Summer Ball Update: Vols Staying Hot as Final Stretch Approaches

Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – As the end of the summer season nears, the Vols in summer baseball look to finish out their respective campaigns strong before making their return to Rocky Top in August to begin classes, and shortly after start fall ball.

Highlighting this summer update are three Vols who have been especially impressive: Wyatt Evans was named the Cape Cod Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday while Logan Chambers was selected for the New England Collegiate League’s All-Star Game. Finally, out on the West Coast, Hunter Ensley has been tearing up the California Collegiate League where he ranks as the league leader in batting average among players with 25 games played or more.

The third summer ball update of the year can be found below.

Appalachian League
OF Kyle Booker – Kingsport Axmen
Season Stats: 22 GP, .329 AVG, 24 R, 25 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 14 BB, 6 SB, .440 OBP, .461 SLG

Posted a strong last two weeks, playing in nine games, where he tallied 11 hits including five doubles and a triple. Has also scored 10 runs and doubled his stolen base total for the season in the last two weeks while ranking top-five on the team in slugging percentage.

INF/OF Ethan Payne – Johnson City Doughboys
Season Stats: 24 GP, .163 AVG, 11 R, 12 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 17 BB, 1 SB, .361 OBP, .233 SLG

Logged three hits in the last two weeks and had a big game last Thursday (7/21) against Bristol, going 2-for-5, smacking a double and driving in a pair of runs to lead the Doughboys to a 2-1 victory.

Cape Cod League
LHP Wyatt Evans – Chatham Anglers
Season Stats: 6 APP, 4 GS, 1-3, 0 SV, 5.89 ERA, 18.1 IP, 12 R, 12 ER, 19 H, 10 BB, 20 K, 1.58 WHIP

Has been incredibly strong in his last two outings, going 7.1 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and four walks while striking out 12.

Named the Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday (7/26) after his scoreless start against Brewster where he earned his first victory of the summer and struck out nine.

INF Christian Moore – Hyannis Harbor Hawks
Season Stats: 20 GP, .182 AVG, 6 R, 12 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 10 BB, 1 SB, .282 OBP, .242 SLG

Posted a multi-hit game at Falmouth last Thursday (7/21) where he went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in a 5-4 victory.

California Collegiate League
1B Blake Burke – Heraldsburg Prune Packers
Season Stats: 30 GP, .300 AVG, 25 R, 30 H, 6 2B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 14 BB, 1 SB, .540 SLG, .400 OBP

Ranks fifth in the league in home runs after recording big flies in back-to-back games on July 16 and 17. Currently, Burke is on a five game hitting streak where he is 7-for-18 (.389).

OF Hunter Ensley – Santa Barbara Foresters
Season Stats: 25 GP, .395 AVG, 16 R, 34 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 8 BB, 11 SB, .535 SLG, .465 OBP

Leads the Foresters in batting average and blasted his second homer of the season last Saturday (7/23) against the Riptide. Freshly off a seven-game hit streak where he was an unstoppable 14-for-22 (.636) at the plate with three doubles. He has also been a run-scoring machine with nine trips across the plate in the last 10 games.

RHP Hollis Fanning – Walnut Creek Crawdads
Season Stats: 8 APP, 5 GS, 1-3, 0 SV, 3.76 ERA, 40.2 IP, 24 R, 17 ER, 44 H, 4 BB, 33 K, 1.18 WHIP

Had a solid start at Sonoma (7/16) where he went six innings and gave up just one earned run while striking out a summer-best nine batters.

OF Kavares Tears – Walnut Creek Crawdads
Season Stats: 30 GP, .241 AVG, 13 R, 26 H, 4 2B, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 10 BB, 4 SB, .389 SLG, .308 OBP

Logged two multi-hit games in his last five contests, starting with a 2-for-4 day against Lincoln (7/18) where he had a double. Tears then followed that up with a solo homer on July 22 and posted another 2-for-4 day where he had three RBIs against Heraldsburg (7/24).

Coastal Plain League
INF Angus Pence – Forest City Owls
Season Stats: 28 GP, .245 AVG, 14 R, 23 H, 5 2B, 14 RBI, 7 BB, 3 SB, .297 OBP, .298 SLG

Had a hit, run scored and an RBI against the HiToms on July 15.

New England Collegiate League
UTL Logan Chambers – Martha’s Vineyard Sharks
Season Stats: 24 GP, .364 AVG, 20 R, 32 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 20 BB, 2 SB, .481 OBP, .477 SLG

Crushed a pair of home runs and was white hot on a recent six-game hit streak, going 13-for-25 (.520) with five RBIs. Also a participant in the NECBL All-Star Game where he played for the South team, recording a base hit in the 13-2 victory.

Currently ranks second on the team in batting average and OBP while sitting third in slugging percentage.

Charlie Taylor – North Shore Navigators
Season Stats: 19 GP, .182 AVG, 4 R, 10 H, 6 RBI, 7 BB, 2 SB .297 OBP, .182 SLG

Had a three-RBI day against Valley where the backstop logged a pair of hits and scored a run. Was on a four-game hit streak from July 18-25.

Northwoods League
LHP Gavin Brasosky – Kalamazoo Growlers
Season Stats: 9 APP, 2 GS 1-1, 1 SV, 6.38 ERA, 18.1 IP, 14 R, 13 ER, 12 H, 15 BB, 10 K, 1.47 WHIP

Has not appeared since July 12 vs. Kenosha.

Ohio Valley League
Ryan Miller – Full Count Rhythm
Season Stats: 30 GP, .252 AVG, 29 R, 28 H, 5 2B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 25 BB, .459 SLG, .418 OBP

Has been on base in both of the last two games he played, including the start of Full Count’s six-game winning streak that began on July 17.

Prospect League
RHP/C Andrew Kribbs – Johnstown Mill Rats
Season Stats: 36 GP, .197 AVG, 11 R, 15 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, .265 OBP, .329 SLG   
         10 APP, 4 GS, 1-2, 0 SV, 9.62 ERA, 24.1 IP, 30 R, 26 ER, 30 H, 23 BB, 25 K
Had a base hit and a steal at Danville (7/22) while making three appearances on the mound for 4.2 innings since July 20.

LHP Drew Patterson – Alton River Dragons
Season Stats: 2 APP, 0 GS, 1-1, 0 SV, 10.38 ERA, 4.1 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Has not appeared since June 8.

Rocky Mountain Baseball League
LHP Jake Fitzgibbons – Hays Larks
No stats available

INF Austen Jaslove – Hays Larks
No stats available

LHP Kaleb Meredith – Hays Larks
No stats available

The Larks currently sit second in the RMBL standings with a 22-4 record, just three games back of the Liberal Bee Jays.

Sunbelt Baseball League
LHP Zander Sechrist – Gainesville Gol’Diggers
Season Stats: 3 APP, 3 GS, 1-0, 0 SV, 1.20 ERA, 15 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 17 K, 0.67 WHIP

Has been stellar since making his summer debut at the beginning of July. Gone five innings in each of his outings, allowing no more than one run per start. Held Gwinnett scoreless on July 20, earning the win and striking out five while surrendering just three hits and helping shutout the Astros