Summer Baseball Update

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July 11, 2017

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Members of the Virginia baseball team have spread out across the country to play in wood-bat summer leagues as they prepare for the Cavaliers’ 2018 baseball season. Here’s a quick update on some of the summer highlights to this point.

Lynch Starts Strong at Cape
Pitching for the first-place Orleans Firebirds rising junior left-hander Daniel Lynch has turned heads in the Cape Cod League with his strong start. He picked up wins in each his three first starts and is 3-0 in four starts. He has worked 19 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs and 13 hits while issuing only one walk.

Lynch owns a 1.83 ERA, which ranks third in the Cape Cod League, while his WHIP of 0.71 is tops in the league. Lynch has recorded 20 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .186 batting average.

McCarthy Wearing Red, White and Blue
Rising sophomore outfielder Jake McCarthy has played in 14 games, including nine starts, with the United States Collegiate National Team, batting .244 (10-41) with five RBI and nine runs scored. Team USA won the USA vs. Cuba Friendship Series last week and concludes its summer action with a five-game USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series beginning Wednesday (July 12).

Eikhoff One of Top Hitters in NECBL
Rising junior Nate Eikhoff (Keene SwampBats) is sixth in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in batting (.346) and RBI (19). He has hit a home run as well as six doubles.

Donahue Named PGCBL Pitcher of the Week
Rising junior right-hander Grant Donahue (Elmira Pioneers) was named the Perfect Game Collegiate League’s Pitcher of the Week Monday. In two starts for the Pioneers last week, Donahue earned a pair of wins while not allowing an earned run. He struck out 11.

Working as a starter this summer, Donahue is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five starts and ranks second in the Perfect Game Collegiate League in ERA. Donahue has allowed three earned runs and 15 hits in 25 2/3 innings while striking out 28 and limiting opponents to a .158 batting average.

Nicholson Also Tabbed Pitcher of Week
Rising sophomore righty Bobby Nicholson (Keene SwampBats) was tabbed the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Pitcher of the Week Monday. He dazzled in his first start of the summer after working exclusively out of the bullpen in four previous outings, striking out nine batters over five innings while allowing just two hits and two walks in a shutout victory over North Adams.

He is now 1-1 with a 4.65 ERA on the summer with 14 strikeouts and only four walks over five appearances.

More Notes
– Playing with the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League, Cameron Simmons is batting .241 (14-58) and has scored a team-high 13 runs in 18 games. He is tied for the team lead with five extra-base hits (2 2B, 3 2B, 1 HR). Justin Novak is hitting .200 (9-45) in 15 contests with the Mariners.
– After redshirting the 2017 season, catcher Will Allocca (Newark Pilots) is having a solid summer, batting .301 (25-83) in 23 games.
– In the Northwoods League, Andy Weber is batting .295 (23-78) in 20 games with the Thunder Bay Border Cats, while Cameron Comer is hitting .281 (18-64) with Kenosha Kingfish.
– Catcher Drew Blakely .286 (26-91) with 15 RBI with the Baltimore Redbirds in the Perfect Game Collegiate League.
– Jordan Dosey (Orange County Riptide) is 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA in six games (five starts) in the California Collegiate League.
– After missing the 2017 season with an injury, infielder Jack Weiller made his summer debut on Sunday (July 9) with the Danbury Westerners of the NECBL.

Following is a full list of the teams and leagues in which UVA’s players are currently competing (subject to change).

U.S. Collegiate National Team
Jake McCarthy

Cal Ripken League
Drew Blakely – Baltimore Redbirds
Hughes Page – Alexandria Aces
Cayman Richardson – Baltimore Redbirds

California League
Jordan Dosey – Orange County Riptide

Cape Cod League
Daniel Lynch – Orleans Firebirds
Justin Novak – Harwich Mariners
Jake McCarthy – Harwich Mariners (after finishing with national team)
Cameron Simmons – Harwich Mariners

New England Collegiate Baseball League
Nate Eikhoff – Keene Swamp Bats
Bobby Nicholson – Keene Swamp Bats
Jack Weiller – Danbury Westerners
Riley Wilson – Keene Swamp Bats

Northwoods League
Cameron Comer – Kenosha Kingfish
Jalen Harrison – Madison Mallards
Andy Weber – Thunder Bay Border Cats

Perfect Game Collegiate League
Will Allocca – Newark Pilots
Grant Donahue – Elmira Pioneers
Teddy Paisley – Albany Dutchmen
Jackson Tedder – Elmira Pioneers

Valley League
Evan Sperling – Charlottesville Tom Sox