Happy Friday everyone, from the home of your 2016 West Coast League champions!
The Knights now have another alum in the major leagues. The Seattle Mariners recalled right-handed pitcher Sam Gaviglio (2009) from triple-A Tacoma this week. He fills a roster opening created by a shoulder injury to starter Hisashi Iwakuma. He made his MLB debut on Thursday night and allowed one run on two hits in two innings, with four strikeouts.
A former star at Oregon State, Sam was a fifth-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 MLB draft. He was 2-3, 3.31 in five games at Tacoma this season, with 16 strikeouts and only three walks in 32.2 innings.
Earlier this year, he pitched for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
“It’s a dream come true,” Gaviglio told the Seattle Times newspaper. “I’ve been waiting for this to come for a while now. I just tried to take some momentum from the WBC and hit the ground running.”
Congrats to Sam, who becomes the third pitcher from our 2009 team to make the big leagues. Matt Andriese made his MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2015; Tyler Anderson debuted with Colorado in 2016.
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If you are reading this, you know by now our new website is up and running. It will be the new home of your Corvallis Knights blog from now on out. We hope you stop by often, and get the latest news on your Corvallis Knights!
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The Knights have signed pitcher Ross Massey of Tulane for the 2017 season, head coach Brooke Knight announced Thursday.
A 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore left-hander from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, La., Massey was 10-3 with a 2.29 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 90 innings as a freshman. He earned Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American honors, was a second-team American Athletic Conference all-star, and an NCAA Oxford Regional all-star.
He has struggled with his control this season and is 0-7, 7.79 in 10 games, with 20 strikeouts and 33 walks in 32.1 innings.
Massey led Catholic High School to a 37-4 record and a second-place finish in the LHSAA 5A state playoffs as a senior. He was first-team all-state, the Louisiana High School Pitcher of the Year, the Nola.com Preps Pitcher of the Year, the District 5-5A MVP and the All-Metro MVP.
He earned honorable mention all-state and first-team all-district and all-city honors as a junior and was first-team all-state, all-district and all-city as a sophomore.
The Knights are the defending WCL champions. They open the 2017 season at Cowlitz on June 2; their home WCL opener is June 14 against Port Angeles.
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We have also signed pitchers Hazahel Quijada, a returnee from 2016, and Nick Morales for the 2017 season.
A sophomore left-hander at UC Riverside, Quijada was a key starting pitcher for our 2016 West Coast League championship club. He earned honorable-mention all-WCL honors while going was 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA in eight WCL regular-season appearances.
He is 2-5, with a 6.45 ERA in 17 games at UCR this spring.
Morales is a senior at Saint John Bosco High in Bellflower, California, who has signed with San Jose State. A right-hander, he was named an honorable-mention preseason All-American by Perfect Game.
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A couple transactions from the independent baseball involving Knights’ alums:
The Evansville Otters have released outfielder Joe DeRoche-Duffin (2013-14), who they received in a trade with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association.
The Lake Erie Crushers have signed third baseman Cody Lenahan (2013), who they received in a trade from the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association.
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Nice story by Corvallis Gazette-Times reporter Jesse Sowa on Lane Community College pitcher Austin Crowson, a 2017 Knight. The Monroe native will join us after the Titans finish their season.
Please click here for more on Austin, a future University of Nevada player who should be a great addition to our pitching staff.
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Time to update the stats (through Wednesday) of our incoming pitchers. We will do the position players on Tuesday.
DOM BAKER: The Corban righty was 2-2, 5.68 in 11 games, with 20 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. His season is over. He is a 10-day signee.
TANNER CANTWELL: The Treasure Valley CC lefty is 3-2, 3.23 in 11 games, with 50 strikeouts in 55.2 innings.
LOUIS CROW: The San Diego righty, a returnee from 2016, is 2-2, 3.35 in 18 games, with two saves and 36 strikeouts in 43 innings.
AUSTIN CROWSON: The Lane CC lefty is 4-2, 2.40 in 11 games, with 62 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
CASON CUNNINGHAM: The Linfield lefty is 5-1, 1.92 in 14 games, with 100 strikeouts in 79.2 innings.
JACOB FRICKE: The Western Oregon lefty, a returnee from 2016, is 0-0, 6.48 in nine games, with two saves and 11 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
GRANT GOODMAN: The San Francisco righty, a returnee from 2016, is 3-4, 5.06 in 12 games, with 45 strikeouts in 69.1 innings.
JORDAN HERAK: The Portland lefty is 2-7, 4.89 in 19 games, with 39 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.
TANNER HOWELL: The Dixie State righty, a returnee from 2016, was 2-2, 3.72 in 15 games, with two saves and 19 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.
CHASE KAPLAN: The Kansas lefty, a returnee from 2016, is 3-0, 3.12 in l9 games, with seven strikeouts in 17.1 innings.
COLE JOHNSON: The Pacific Lutheran lefty was 4-1, 4.82 in 13 games, with one save and 37 strikeouts in 65.1 innings. He season is over.
DILLON LARSEN: The Central Washington lefty is 0-3, 5.89 in 10 games, with a save and 17 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. He is a 10-day signee.
ROSS MASSEY: The Tulane lefty is 0-7, 7.79, with 20 strikeouts in 32.1 innings.
HAZAHEL QUIJADA: The UC Riverside lefty, a returnee from 2016, is 2-5, with a 6.45 ERA in 17 games, with 36 strikeouts in 37.2 innings.
CONNOR REDMOND: The Cal Poly righty is 0-1, 10.80 in six games, with three strikeouts in 8.1 innings.
CAMERON RICHMAN: The Portland righty, a returnee from 2016, is 0-0, 9.39 in seven games, with eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
COLE SPEAR: The UC Irvine righty is 3-4, 5.81 in 14 games, with 25 strikeouts in 48 innings.
TRENTON TOPLIKAR: The UC Riverside righty is 2-3, 6.75 in 15 games, with 22 strikeouts in 26.2 innings.
TREVOR WELLS: The Linn-Benton righty is 0-0, 0.00 in 14 appearances, with 11 saves and 23 strikeouts in 18.1 innings.
That is all for today. Have a great weekend, and we will see you again on Tuesday.