June 26, 2012. Twelve Appalachian State University baseball players are in the heart of their seasons with various collegiate summer-league teams across the North Carolina and the East Coast.
Highlighting the list is shortstop Will Callaway (Greenville, S.C./Eastside), who is a member of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. The rising senior has seen action in nine of Hyannis’ 10 games and ranks third on the squad with a .292 batting average. On Sunday night, Callaway’s walk-off single gave the Harbor Hawks their first win of the season.
The Cape Cod Baseball League is generally regarded as the nation’s premier NCAA-endorsed summer baseball league and boasts more than 830 former and current Major League Baseball players among its alumni. Callaway is the second Mountaineer in as many years to play for the Harbor Hawks, joining double-play mate Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian), who suited up in Hyannis last summer.
Closer to home, 10 Mountaineers are playing their summer ball in North Carolina for teams in the Coastal Plain League and Southern Collegiate Baseball League.
Those playing in the CPL include rising juniors Noah Holmes (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan) and Preston Troutman (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan) for the Asheboro Copperheads, rising senior Ryne Frankoff (Apex, N.C./Apex) for the Wilmington Sharks and rising sophomore Jamie Nunn (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) for the Thomasville Hi-Toms. Perhaps the top collegiate summer league in the Southeast, 51 former CPL players have gone on to play in the Major Leagues, including MLB all-stars Mark Reynolds, Justin Verlander, Kevin Youkilis and Ryan Zimmerman.
Apps in the SCBL include rising seniors Tyler Jackson (Jonesville, N.C./Starmount) and Zach Joyce (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) and rising junior Josh Zumbrook (Wilkesboro, N.C./West Wilkes) for the Stateville Owls and rising sophomores Alex Leach (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell), Jeffrey Springs (Belmont, N.C./South Point) and Taylor Thurber (Mooresville, N.C./Lake Norman) for the Pineville Pioneers. The SCBL is based in North and South Carolina and 31 alums have gone on to play in the Major Leagues.
Rounding out the Mountaineers playing summer ball, rising sophomore Michael Pierson (Coral Springs, Fla./Pine Crest) is a member of the Pompano Beach Clippers of the South Florida Summer Collegiate Baseball League.
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