Razorbacks Heating Up Summer Baseball Leagues
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Razorback baseball team has 13 players in the middle of summer baseball league seasons and each is performing at the highest levels with Cape Cod League stars Dallas Keuchel, Tim Smalling and Brett Eibner leading the way.
Keuchel’s last start for Wareham came against Falmouth and was a vintage performance for the crafty left-hander as he threw eight innings and allowed just one earned run. Unfortunately for Keuchel, the offense let him down and he left the game only to get a no decision. Keuchel leads the Cape Cod League with 28 innings pitched and on the season has amassed a 2.25 earned run average in five starts with 15 strikeouts to just eight walks.
Joining Keuchel at Wareham, Eibner has been an offensive star for the Gatemen. Batting .253, Eibner is the either leading or is tied for the team lead in eight offensive categories including stolen bases (5), runs (12), hits (20), total bases (34), triples (2), home runs (2), RBI (11) and slugging percentage (.430).
Playing for the Harwich Mariners, Smalling got off to a tremendous start as he opened the season with a 3-4 game with a run scored and two RBI which earned the sophomore Coca-Cola Co-Player of the Week Honors. He and Chase Leavitt both play for Harwich and Leavitt leads the Mariners with five doubles this season.
Rounding out the Cape Cod League players is Andy Wilkins with the Yarmouth-Denis Red Sox. Wilkins is a team leader for Y-D in RBI (16) and walks (13) and has 18 hits for a .254 average.
In the Northwoods League, Collin Kuhn ranks second on the Duluth Huskies roster with a .296 batting average including two doubles, 12 RBI and six stolen bases. Joining Kuhn in Duluth are pitchers Evan Cox and Sam Murphy. Cox has pitched in 11 games this season out of the bullpen and earned a 2.45 ERA and one save over 18.1 innings.
Playing for the Bend Elks of the West Coast League are Andrew Darr, Houston Slemp and James Mahler. Darr is fourth on the squad among regular starters with a .281 batting average and three doubles. In limited action, including 12 starts, Slemp is hitting .297 with 11 hits, a double, four RBI and seven walks. Mahler is 0-1 on the mound with 14 strike outs and is holding opponents to a .259 batting average.
Rounding out the Arkansas contingent in the summer leagues are Jake Fuller and Tim Carver who play for the Lodi Grape Sox of the Sierra Baseball League. No statistical information is currently available for the league which is getting ready to host its annual all-star game on July 12.
For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit www.hogwired.com.
