July 4, 2005

The impending Major League All-Star game typically signals the midpoint of the summer and several Notre Dame baseball players have been active in some of the nation’s top wood-bat collegiate summer leagues. The popular Summer Baseball Diaries will be returning to und.com, starting next week with rising junior catcher Sean Gaston’s report from the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League. A full schedule of the 10 diaries is included below and the diary entries will be posted, typically on every Thursday and Sunday, on und.com. They then will be archived via the Summer Baseball Diaries logo on the baseball page at und.com (the 2002, ’03 and ’04 Summer Diaries also are archived at this location, which is http://und.collegesports.com/genrel/basebl-summerdiaries.html).

The diary schedule follows below, as do updates for several Irish baseball players and links to each team’s web sites. Also check back to und.com later in the week for a complete update on former ND players currently active in professional baseball (including Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge, who recently was named to the All-Star Game). Also look for an update later this summer on Notre Dame’s signees who will be starting their freshman seasons with the Irish in the fall of ’05.

Notre Dame Baseball 2005 Summer Diaries:

Sun., July 10 – Sean Gaston (Cotuit Kettleers; Cape Cod League)

Thur., July 14 – Cody Rizzo (Mat-Su Miners; Alaska League)

Sun., July 17 – Wade Korpi (Staunton Braves; Valley League)

Thur., July 21 – Dan Kapala (Falmouth Commodores; Cape Cod League)

Sun., July 24 – Brett Lilley (Delaware, OH, Cows; Great Lakes League)

Thur., July 28 – Tony Langford (Euless Lone Stars; Texas Collegiate League)

Sun., July 31 – Ross Brezovsky (Hays, KS, Larks; Jayhawk League)

Thur., Aug. 4 – Jeff Manship (Cotuit Kettleers; Cape Cod League)

Sun., Aig. 7 – Alex Nettey (Fayetteville, NC, Swamp Dogs; Coastal Plains League)

Thur., Aug. 11 – Mike Dury (Madsion, WI, Mallards; Northwoods League)

Here are updates on Notre Dame baseball players in various summer leagues (as of July 3):

* C Sean Gaston (Cotuit Kettleers; Cape Cod League) – team stood 2nd in west division (9-6-1) behind Bourne Braves (10-5-1) … 2nd among regulars with .302 batting avg. (team has .240 avg.) in 11 games played, also 4th on team with 7 RBI … his other 15-game stats included 3 runs, 2 doubles, a triple, 2 sac. bunts, 6 strikeouts and 0-of-1 stolen bases in 9 games started (all at catcher).

* RHP Jeff Manship (Cotuit Kettleers; Cape Cod League) – had compiled 5.27 ERA and 0-2 record in 3 games started, with 14 strikeouts and just one walk, plus 18 hits allowed (.316 opp. avg.), 3 hit batters and a wild pitch in 13.2 innings.

* RHP Derik Olvey (Cotuit Kettleers; Cape Cod League) – owned a 1.59 ERA and 1-0 record in 5 GP/1 GS (12 Ks, BB, 4 H/.108, HR, 11.1 IP).

* OF Craig Cooper (Brewster Whitecaps; Cape Cod League) – team was 4th in eastern division (7-8), with CCL-leading .265 team batting avg. … ranks 2nd on team in runs (9)< and=”” 4th=”” in=”” on-base=”” pct.=”” (.348),=”” batting=”” .259=”” with=”” 2=”” 2b,=”” 2=”” hbp,=”” 6=”” bb,=”” 11=”” ks=”” and=”” 5-6=”” sb=”” in=”” 15=”” gp=”” …=”” has=”” 3=”” errors=”” while=”” making=”” 10=”” starts=”” in=”” the=”” outfield=”” and=”” 5=”” at=”” first=””>

* RHP Dan Kapala (Falmouth Commodores; Cape Cod League) – team stood 5th in west division standings (6-8-1) … had compiled a 5.75 ERA and 0-2 record in 3 GS (17 Ks, 6 BB, 24 H/.296, 2 HR, 3 HB in 20.1 IP).

* DH Matt Bransfield (Mat-Su Miners; Alaska League) – team is third in league standings (7-6) … leads team in doubles (6) while ranking 3rd in batting avg. (.281) and walks (8), and 4th in runs (10) and on-base pct. (.391) … his other stats include 6 RBI, 3 HBP and 4 Ks in 18 GP … has played at several positions, including first base (13 GP, 2 Es), catcher (4), third base (1) and left field (1) … also has pitched one inning for the Miners.

* OF Cody Rizzo (Mat-Su Miners; Alaska League) – batting .172 in 13 GP (5 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 8 HBP) … has made 3 starts in left field and three in right field … also has pitched one inning (2 H, UER).

* OF Alex Nettey (Fayetteville Swamp Dogs; Coastal Plains League) – team was leading the south division with 19-8 record … batting .222 in 19 GP/16 GS (5 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 6 HBP, 10 Ks, 3 SAC, 5-7 SB, 0 Es).

* IF Brett Lilley (Delaware Cows; Great Lakes League) – team stood 4th in league rankings (9-9) … was batting 5-for-9 in 4 GP (2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 2 Ks, 4-6 SB, HBP, SAC).

* 1B Mike Dury (Madison Mallards; Northwoods League) – team was leading the south division (20-11), with .251 team batting avg. … hitting .160 in 11 GP (2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 13 Ks).

* OF Danny Dressman (Madison Mallards; Northwoods League) – ranked 2nd among the Madison regulars in batting avg. (.361), 5th in runs (8) and 6th in RBI (10) … his other 18-game stats included 2 2B, 4 BB, 11 Ks, 2-4 SB and 1 E.

* LHP Wade Korpi (Staunton Braves; Valley League) – team stood 2nd in league south-division standings (12-12) … his stats after 8 appearances included a 3.12 ERA and 2-1 record (28 Ks, 8 BB, 13 H/.213, 2 HR, WP, HB in 17.1 IP).

* RHP Joey Williamson (Luray Wranglers; Valley League) – team was 2nd in north-division standings (16-9-2) … owned a 3.55 ERA and 1-0 record in 3 GP/2 GS (12 Ks, 10 BB, 13 H/.265, WP, 5 HB in 12.2 IP).

* IF Eddie Smith (DuPage County Dragons; Central Illinois Collegiate League) – team was 4th in league standings (11-6) … batting .143 in 9 GP/6 GS (R, RBI, 2 BB, 4 HBP, 7 Ks, SAC, E).

Notes: SS Greg Lopez has returned to Notre Dame for the summer due to a minor injury (he had 2 GP with the CCL’s Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, batting 3-for-5 with 2 runs, a triple and a K) … stats are not available at this time for ND’s players with the Hays Larks (Ross Brezovsky and David Gruener) and Euless Lone Stars (Tony Langford).

Here are the team websites for Notre Dame’s 2005 summer-league players:

http://www.capecodbaseball.org
http://www.brewsterwhitecaps.com
http://www.kettleers.org
http://www.falcommodores.org
http://www.matsuminers.org
http://www.fayettevilleswampdogs.com
http://www.delawarecows.com
http://larks.hdnews.net
http://www.mallardsbaseball.com/current
http://www.stauntonbraves.com
http://www.luraywranglers.com
http://www.tcllonestars.com
http://www.dupagedragons.com

Notre Dame Baseball 2005 Summer Teams
Dan Kapala – Falmouth Commodores (Cape Cod League)
Craig Cooper – Brewster Whitecaps (Cape Cod League)
Sean Gaston – Cotuit Kettleers (Cape Cod League)
Jeff Manship – Cotuit Kettleers (Cape Cod League)
Derik Olvey – Cotuit Kettleers (Cape Cod League)
Matt Bransfield – Mat-Su Miners (Alaska League)
Cody Rizzo – Mat-Su Miners (Alaska League)
Alex Nettey – Fayetteville (NC) Swampdogs (Coastal Plains League)
Brett Lilley – Delaware (OH) Cows (Great Lakes League)
Danny Dressman – Madison (WI) Mallards (Northwoods League)
Mike Dury – Madison (WI) Mallards (Northwoods League)
Ross Brezovsky – Hays (KS) Larks (Jayhawk League)
David Gruener – Hays (KS) Larks (Jayhawk League)
Wade Korpi – Staunton (VA) Braves (Valley League)
Joey Williamson – Luray (VA) Wranglers (Valley League)
Tony Langford – Euless LoneStars (Texas Collegiate League)
Eddie Smith – DuPage County Dragons Central (Illinois Collegiate League