MORGANTOWN — Members of the WVU baseball team, fresh off their first NCAA tournament appearance in 21 years, are back in action: 15 Mountaineers are playing for their collegiate summer league teams.
Cole Austin, Ivan Gonzalez and Darius Hill are playing in the Cape Cod League, while others are scattered in leagues across the country, from New England to Florida to Texas and the West Coast.
Phillip Ahern (D.C. Greys — Cal Ripken Collegiate League): Ahern has made three appearances on the mound. In his lone start, he pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out three batters and allowing three earned runs. He has pitched eight innings this summer and struck out six batters.
Cole Austin (Orleans Firebirds — Cape Cod Baseball League): In seven games, Austin is hitting .263 with five hits and four runs scored. He doubled against Wareham on June 23 and has a hit in all but two games this summer.
Kevin Brophy (New Bedford Bay Sox — New England Collegiate Baseball League): Brophy has appeared in seven games. He has four hits, two of them doubles, and has driven in four runs. He recorded a summer-high three hits with three RBIs on Friday, against Newport.
Nick Denicola (D.C. Greys — Cal Ripken Collegiate League): In seven games, Denicola has 21 at-bats with five hits, including a home run and two doubles, while driving in two runs. He homered against the Alexandria Aces on June 15 and continued his hot streak on June 22, when he hit two doubles and drove home a run.
Jimmy Galusky (Santa Barbara Foresters — California Collegiate League): Galusky has appeared in five games, with 16 at-bats. He has reached base twice and has one sacrifice.
Ivan Gonzalez (Cotuit Kettleers — Cape Cod Baseball League): Gonzalez made his summer debut Sunday, against Orleans, and had three at-bats while starting behind the plate.
Darius Hill (Brewster Whitecaps — Cape Cod Baseball League): Hill has played in five games, recording two doubles on three hits and driving in four runs. He had two hits and a sacrifice fly in three at-bats on June 21 and has at least one RBI in the last three games.
Chase Illig (Bellingham Bells — West Coast League): Illig is batting .349. He has 15 hits and 13 RBIs, including three home runs, with seven runs scored. He drove in a season-high four runs and homered on June 17. The next day, he hit his second home run of the summer and added a double and two RBIs to his total. He has at least one hit in three straight games.
Isaiah Kearns (D.C. Greys — Cal Ripken Collegiate League): Kearns has made one start on the mound. He pitched six innings and struck out five in a 4-3 loss to the Alexandria Aces, on Sunday. At the plate, Kearns has four hits in 17 at-bats. He has one double, one triple and three RBIs. Kearns has stolen one base while scoring three runs.
Sam Kessler (Keene Swamp Bats — New England Collegiate Baseball League): Kessler has started two games. He has pitched eight innings with seven strikeouts and owns a 3.37 ERA. In his last appearance, on Monday, Kessler pitched five innings and struck out five.
Gibson Krzeminski (Winter Park Diamond Dawgs — Florida League): Krzeminski has appeared in 10 games. In 33 at-bats, he has nine hits, including five for extra bases, with one home run and four walks. Krzeminski has driven in four runs and scored seven runs. In his last game, against the Altamonte Springs Scorpions, on Friday, Krzeminski had two hits, both doubles, walked once, drove in a run and scored a run.
T.J. Lake (New Bedford BaySox — New England Collegiate Baseball League): Lake has appeared in eight games, with 32 at-bats. He has seven hits, one triple, drove in a run and walked four times. Lake also stole three bases and scored three runs.
Zach Miller (Neptune Beach Pearl — California Collegiate League): In 45 at-bats this summer, Miller has 12 hits, including two doubles and a triple, and seven RBIs. He drove in three runs and scored once on June 15, against the Healdsburg Prune Packers.
Riley Troutt (Winter Park Diamond Dawgs — Florida League): Troutt has appeared in one game, pitching two innings on June 17. He walked three, but did not allow a hit or a run while facing eight batters.
Brandon White (Winter Park Diamond Dawgs — Florida League): White is hitting .348 in seven games. He has eight hits, including two home runs, and seven RBIs. White has stolen two bases and scored seven runs. On Friday, against the Altamonte Springs Scorpions, he accounted for six runs in a 15-7 win. White had three hits with a double, drove in three runs, stole a base and scored three runs.
