Pilot Baseball Players Impress Over the Summer
September 05, 2008
Here’s hoping summer 2008 was a preview of spring 2009. As if they were focused on a repeat performance of a 2008 record-breaking campaign, several Pilots enjoyed success on the baseball diamond with their summer teams.
Six Pilot baseball players competed this summer for the Gametime Rockies in the first-ever Louisiana Collegiate League (LCL), which also consisted of players from ETBU, Louisiana College, Centenary, ULM and Northwestern St. The Rockies, led by Andrew Brouillette, Craig Barnes, Josh Todd, Chase Wentz, Turner Brasher and Gino Spratley, took home the inaugural LCL championship, finishing the regular season with a 21-2 record.
The Rockies continued their stellar play throughout the postseason, as they qualified for the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series by winning the Mississippi Baseball Congress State Championship. The Rockies finished 2-2 at the NBC World Series, as several Pilots gained valuable experience against some of the top amateur baseball player in the nation.
Brouillette led the Rockies in hitting with a .361 batting average, while driving in 28 runs and also scoring 23 times. Brouillette also finished 10-for-10 in the stolen base department. Barnes hit .351 over the summer and had a team-high four homeruns for the Rockies, while Chase Wentz (.307 AVG) and Josh Todd (.298 AVG) each had productive summers at the plate.
Pitchers Turner Brasher and Gino Spratley each showed flashes of brilliance on the mound this summer in the LCL. Brasher was nearly unhittable for the Rockies, giving up only one unearned run over the summer and striking out 42 batters in just 31 innings pitched. Spratley began the summer playing for the Gametime Angels, but as a result of his success on the mound, the Rockies picked up Spratley for their postseason rotation and Spratley delivered with a winning performance in the Mississippi Baseball Congress state championship game.
Seniors Jeff Garidel, Colby Lehman and Quinton Shamsabady were also busy on the diamond this summer, as the trio headed out west for a change of scenery. Garidel and Lehman each competed for the Clovis (Calif.) Outlaws in the Horizon Air Summer Series. Garidel was selected as a 1st-Team member on the All-Series baseball team and to the HASS All-Star game after batting .387 and knocking in 29 runs during the regular season. Lehman logged 23 innings on the mound for the Outlaws, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.17 ERA.
Shamsabady was a member of the Havasu (Ariz.) Heat this summer, as his team posted a 44-1 overall record during the regular season. The Heat also advanced to the NBC World Series, finishing with a fourth-place overall finish. Shamsabady batted .392 in 25 games, with 3 homeruns and 21 RBIs.
Success on the diamond has been the theme for those involved with LSUS baseball over the past decade. And, if this summer is any indication of what is to come in 2009, you might want to jump on board.
