Brooks Hatch Blog: Sodders on Midwest League All-Star Team

Happy Monday, everyone, from the world-wide headquarters (WWHQ) of the Corvallis Knights, your 2016 West Coast League champions!

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Tough weekend for the Knights. We lost to the Cowlitz Black Bears on Saturday and Sunday. It was their first series win over the Knights since they joined the league in 2010.

The series concludes at 6:40 tonight. Incoming San Jose State freshman right-hander Nick Morales (0-0, 3.37) will start for the Knights, opposed by Chapman righty Austin Merrill (1-0, 5.58). Tonight is BI-MART Beach Party Night.

The Knights then head to Victoria for a Tuesday-Thursday series. San Diego righty Louis Crow and Portland lefty Jordan Horak will start the first two games; Thursday’s starter it TBA.

We return to Corvallis for a Friday-Sunday series with Bellingham. Our total attendance for six home dates is 8,663. That’s 888 fewer than last year at a corresponding date.

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Lefty Austin Sodders (2014) is having a great season with West Michigan, Detroit’s affiliate in the Class A Midwest League. The Riverside City College/UC Riverside product is 7-0 with a 1.40 ERA in 11 starts, with 65 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.

He was selected to the Midwest League’s East Division all-star team this past Wednesday. The 53rd Midwest League All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday night at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich., the home of the Great Lakes Loons.

Congrats to Austin.

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Pitcher Ted Hammond (2014) will start the Northwest League season with the Everett AquaSox, Seattle’s affiliate. He pitched briefly for Modesto in the California League. We are still awaiting 2017 assignments for alums Justin Calomeni (2014, Rockies), Elliot Surrey (2013, Mariners) and Ryan Matranga (2015, Giants).

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Birmingham (AA Southern, White Sox) pitcher Jace Fry (2011) threw two innings of scoreless relief and had four strikeouts in a 7-3 win over Jackson on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He played at Oregon State.

Honorable mention goes to:

• Albuquerque (AAA Pacific Coast, Rockies) pitcher Tyler Anderson (2009) allowed one run in five innings and had six strikeouts in a 1-0 loss to Sacramento on a rehab start from the Colorado Rockies. He played at Oregon.
• El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-4 with an RBI in an 11-5 win at Fresno. He played at Portland.
• Greenville (A South Atlantic, Red Sox) closer Stephen Nogosek (2013) got his 13^th save with an inning of scoreless relief in a 4-3 win over Rome. He had one strikeout. Stephen played at Oregon.

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That’s all for today. See you at the ballpark tonight.