TicketsBearcat Baseball Excelling During Summer
Current, former UC players enjoying successful seasons
Contact: Shawn Sell
7/26/2004
Jack Nelson was named to the All-Star Team of the Central Illinois Collegiate League. |
Cincinnati, Ohio --Several current and former University of Cincinnati baseball players are enjoying outstanding summers in leagues across the country. Former standout Kevin Youkilis heads the list, as he is a rookie with the Boston Red Sox, while junior-to-be Jack Nelson leads the list of current Bearcat players competing.
Youkilis was called up to the majors for the first time on May 15 and promptly hit his first career home run in the initial game of his big league career. He went on to earn American League Rookie of the Month honors for May before returning to the minors for a week earlier this month, but has since been recalled to the parent club. Youkilis has appeared in 41 games for Boston, hitting .295, with nine doubles, four homers and 20 RBI.
In college summer leagues, both Nelson (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrensville South) and classmate Drew Saylor (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) are representing Cincinnati. Nelson has helped the Twin City Stars of the Central Illinois Collegiate League to first place in the standings, while being named a starter for the CICL All-Star Game. For the season, Nelson is hitting .276 in 30 games, with four doubles and three home runs. UC?s starting first baseman last season has also driven in 18 runs this summer.
Saylor is playing with the Northwoods League?s Wisconsin Woodchucks, the same squad he helped lead to a league championship last summer. In 42 games, the Bearcats? starter at shortstop in 2004 is hitting .219, but has driven in 21 runs, while logging 12 doubles and one triple.
The Bearcats are also represented in the independent leagues, as former pitching star B.J. Borsa and hitting standouts Matt Singer and Steve Pickerell are all playing in the Frontier League. Borsa was named to the all-star team as a member of the Washington (Pa.) Wild Things. After working as a starting pitcher throughout his collegiate career, Borsa has been the Wild Things primary closer this year, recording a 5-0 record and a 1.44 ERA, while collecting 11 saves. In 31.1 innings of work, Borsa has notched 34 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .152 batting average.
Singer and Pickerell are both member of the Florence Freedom in Northern Kentucky. Singer is in his second year with the team and is batting .279 in 55 games for the Freedom. The former UC star outfielder has hit a team-best 10 doubles, while adding three triples and four homers and driving in 20 runs. Pickerell has hit .125 in his first nine games with the club, with a double and a home run accounting for both of his hits.