedo also proved his durability, appearing in nearly 1/3 of the Spikes contests, pitching in 21 games.

Other Spikes that have earned promotions to Hickory, Lynchburg or Altoona: RHP Christian Castorri, RHP Dustin Molleken, SS/2B Michael Ambrose, RHP Brandon Williams, and LHP Tony Watson.

DON'T' GO THERE: The Spikes will try to do their best to avoid losing their fourth straight game tonight, as it would mark the second time this season the Spikes have lost four in a row, which would tie the franchise record for longest string of consecutive losses. The Spikes worst stretch of the 2007 season was from July 8-17 when the Spikes lost eight of nine. Included in that stretch was the four-game skid - this lasted from July 8-12 against Vermont and Oneonta.

FOLLOW THE LEADER: Despite dropping six of their last seven games, the Spikes still remain second in the New York-Penn League in team batting average. The Spikes are hitting .268 as a team (which is just three points behind league leader Oneonta - .268)...teammates Keanon Simon (.329) and Justin Byler (.316) are sixth and seventh respectively in batting average...defensively the Spikes are among the tops in the league as their .970 fielding percentage is third in the NYPL. The Spikes 60 double-plays turned is also tied for second most in the circuit.

CATCH US IF YOU CAN: In their last five games, the Spikes have been unable to shut down the running game of the opposition. Opposing base runners are 5-of-5 against State College pitchers and catchers. The last baserunner thrown out was Ross Oeder of Batavia, when the combination of Brandon Williams/Andrew Walker gunned down the would-be thief on August 22. The Spikes are last in the New York-Penn League in shutting down the opposing running game, nailing just 18-of-102 (18.5%).

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION: PITTSBURGH (57-72) lost to the Astros, 5-4 in a come-from-behind victory by Houston. Former Pirate Ty Wiggington hit a home run in the bottom of the eighth which proved to the great device...INDIANAPOLIS (67-67) lost to Toledo, 4-1. RHP Bryan Bullington (11-8, 3.95) allowed four runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two, walked two and hit a batter... ALTOONA (67-64) lost to Harrisburg, 6-3. RHP Dewon Brazelton (4-5, 3.84) allowed five runs in six innings... LYNCHBURG (54-75) lost to Wilmington, 6-2. RHP Derek Hankins (8-5, 5.20) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings... HICKORY (63-66) lost to West Virginia, 5-3. RHP Jared Hughes (7-9, 4.52) allowed three runs in five innings. LF Albert Laboy (.302) went 4 for 5... BRADENTON (25-30) was off.

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