The Piedmont Pride had eight players selected to the 2018 SCBL all-star team. The all-stars will head to Wingate University to play in a round robin tournament with other players from around the league against teams from the Sun Belt, Cal Ripken, Virginia, and Florida Collegiate Summer ball leagues.
“We have a very good team this year, and I think that is showcased by how many players we had selected for the team. We have eight teams in our league this year instead of six, so getting players on the team gets harder, but here we stand getting eight of our men selected.” Coach Hudak said about his players selected. “We hope these guys can help us finish the season strong and push to get a good seed in the playoffs, hopefully a one or two seed so we can get home field advantage.”
Here is how our all-stars have fared this year:
Joe Sibeto: Sibeto has played in 17 games for The Pride this summer. In 43 at bats Sibeto has recorded 12 hits while also drawing 12 walks. Behind the plate, Sibeto has caught a total of six runners trying to steal on the base paths and has logged 128.2 total innings behind the dish.
Josh Baker: In 21 games played for The Pride, Baker has hit .324 on the season with 22 hits. Baker is also tied for first on the team with five home runs and has recorded 21 RBI’s. While only playing six games in the field this year, Baker has a .963 fielding percentage.
Mark Engel: In 26 games this season, Engel has hit a cool .319 with 29 hits. Engel has also recorded four doubles and sits on a .470 on base percentage. Engel has been a staple in The Prides infield this season, turning 10 double plays and posting a .938 fielding percentage. The shortstop has also registered 8.2 innings on the mound for The Red and Blue. Engel has struck 14 batters out and has a 4.15 ERA.
Jared Gay: Gay has 19 hits for The Pride in 26 games this season, and is tied with Josh Baker for first on the team with five home runs. Both are tied for 3rd place in the SCBL in the home run category. Gay has also hit six doubles and has a .500 slug percentage. On Saturday, June 16th Gay had himself a game against the Mooresville Spinners, going three for five with two home runs and six RBI’s including a grand slam in the 7th inning that put the game out of reach. The corner infielder has also registered a .975 fielding percentage on the season.
Jake Wright: Wright sits in third place in the SCBL with a .377 batting average. Wright has 28 hits on the season, posting three triples and two home runs. Wight is tied on the team for first in RBI’s with 28. The usual designated hitter for The Pride has also drawn 14 walks, compared to just 8 strikeouts. In 14 games in the outfield, Wright has assisted on two outs and registered 11 putouts.
Chris Padilla: In 24 games for The Pride this summer, Padilla has a .343 average with 28 hits, five of them coming as double. Padilla has registered 13 RBI’s on the season as well. In 25 games as the starting center fielder for the Red and Blue, Padilla has posted a fielding percentage of .967 with 57 putouts.
Nolan Wilson: Nolan “Noodle” Wilson has been the primary closer for The Pride this year. In 21.0 inning pitches, Wilson has recorded a staggering 43 strikeouts. Wilson leads the SCBL in total strikeouts. Wilson has also posted an incredible 0.00 ERA giving up no earned runs this season.
Jaret Peterson: Jaret Peterson has been a two way player for the Red and Blue this season. In 16 games at the plate, Peterson has racked up nine hits, sending one ball over the fence for a home run. Peterson has also been one of the best relief pitchers for the Red and Blue, recording a 3-2 record and a cool 2.455 ERA.
You can find out more about the SCBL all-star tournament by visiting SCBL.pointstreaksite.com.
