Summer Baseball Update: Kay Thriving In Canada

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July 11, 2012

NORMAL, Ill. - Like his teammate Eric Aguilera, Illinois State infielder Brett Kay is thriving this summer in the Northwoods League. Kay entered play Wednesday batting .296 with a .347 on-base percentage and a .401 slugging percentage for the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He carries a ten-game on-base streak into play Wednesday and is a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts this summer.

In affiliated Minor League Baseball, former Redbird Ryan Copeland continues to rehabilitate from thoracic outlet decompression surgery. He recently began throwing bullpen sessions with the Palm Beach Cardinals, who hope to see the southpaw return to game action by the end of the month. Copeland has not yet played this summer. The Des Plaines, Ill., native pitched for the Midwest League Quad Cities River Bandits last season and was a 2010 MiLB.com St. Louis Cardinals organizational all-star.

Throughout the summer, GoRedbirds.com will update the status of current and former ISU baseball players every Wednesday, with daily updates occurring on the official Illinois State Baseball Twitter account, @REDBIRDBaseball.

 

Illinois State Baseball Players in Collegiate Summer Leagues - Stats Updated as of Wednesday, July 11 (Batters splits are Average/On-base Percentage/Slugging Percentage)

Eric Aguilera | Lakeshore Chinooks | Northwoods League| Link to Lakeshore Bio

.383/.431/.546, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 14 2B, 20 R, 3-3 SB 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1 app. (start), 3 IP, 2 K, 6 BB - Went 3-4 with one double and one run scored Tuesday, July 3, versus Wisconsin. - Currently has an 20-game on-base streak and leads his team in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Paul DeJong | Will County Cracker Jacks | Midwest Collegiate League | Link to Will County Bio

.216/.281/.333, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 3 2B, 11 R - Recorded two RBI Thursday, June 28, at Illinois. - Reached base twice and scored two runs Wednesday, June 27, against Northwest Indiana.

Brett Kay | Thunder Bay Border Cats | Northwoods League | Link to Thunder Bay Bio

.296/.347/.401, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 11 2B, 1 3B, 28 R, 11-11 SB - Notched three hits and one run scored Tuesday, July 10, at Waterloo. - Went 4-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI Thursday, June 28, at Alexandria.

Joe Kelch | Quincy Gems | Prospect League | Link to Quincy Bio

.321/.418/.381, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 2 2B, 22 R, 11-11 SB - Went 2-3 with one stolen base and one run scored Monday, July 9, at Dubois County. - Has successfully stolen a team-best nine bases without being caught.

Johnny Lieske | New Bedford Bay Sox | Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League | Link to New Bedford Bio

1-0, 2.53 ERA, 5 app. (all relief), 10.2 IP, 1 SV, 6 K, 3 BB - Notched his first save of the summer, pitching one scoreless inning Tuesday, June 26, at Mystic. - Allowed only one unearned run with two strike outs over 3.2 innings Thursday, June 28, versus Newport.

Brian Rodemoyer | DuPage County Hounds | Midwest Collegiate League | Link to DuPage County Bio

.200/.294/.400 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1-1 SB - Clubbed his first home run of the summer, Wednesday, June 6, at Southland. - Went 2-4 with one walk, one stolen base and one run scored at Illinois Tuesday, June 5.

Kyle Stanton | Alton Indians | St. Louis Metro Collegiate Baseball League | Link to Alton Bio

.373/.421/.529, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 2B, 7 R, 1-2 SB - Went 3-5 with three doubles Tuesday, June 26, at Wildwood. - Launched a three-run home run to cap a three-hit game Monday, June 25, against Kirkwood.

Zac Johnson | Oneonta Outlaws | Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League | Link to Oneonta Bio

.309/.419/.381, 17 RBI, 3 2B, 2 3B, 15 R - Went 2-3 with three RBI Tuesday, July 10, versus Elmira. - Reached base three times and scored one run Saturday, July 7, against Newark.

Jeremy Rhoades | Oneonta Outlaws | Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League | Link to Oneonta Bio

0-0, 2.95 ERA, 12 app. (all relief), 2 SV, 21.1 IP, 29 K, 6 BB - Recorded four strike outs and allowed only one run over three relief innings Saturday, July 7, versus Newark.

Matt Schmitt | Oneonta Outlaws | Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League | Link to Oneonta Bio

1-2, 4.00 ERA, 7 app. (six in relief), 18.0 IP, 14 K, 8 BB - Threw two scoreless innings Monday, July 9, at Cooperstown.

JD Learnard | Lexington Snipes | Chicago Suburban Baseball League | Link to Lexington Bio

1-0, 4.05 ERA, 5 app. (all relief), 6.2 IP, 3 K, 4 BB - Pitched two scoreless innings Sunday, July 8, at Homestead. - Has not allowed a run over his last 4.2 innings.

Chris Razo | Lexington Snipes | Chicago Suburban Baseball League | Link to Lexington Bio

4-2, 4.04 ERA, 6 app. (five starts), 35.2 IP, 44 K, 19 BB, 3 CG - Earned a complete-game victory, allowing two earned runs with nine strike outs, Saturday, June 7, versus Homestead.

Dan Savas | Lexington Snipes | Chicago Suburban Baseball League | Link to Lexington Bio

2-2, 4.61 ERA, 7 app. (six starts), 27.1 IP, 1 SV, 35 K, 14 BB - Has recorded 14 strike outs over his last 8.2 innings.

Cam Verbeke | Lexington Snipes | Chicago Suburban Baseball League | Link to Lexington Bio

0-1, 0.81 ERA, 4 app. (three in relief), 11 IP, 14 K, 2 BB - Allowed one run over five innings, with eight strikeouts and only one walk Friday, July 6, at Illinois. - Pitched one perfect inning, with one strike out, Sunday, July 1, versus Westmont.

Former Illinois State Baseball Players in the Pros - Stats Updated Wednesday, July 11

Jeremy Accardo | Cleveland Indians | American League - Major League Baseball | Link to Cleveland Bio

0-0, 3.47 ERA, 18 app. (all relief), 23.1 IP, 21 K, 11 BB - Did not allow a run over two relief innings Friday, July 6, at Tampa Bay. - Has not allowed a run over his last 4.2 innings.

Neal Cotts | Round Rock Express - Texas Rangers | Triple-A Pacific Coast League | Link to Round Rock Bio

0-0, 6.17 ERA, 10 app. (all relief), 11.2 IP, 2 SV, 12 K, 5 BB - Worked one scoreless inning Thursday, July 5, at Albuquerque. - Allowed one run on three hits over two innings, with three strike outs, Monday, July 2, versus New Orleans.

Ryan Copeland | Palm Beach Cardinals - St. Louis Cardinals | Class A-Advanced Florida State League | Link to Palm Beach Bio

Has not pitched (60-day disabled list) - Last year went 4-4, 4.94 ERA, 19 app. (11 starts), 82 IP, 82K, 15 BB for the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League A-affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. - Has begun throwing bullpen sessions and is slated to return from the disabled list later this month.

Ryan Court | South Bend Silver Hawks - Arizona Diamondbacks | Class A Midwest League | Link to South Bend Bio

.256/.308/.333, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 10 2B, 1 3B, 31 R, 2-2 SB - Went 2-5 with one RBI and one run scored Monday, July 9, versus Fort Wayne. - Currently has an eight-game hitting streak and is hitting .366/.409/.463 over his last ten games.

Kenny Long | Tri-City ValleyCats - Houston Astros | Short Season Class A New York-Penn League | Link to Tri-City Bio

0-0, 2.45 ERA, 9 app. (all relief), 7.1 IP, 13 K, 4 BB - Fanned two over 1.1 scoreless innings Friday, July 7, versus Aberdeen. - Has worked 6.1 scoreless innings, with 12 strike outs, since his professional debut, June 19.

Matt Mirabal | Joliet Slammers | Independent - Frontier League | Link to Joliet Bio

.313/.313/.313, 4 RBI, 1 R, 1-1 SB - Went 2-4 with two RBI Friday, July 6, versus Normal. - Was traded from the Normal CornBelters on July 2.

Ty Wiesemeyer | Normal CornBelters | Independent - Frontier League | Link to Normal Bio

.250/.362/.325, 5 RBI, 5 2B, 8 R, 5-7 SB - Reached base twice, scored one run and had one RBI Saturday, July 7, at Joliet. - Went 2-3 with one RBI and one sacrifice bunt Wednesday, July 4, at Traverse City.

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