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Sherfy, Duffy on Arizona Fall League rosters

September 5, 2014

Happy Friday, everyone.

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The complete rosters aren't finalized yet but so far two alums could be headed for the Arizona Fall League, which begins on Oct. 7.

* Pitcher Jimmie Sherfy (2011) of the Diamondbacks will play for the Salt River Rafters. He finished the 2014 season at Mobile of the double-A Southern League. He played at Oregon.

* Middle infielder Matt Duffy (2010), now with San Francisco, was slated to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Since he is with the Giants right now, we are not sure if he will ever play in the AFL. He played at Long Beach State.

Here is a more information about the Arizona Fall League, from its website.

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Cowlitz has hired assistant Grady Twiet of Lower Columbia College as its new head coach. He succeeds Tim Matz, who resigned after the 2014 season. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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Missoula (A Pioneer, Diamondbacks) first baseman Taylor Ard (2009) hit a two-run homer and was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs in a 4-0 win over Great Falls on Thursday in a Pioneer League playoff game to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Burlington (A Midwest, Angels) reliever Greg Mahle pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and had four strikeouts in a 2-1 playoff loss to Cedar Rapids. He was not involved in the decision.

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Here are the final regular-season stats of our minor-league position-playing Corvallis Knights alums, as part of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. Final pitching stats will appear on Monday.

DAYTON ALEXANDER (A Vermont, A's): The outfielder from Feather River JC (2011) hot .207 (23-111) in 36 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

JIMMY ALLEN (A Ogden, Dodgers): The second baseman from Cal Poly (2011) hit .271 (52-192) in 53 games, with 20 RBIs.

BO ALTOBELLI (A Cedar Rapids, Twins): The catcher from Texas Tech hit .224 (32-143) in 44 games, with a homer and five RBIs, before being released.

DAVID ANDRIESE (A Jamestown, Pirates): The outfielder from UC Riverside (2010-11) hit .224 (30-134) in 44 games, with a homer and 13 RBIs.

TAYLOR ARD (A Missoula, Diamondbacks): The first baseman from Washington State (2009) hit .309 (34-110) in 34 games with Missoula, South Bend and Hillsboro, with four homers and 17 RBIs.

DAVID ARMENDARIZ (A Mahoning Valley, Indians): The outfielder from Cal Poly Pomona (2011) hit .206 (22-107) in 33 games with the ARL Indians and Mahoning Valley, with two homers and 13 RBIs.

ALEX BURG (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The catcher/outfielder from Washington State (2008) hit .264 (60-227) in 76 games, with seven homers and 29 RBIs.

BLAKE DRAKE (R Johnson City, Cardinals): The outfielder from Concordia (2013) hit .281 (66-235) in 63 games, with six homers and 34 RBIs.

GRANT FINK (A Lake County, Indians): The third baseman from Missouri Western (2011) hit .225 (92-409) in 128 games, with 13 homers and 60 RBIs.

ROCKY GALE (AAA El Paso, Padres): The catcher from Portland (2007, 2009) hit .298 (68-228) in 77 games, with 35 RBIs.

DREW GARCIA (AAA Colorado Springs, Rockies): The second baseman from UC Riverside (2007) hit .237 (72-304) in 96 games, with four homers and 36 RBIs.

RYAN GORTON (A Stockton, A's): The catcher from Oregon State (2011) hit .198 (23-116) in 34 games, with no homers and eight RBIs.

CADE GOTTA (A Gulf Coast League Rays, Rays): The outfielder from San Diego Christian (2011) hit .245 (39-159) in 48 games, with two homers and 21 RBIs.

DEAN GREEN (AA Erie, Tigers): The first baseman from Oklahoma State/Barry University (2008) hit .311 (127-409) in 113 games, with 10 homers and 65 RBIs.

MITCH HANIGER (ARL Diamondbacks): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2010) hit .259 (73-282) in 79 games with Huntsville, the GCL Diamondbacks and Mobile, with 11 homers and 43 RBIs.

DANNY HAYES (A Kannapolis, White Sox): The first baseman from Oregon State (2010) hit .283 (134-423) in 130 games, with 11 homers and 75 RBIs.

KAVIN KEYES (R ARL Mariners, Mariners): The infielder from Oregon State (2013) hit .236 (21-89) in 25 games, with a homer and nine RBIs.

ADAM MELKER (AA Arkansas, Angels): The outfielder from Cal Poly hit .258 (71-275) in 83 games, with five homers and 32 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY (AAA Lehigh Valley, Phillies): The first baseman from Washington State (2007) hit .240 (95-396) in 116 games, with 11 homers and 47 RBIs.

CHRIS RABAGO (A Tri-Cities, Rockies): The shortstop from UC Irvine (2012-13) hit .225 (38-169) in 47 games, with 12 RBIs.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (A Tri-City, Astros): The catcher from Oregon State (2010) hit .128 ( 20-156) in 51 games with Lancaster, Tri-City (N.Y.) and Quad City, with two homers and 15 RBIs.

NICK TORRES (A Eugene, Padres): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2012) hit .253 (43-170) in 44 games with the ARL Padres and Eugene, with three homers and 23 RBIs.

JUSTIN VIELE (A Aberdeen, Orioles): The shortstop from Santa Clara (2010) hit .160 (37-231) in 74 games with Delmarva and Aberdeen, with no homers and 23 RBIs.

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Have a great weekend. Go Beavs, and we will see you on Monday.


Yes, even more Andrew Susac news

September 4, 2014

Happy Thursday, everyone.

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Former Corvallis catcher Andrew Susac (2009) of the San Francisco Giants, the West Coast League's top pro prospect that year, continues to make news in his first major league season.

Here is a nice story on the former Oregon Stater from reporter Andrew Baggarly of Comcast Sports Net. Sounds as if Andrew has a nice future wth the team.

Alum Matt Duffy (2010) isn't mentioned but he's also made some big contributions as a rookie since being recalled from double-A Richmond, where he was the Eastern League's all-star shortstop.

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Alum Gabe Clark (2013) of Oregon State, who played with Victoria this past season, will return to the HarbourCats in 2015, according to this story from Our Sports Central.

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Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank (2012) pitched a scoreless inning to close the game and had one strikeout in a 6-2 victory over South Bend on Wednesday in the opening round of the Midwest League playoffs to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Several other alums were involved in playoff games, but there were no notable accomplishments and therefore no honorable mentions.

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That is it for today. See you on Friday.


Another big night for Andrew Susac

September 3, 2014

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

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Former Corvallis catcher Andrew Susac (2009) of the San Francisco Giants, the West Coast League's top pro prospect that year, continues to impress in his first major league season.

He went 2-for-5 with a homer, a double and three RBIs on Tuesday in a 12-7 win over Colorado at Coors Field. Here is a video of his two-run shot into the left-field bleachers, his third homer of the season.

Andrew is now hitting .288 (15-52) in 20 games, with three homers and 15 RBIs. The other Corvallis alum with the Giants, shortstop Matt Duffy (2010), is hitting .200 (8-40) in 19 games, with two RBIs.

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Alum Peter Van Gansen (2013) of Cal Poly, an all-WCL selection for us in our 2013 championship season, was named the No. 40 prospect in the Northwoods League for the 2014 season. The junior shortstop played for Eau Claire.

The list was compiled by Bradley Smart from Smart on Sports after discussions with all 18 NWL coaches. Here is his evaluation:

"After drawing 40 walks in 58 games for the Mustangs and hitting .286, Van Gansen carried over his spring success to Eau Claire. One of the best defensive shortstops in the league, Van Gansen led all middle infielders with 42 double plays and committed just eight errors and finished with a .966 fielding percentage.

"He hit just .250 at the plate but drew 40 walks again while showcasing his speed with 18 stolen bases. Van Gansen hit just one home run, but made up for the lack of power by being proficient in many other categories, including his on-base percentage that finished just under .400. He also had one of the better infield arms as ranked by the managers."

Congrats to Peter. We had him first.

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The Medford Rogues announced the signing of eight players for the 2015 season on Tuesday. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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Johnson City (R Appalachian, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) went 2-for-5 in a 5-4 win over Elizabethton on Tuesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Most of the other leagues were idle, as they have not yet begun their league playoffs. We will keep this feature going as long as we still have alums playing in affiliated ball.

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That is it for today. See you on Thursday.


Brent Morel back with Pirates

September 2, 2014

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. News is sparse these days but we will do our best to keep you informed about what is happening with the Knights and with the West Coast League.

We also should start signing players soon, so we will have that to report as well.

And don't forget, you can keep up with the WCL through its website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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Some good news about two alums:

* The Pirates have recalled third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) from triple-A Indianapolis of the International League for the fourth time this season. He hit .271 (91-336) in 92 games for the Indians, with four homers and 53 RBIs; he is hitting .136 (3-22) in 13 games with the Pirates, with no homers and three RBIs.

* Catcher Andrew Susac (2009) of the San Francisco Giants had a great game on Saturday in a 15-5 win over the Brewers, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. He was hitting .267 (12-45) in 17 games through Sunday, with two homers and 12 RBIs.

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Yakima Valley drew high marks from Yakima Herald columnist Roger Underwood in this story, from the newspaper. And here is another story from Underwood about the business side of the first year.

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Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) first baseman Dean Green (2007) was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs in a 4-2 win over Akron on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 1-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI and finished the regular season with a .303 average.

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That is it for today. See you on Wednesday.


Lambert headed to Utah as Director of Ops

August 29, 2014

Happy Friday, everyone.

College football season is now underway, but we still have some Knights news to offer. Don't forget, you can keep up with the West Coast League through its website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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We have some good news to announce. Four-year pitching coach Connor Lambert, a Washington State letterman and grad, is returning to the Pacific-12 Conference as the new Director of Baseball Operations at Utah.

He had been the pitching coach at Tacoma Community College the past three years. Connor said Thursday he will still be able to work with the Knights in the summer, so it's great news all around.

Also, former Knights' pitching coach Jason Hawkins (2008) has moved to Utah (from UC Santa Barbara), to be the new associate head coach. Here is more on that story, from the Utah website.

We will have more on those stories next week on our website.

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Walla Walla coach JC Biagi has resigned, as has former pitching coach Mark Michaud. Here is more on that story, from Our Sports Central.

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Arkansas (AA Texas, Angels) outfielder Adam Melker (2008-09) was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in a 5-4 loss to Springfield on Thursday to Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Lehigh Valley (AAA International, Phillies) first baseman Jim Murphy (2007) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs in an 8-5 loss to Pawtucket.

* Binghamton (AA Eastern, Mets) pitcher Greg Peavey (2007) gave up two runs, had five strikeouts and got a no-decision in eight innings of a 5-3 loss to New Britain.

* Eugene (A Northwest, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in a 4-2 win over Vancouver.

* Johnson City (R Appalachian, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in a 12-10- win over Greeneville.

* Rays (R Gulf Coast League, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 2-for-4 with a double in a 3-1 win over the Twins.

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Here are the updated stats of our minor-league pitching alums, in Part 2 of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. Hitting stats appeared in Wednesday's Blog.

TYLER ANDERSON (AA Tulsa, Rockies): The pitcher from Oregon (2009) is 6-4, 2.08 in 22 games, with 100 strikeouts in 112.1 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE (AAA Durham, Rays): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2009) is 11-7, 3.68 in 27 games, with 127 strikeouts in 156.2 innings.

MAX BEATTY (A Eugene, Padres): The pitcher from Pacific Lutheran (2010-12) is 1-1, 4.33 in 17 games, with 24 strikeouts in 27 innings.

MATT BOYD (A Dunedin, Blue Jays): The pitcher from Oregon State (2010) is 5-3, 1.39 in 16 games, with 103 strikeouts in 90.2 innings.

A.J. BURKE (A Vermont, A's): The pitcher from Western Oregon (2012) is 6-3, 3.99 in 14 games, with 54 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

TREVOR FRANK (A Lake County, Indians): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2012) is 5-4, 2.68 in 49 games, with 18 saves and 61 strikeouts in 53.2 innings.

JACE FRY (A Great Falls, White Sox): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 1-0, 2.79 in seven games, with 10 strikeouts in 9.2 innings.

SAM GAVIGLIO (AA Springfield, Cardinals): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 5-12, 4.17 in 24 games, with 122 strikeouts in 131.2 innings.

JUSTIN HEPNER (Gulf Coast League Marlins, Marlins): The pitcher from San Diego State (2011) is 0-0, 16.88 in two games, with no strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

CHASE JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Cal Poly (2011) is 4-7, 4.57 in 23 games, with 94 strikeouts in 110.1 innings.

CHRIS JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Portland (2011) is 0-1, 9.00 in one game, with no strikeouts in two innings. He is on the disabled list.

KYLE KRAUS (A Salem, Red Sox): The pitcher from Portland (2009-10) is 7-3, 4.35 in 26 games, with three saves and 59 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (A Jupiter, Marlins): The pitcher from UC Davis (2010) is 5-11, 3.44 in 23 games, with 91 strikeouts in 130.2 innings.

GREG MAHLE (A Burlington, Angels): The pitcher from UC Santa Barbara (2012) is 0-1, 3.46 in 16 games, with a save and 30 strikeouts in 26 innings.

JAMES NYGREN (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 3-2, 3.52 in 33 games, with two saves and 37 strikeouts in 64 innings.

JOSH OSICH (AA Richmond, Giants): The pitcher from Oregon State (2008) is 1-0, 3.78 in 28 games, with 27 strikeouts in 33.1 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (AA Binghamton, Mets): The pitcher from Oregon State (2007) is 11-3, 2.90 in 18 games, with 99 strikeouts in 115 innings.

SCOTT SCHULTZ (A Hillsboro, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 4-5, 4.64 in 13 games, with 36 strikeouts in 66 innings.

JIMMIE SHERFY (AA Mobile, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon (2011) is 3-1, 5.40 in 35 games, with a save and 40 strikeouts in 35 innings.

NICK STRUCK (AA Chattanooga, Dodgers): The pitcher from Mt. Hood CC (2009) is 5-6, 5.22 in 20 games, with 56 strikeouts in 98.1 innings.

BEN WETZLER (A Batavia, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 0-2, 2.95 in 11 games, with 31 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

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That is it for today. Go Beavs; have a great holiday weekend and we will see you on Tuesday.


Duffy named Eastern League's all-star shortstop

August 28, 2014

Happy Thursday, everyone.

On with today's news, and don't forget you can also keep up with the West Coast League through its great new website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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Alum Matt Duffy (2010) of the San Francisco Giants had two hits, scored once and had his first double in 4-2 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night. He's hitting .250 (8-32) with two RBIs in 14 games since being called up from double-A Richmond earlier this summer. Since rosters expand to 40 on Sept. 1, and since he's already on the Giants' 40-man, I think we can expect him to stay with the big club for the rest of the season.

Also, Matt was named an Eastern League all-star for his great season at Richmond before being recalled. Here is more on that story, from the Eastern League website.

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Victoria has already started to build its 2015 team, as three players from 2014 have already re-signed for next summer. Here is more on that story, from Our Sports Central.

The Knights should begin to announce our 2015 signing sometime in September.

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Augusta (A South Atlantic, Giants) pitcher Chase Johnson (2011) had nine strikeouts and allowed four hits in seven shutout innings and got the win in a 5-4 victory over Savannah on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) first baseman Dean Green (2008) was 2-for-5 with three RBIs in a 10-8 loss to Bowie.

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) closer Trevor Frank (2012) got his 18th save by striking out two in an inning of scoreless relief in a 3-1 win over Great Lakes.

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2007) was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI in an 8-3 loss to Louisville.

* Jamestown (A New York-Penn) outfielder David Andriese (2010-11) was 2-for-4 with two runs in an 8-7 loss to Mahoning Valley.

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Here are the updated stats of our minor-league position-playing Corvallis Knights alums, as part of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. Pitching stats will appear on Friday.

DAYTON ALEXANDER (A Vermont, A's): The outfielder from Feather River JC (2011) is hitting .207 (23-111) in 36 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

JIMMY ALLEN (A Ogden, Dodgers): The second baseman from Cal Poly (2011) is hitting .259 (44-170) in 48 games, with 16 RBIs.

DAVID ANDRIESE (A Jamestown, Pirates): The outfielder from UC Riverside (2010-11) is hitting .216 (25-116) in 39 games, with a homer and 10 RBIs.

TAYLOR ARD (A Missoula, Diamondbacks): The first baseman from Washington State (2009) is hitting .311 (14-45 in 14 games, with two homers and 12 RBIs.

DAVID ARMENDARIZ (A Mahoning Valley, Indians): The outfielder from Cal Poly Pomona (2011) is hitting .125 (5-40) in 12 games, with one RBI.

ALEX BURG (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The catcher/outfielder from Washington State (2008) is hitting .264 (60-227) in 76 games, with seven homers and 29 RBIs.

BLAKE DRAKE (R Johnson City, Cardinals): The outfielder from Concordia (2013) is hitting .277 (64-231) in 62 games, with six homers and 32 RBIs.

GRANT FINK (A Lake County, Indians): The third baseman from Missouri Western (2011) is hitting .226 (90-399) in 115 games, with 12 homers and 55 RBIs.

ROCKY GALE (AAA El Paso, Padres): The catcher from Portland (2007, 2009) is hitting .306 (67-219) in 74 games, with 34 RBIs.

DREW GARCIA (AAA Colorado Springs, Rockies): The second baseman from UC Riverside (2007) is hitting .236 (69-232) in 93 games, with four homers and 36 RBIs.

RYAN GORTON (A Stockton, A's): The catcher from Oregon State (2011) is hitting .200 (22-110) in 32 games, with no homers and eight RBIs.

CADE GOTTA (A Gulf Coast League Rays, Rays): The outfielder from San Diego Christian (2011) is hitting .239 (37-155) in 47 games, with two homers and 21 RBIs.

DEAN GREEN (AA Erie, Tigers): The first baseman from Oklahoma State/Barry University (2008) is hitting .316 (123-389) in 108 games, with eight homers and 56 RBIs.

MITCH HANIGER (AA Mobile, Diamondbacks): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2010) is hitting .400 (6-15) in five games, with four RBIs.

DANNY HAYES (A Kannapolis, White Sox): The first baseman from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .288 (132-459) in 126 games, with 11 homers and 74 RBIs.

KAVIN KEYES (R ARL Mariners, Mariners): The infielder from Oregon State (2013) is hitting .235 (20-85) in 24 games, with a homer and nine RBIs.

ADAM MELKER (AA Arkansas, Angels): The outfielder from Cal Poly is hitting .239 (62-259) in 79 games, with five homers and 30 RBIs.

BRENT MOREL (AAA Indianapolis, Pirates): The third baseman from Cal Poly is hitting .267 (88-329) in 90 games, with four homers and 52 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY (AAA Lehigh Valley, Phillies): The first baseman from Washington State (2007) is hitting .243 (93-382) in 111 games, with 11 homers and 45 RBIs.

CHRIS RABAGO (A Tri-Cities, Rockies): The shortstop from UC Irvine (2012-13) is hitting .218 (34-156) in 43 games, with 10 RBIs.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (A Tri-City, Astros): The catcher from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .069 (2-29) in 10 games, with a homer and two RBIs.

NICK TORRES (A Eugene, Padres): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2012) is hitting .247 (38-154) in 39 games, with three homers and 20 RBIs.

JUSTIN VIELE (A Aberdeen, Orioles): The shortstop from Santa Clara (2010) is hitting .185 (25-135) in 45 games, with no homers and 14 RBIs.

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That is it for today. See you on Friday.


Boyd named FSL Pitcher of the Week

August 27, 2014

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Twelve Knights earned WCL postseason honors on Tuesday. Congrats to Dalton Kelly, Marc Gallegos and Jackson Lockwood (first team); to Grant Melker, Kevin Kline, Angel Landazuri and Brandon Choate (second team) and to Chris Haddeland, Logan Ice, Michael Lucarelli, Jackson Soto and Dane Lund (honorable mention).

Here is more from our website. Congrats to everyone.

On with today's news, and don't forget you can also keep up with the West Coast League through its great new website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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Alum Matt Boyd (2010) of the Dunedin Blue Jays was named the Florida State League pitcher of the Week for Aug. 18-24. Here is more from the FSL website.

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The makeover of Victoria's coaching staff continues with the hiring of Alex Adame as the new pitching coach. Here is more from Our Sports Central.

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Vermont (A New York-Penn, A's) pitcher A.J. Burke (2012) allowed one hit and no runs and had seven strikeouts in six innings and got the win in a 2-1 victory over Tri-City on Tuesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Johnson City (R Appalachian, Cardinals) center fielder Blake Drake (2013) hit a solo homer in a 3-2 win over Kingsport.

* Springfield (AA Texas, Cardinals) pitcher Sam Gaviglio (2009) allowed one run and had seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings but got a no-decision in a 5-4 loss to Arkansas.

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2007) was 1-for-3 with a run, a double and two RBIs in a 5-2 win over Louisville.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in a 6-1 win over Huntsville.

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That is it for today. See you on Thursday.


12 Knights earn WCL Postseason honors

August 26, 2014

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Back from a weekend of baseball in Denver. You will be pleased to know the Rockies stole our idea and play the music we play after every run we score following every Colorado home run.

Anyways, Coors Field is a pretty sweet ballpark and if you ever get the chance to attend a game there, I highly recommend it. Lots of places to eat before and after the game near the ballpark, too.

On with today's news, and don't forget you can also keep up with the West Coast League through its great new website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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Twelve Knights earned WCL postseason honors on Tuesday. Congrats to Dalton Kelly, Marc Gallegos and Jackson Lockwood (first team); to Grant Melker, Kevin Kline, Angel Landazuri and Brandon Choate (second team) and to Chris Haddeland, Logan Ice, Michael Lucarelli, Jackson Soto and Dane Lund (honorable mention).

Here is more from the WCL website. We will have more on our website later today.

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Alum Andrew Susac (2009) of the Giants hit his second homer of the season last night against Colorado. Here is the video. Sorry for the annoying commercial.

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Erie (AA Eastern Tigers) first baseman Dean Green (2008) was 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and three runs in a 10-7 win over Bowie on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Durham (AAA International, Rays) pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) allowed one earned run and had four strikeouts in 5.2 innings but got a no-decision in a 4-2 win over Gwinnett.

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2007) was 2-for-4 with a run in an 11-9 loss to Columbus.

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and raised his average to .311 in a 4-3 win over Colorado Springs.

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That is it for today. See you on Wednesday.


Pirates return Morel to Indianapolis

August 21, 2014

Happy Thursday, everyone.

On with today's news, and don't forget you can also keep up with the West Coast League through its great new website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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The Pirates activated a pitcher on Wednesday and returned third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) back to triple-A Indianapolis after a short stay in the majors.

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Bellingham reliever Dan Ludwig, who pitched 6.1 scoreless innings against us in the final two games of the Championship Series, was named the West Coast League's Player of the Week on Wednesday., Good choice. Here is more on that story, from the aforementioned WCL website.

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Augusta (A South Atlantic, Giants) pitcher Chase Johnson (2011) allowed one run and had six strikeouts in seven innings but got a no-decision on Wednesday in a 3-1 loss to Hickory to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Durham (AAA International, Rays) pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) allowed one run and had six strikeouts in five innings but got a no-decision in a 3-2 win over Norfolk.

* Erie (AA Eastern Tigers) first baseman Dean Green (2008) was 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs in a 7-4 loss to Binghamton.

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) pitcher Trevor Frank (2012) earned his 16th save by striking out two in an inning of scoreless relief in a 1-0 win over Bowling Green.

* Hillsboro (A Northwest, Diamondbacks) pitcher Scott Schultz (2011) allowed one run and had one strikeout in seven innings and got a no-decision in a 2-1 win over Spokane.

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Here are the updated stats of our minor-league pitching alums, in Part 2 of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. Hitting stats appeared in Wednesday's Blog.

TYLER ANDERSON (AA Tulsa, Rockies): The pitcher from Oregon (2009) is 6-4, 2.08 in 22 games, with 100 strikeouts in 112.1 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE (AAA Durham, Rays): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2009) is 11-7, 3.76 in 26 games, with 112 strikeouts in 150.2 innings.

MAX BEATTY (A Eugene, Padres): The pitcher from Pacific Lutheran (2010-12) is 1-1, 4.68 in 15 games, with 22 strikeouts in 25 innings.

MATT BOYD (A Dunedin, Blue Jays): The pitcher from Oregon State (2010) is 5-2, 1.12 in 14 games, with 90 strikeouts in 80.2 innings.

A.J. BURKE (A Vermont, A's): The pitcher from Western Oregon (2012) is 4-3, 4.64 in 12 games, with 45 strikeouts in 54.1 innings.

TREVOR FRANK (A Lake County, Indians): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2012) is 4-4, 2.65 in 46 games, with 16 saves and 55 strikeouts in 51 innings.

JACE FRY (A Great Falls, White Sox): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 1-0, 2.79 in seven games, with 10 strikeouts in 9.2 innings.

SAM GAVIGLIO (AA Springfield, Cardinals): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 5-12, 4.30 in 22 games, with 111 strikeouts in 119 innings.

JUSTIN HEPNER (Gulf Coast League Marlins, Marlins): The pitcher from San Diego State (2011) is 0-0, 16.88 in two games, with no strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

CHASE JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Cal Poly (2011) is 3-7, 4.88 in 22 games, with 85 strikeouts in 103.1 innings.

CHRIS JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Portland (2011) is 0-1, 9.00 in one game, with no strikeouts in two innings. He is on the 7-day disabled list.

KYLE KRAUS (A Salem, Red Sox): The pitcher from Portland (2009-10) is 6-3, 3.89 in 24 games, with three saves and 54 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (A Jupiter, Marlins): The pitcher from UC Davis (2010) is 5-10, 3.44 in 22 games, with 84 strikeouts in 125.2 innings.

GREG MAHLE (A Burlington, Angels): The pitcher from UC Santa Barbara (2012) is 0-1, 2.86 in 14 games, with 27 strikeouts in 22 innings.

JAMES NYGREN (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 3-2, 3.43 in 32 games, with two saves and 36 strikeouts in 63 innings.

JOSH OSICH (AA Richmond, Giants): The pitcher from Oregon State (2008) is 1-0, 3.78 in 28 games, with 27 strikeouts in 33.1 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (AA Binghamton, Mets): The pitcher from Oregon State (2007) is 10-2, 3.00 in 16 games, with 85 strikeouts in 102 innings.

SCOTT SCHULTZ (A Hillsboro, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 3-5, 4.95 in 12 games, with 26 strikeouts in 60 innings.

JIMMIE SHERFY (AA Mobile, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon (2011) is 3-1, 5.03 in 34 games, with a save and 40 strikeouts in 34 innings.

NICK STRUCK (AA Chattanooga, Dodgers): The pitcher from Mt. Hood CC (2009) is 4-6, 5.46 in 19 games, with 54 strikeouts in 92.1 innings.

BEN WETZLER (A Batavia, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 0-1, 2.93 in nine games, with 22 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.

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That is it for today. See you soon.


Let the offseason begin

August 20, 2014

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Another season in the books. It's disappointing not to repeat as champions, but when you're one of the two teams playing on the final day of the season, and if you can win a championship with one more victory, it's still been a very successful summer.

Now the front office winds down a little, then starts the review and building process for the 2015 season. Signing should start to be announced sometime in September, and we expect to have another contending team next season.

In the meantime, the Blog will continue, but obviously in an abbreviated form because there is just not as much news to report. You can also keep up with the West Coast League through its great new website; we suggest you bookmark it.

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Two of our minor-league alums have changed teams.

* The Diamondbacks returned third baseman Taylor Ard (2009)to Missoula of the Pioneer League after a short stay with South Bend in the Midwest League.

* Outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010)is on rehab assignment with the Arizona Rookie League Diamondbacks from double-A Mobile in the Texas League. He is recovering from a hyperextended elbow.

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Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) first baseman Dean Green (2008) was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs in a 7-0 win over Binghamton on Tuesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Ogden (R Pioneer, Dodgers) second baseman Jimmy Allen (2011) was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 4-3 win over Orem.

* Johnson City (R Appalachian, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-6 with two runs in a 12-8 win over Bristol.

* Rays (R Gulf Coast League, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI in a 5-4 loss to the Red Sox.

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Here are the updated stats of our minor-league position-playing Corvallis Knights alums, as part of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. Pitching stats will appear on Thursdays.

DAYTON ALEXANDER (A Vermont, A's): The outfielder from Feather River JC (2011) is hitting .209 (23-110) in 35 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

JIMMY ALLEN (A Ogden, Dodgers): The second baseman from Cal Poly (2011) is hitting .274 (40-146) in 42 games, with 15 RBIs.

DAVID ANDRIESE (A Jamestown, Pirates): The outfielder from UC Riverside (2010-11) is hitting .233 (20-86) in 30 games, with a homer and nine RBIs.

TAYLOR ARD (A Missoula, Diamondbacks): The first baseman from Washington State (2009) is hitting .250 (7-28) in nine games, with two homers and six RBIs.

DAVID ARMENDARIZ (A Mahoning Valley, Indians): The outfielder from Cal Poly Pomona (2011) is hitting .138 (4-29) in seven games, with one RBI.

ALEX BURG (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The catcher/outfielder from Washington State (2008) is hitting .264 (60-227) in 76 games, with seven homers and 29 RBIs.

BLAKE DRAKE (R Johnson City, Cardinals): The outfielder from Concordia (2013) is hitting .262 (53-202) in 55 games, with five homers and 27 RBIs.

GRANT FINK (A Lake County, Indians): The third baseman from Missouri Western (2011) is hitting .223 (84-377) in 109 games, with 11 homers and 52 RBIs.

ROCKY GALE (AAA El Paso, Padres): The catcher from Portland (2007, 2009) is hitting .297 (62-209) in 70 games, with 33 RBIs.

DREW GARCIA (AAA Colorado Springs, Rockies): The second baseman from UC Riverside (2007) is hitting .240 (69-288) in 92 games, with four homers and 36 RBIs.

RYAN GORTON (A Stockton, A's): The catcher from Oregon State (2011) is hitting .198 (21-106) in 31 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

CADE GOTTA (A Gulf Coast League Rays, Rays): The outfielder from San Diego Christian (2011) is hitting .241 (35-145) in 42 games, with no homers and 19 RBIs.

DEAN GREEN (AA Erie, Tigers): The first baseman from Oklahoma State/Barry University (2008) is hitting .321 (115-358) in 100 games, with seven homers and 48 RBIs.

MITCH HANIGER (ARL Diamondbacks): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2010) is hitting .100 (1-10) in three games, with no homers or RBIs. He is on injury rehab from AA Mobile.

DANNY HAYES (A Kannapolis, White Sox): The first baseman from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .287 (124-432) in 119 games, with 11 homers and 69 RBIs.

KAVIN KEYES (R ARL Mariners, Mariners): The infielder from Oregon State (2013) is hitting .227 (17-75) in 21 games, with a homer and nine RBIs.

ADAM MELKER (AA Arkansas, Angels): The outfielder from Cal Poly is hitting .242 (59-244) in 74 games, with five homers and 28 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY (AAA Lehigh Valley, Phillies): The first baseman from Washington State (2007) is hitting .243 (88-362) in 105 games, with 10 homers and 43 RBIs.

CHRIS RABAGO (A Tri-Cities, Rockies): The shortstop from UC Irvine (2012-13) is hitting .221 (29-131) in 35 games, with 10 RBIs.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (A Tri-City, Astros): The catcher from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .087 (2-23) in seven games, with a homer and two RBIs.

NICK TORRES (A Eugene, Padres): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2012) is hitting .246 (32-130) in 33 games, with two homers and 16 RBIs.

JUSTIN VIELE (A Aberdeen, Orioles): The shortstop from Santa Clara (2010) is hitting .185 (25-135) in 45 games, with no homers and 14 RBIs.

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That is it for today. See you on Thursday.