Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Five members of the Valparaiso University Baseball Team were recently selected to play in the All-Star game of their respective college summer leagues. 

Junior right-handed pitcher Bryce Shafer (Wabash, Ind./Northfield H.S.) was named to the South Division All-Star Team for the Northwoods League.  Shafer has built on his summer success from 2008 after being named the Pitcher of the Year in the Central Illinois Collegiate League last summer.  Shafer currently plays for the Wisconsin Woodchucks and is 3-2 with a 2.13 ERA, while pitching 42.1 innings with 38 strikeouts. 

Sophomore outfielder Kyle Gaedele (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows H.S.) is playing for the Hannibal Cavemen in the Prospect League as he was selected to play on the West Division All-Star Team.  After a slow start earlier in the summer, Gaedele is now hitting .261 with two homeruns, two triples, a .378 slugging percentage and 17 stolen bases. 

Another sophomore outfielder, Steven Scoby (Delton, Mich./Kellogg H.S.), is also having an outstanding summer season.  Scoby is the leadoff hitter for the Tennessee Tornadoes of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League and was named to the Northern All-Star Team.  Scoby leads his team with a .339 batting average to go along with a .409 slugging percentage and is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.

Junior first baseman Ryan O’Gara (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove H.S.) and junior infielder/right-handed pitcher Damon McCormick (Louisville, Ky./Saint Xavier H.S.) were both selected as All-Stars for the Sandlott League from their team the Nashville River Rats.  O’Gara is hitting a sizzling .404 with eight doubles and 15 RBIs.  McCormick is hitting .340 with 15 stolen bases while also pitching 18 innings with a record of 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA