Athletes Beyond Bartow baseball update for week ending April 22
The 2018 minor league seasons for locals Sam Howard and Connor Justus are hitting full stride in the Pacific Coast League and the Southern League while JUCO, NAIA, and NCAA D2 regular seasons are winding down and getting ready for conference tournaments. The NCAA D-I regular season has over three weeks remaining before conference tournaments begin over a two week stretch.
The Adairsville duo of Tristin Smith and Tyler Washington continued hitting streaks for Young Harris College this past week and former Cartersville Hurricanes southpaw Elliott Anderson of Auburn University picked up his fifth pitching victory of 2018.
MiLB
SAM HOWARD — Albuquerque Isotopes; Colorado Rockies Triple A affiliate; Pacific Coast League (5th-yr. pro; LHP, Georgia Southern University; Cartersville HS)… made his third start of the regular season last Wednesday in a 14-2 loss at Tacoma. Howard (1-2) went four innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. He fanned four. The Isotopes (7-11) are in third place in the PCL Pacific Southern Division and six games behind division-leading El Paso. Albuquerque wraps up a series with Salt Lake Monday and hosts Las Vegas Wednesday through Sunday.
CONNOR JUSTUS — Mobile BayBears; L.A. Angels Double-A affiliate; Southern League (3rd-yr. pro; MIF; Georgia Tech; Cartersville HS)… Justus went 2-for-16 in five home games this past week — four with Biloxi and Saturday with the Mississippi Braves. He drew one walk and scored one run in the five-game stretch. One of his two hits was a double. Through 14 games this season, Justus has ten hits including four doubles and two RBI for a .217 batting average. The BayBears continue a series with Mississippi through Wednesday and travel to Montgomery Thursday through Monday, April 30. Mobile (7-8) trails South Division leader Biloxi by two games.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
BRANDON ALLEN — Georgia Highlands CC (Fr., OF, Woodland HS)… started one game and made a pinch hitting appearance in another game this past week as the Chargers faced Andrew College in a four game conference series. Allen went 0-for-4 with one walk in five at bats. GHC (28-18, 11-13) travels to East Georgia CC Tuesday and hosts three games with the Bobcats Friday and Saturday at LakePoint.
ELLIOTT ANDERSON — Auburn University (Soph., LHP, Cartersville HS)… worked four shutout innings and was credited with the pitching victory in relief last Tuesday as the Tigers defeated visiting UAB 12-2. Anderson, now 5-0 for the season, walked one and struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced. Auburn (29-12, 9-9) went 4-0 for the week with a three-game sweep at rival Alabama. The Tigers host Samford Tuesday before traveling to top-ranked Florida Thursday through Saturday for an SEC series.
BAILEY CAMPBELL — Young Harris College (Fr., 1B, Cass HS)… singled and drove in a run in a pinch-hitting appearance last Tuesday during a 7-5 home win over Southern Wesleyan, but was 0-for-2 in a DH start and 11-5 win at Anderson University on Wednesday. YHC (25-22, 15-15) also won one of three games at home over the weekend against 5th-ranked Columbus State. The Mountain Lions close out the regular season Tuesday with a doubleheader at Tusculum and travel to the Peach Belt Conference Championship Tournament in St. Augustine, FL May 11-13 at Flagler College.
NOAH DANIEL — Reinhardt University (Fr. Inf., Cartersville HS)… had a plate appearance as a pinch hitter last Tuesday in the Eagles’ 14-3 win at Toccoa Falls College. RU (35-13, 19-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) was 4-0 last week. The Eagles are currently tied for first in the AAC standings and conclude regular season play with a three-game series Friday and Saturday at Bryan College (TN). The conference tournament is May 2-5 in Kingsport, TN.
BRANDON ETHERIDGE — Limestone College (Sr., OF, Cass HS)… In six games last week Etheridge was 7-for-17 at the plate with a double, triple walk, hit by pitch, two stolen bases, and four RBI. The Saints’ starter in centerfield for 47 games and 145 at bats is hitting .262 this season. He also made a pair of pitching appearances during the week. He started on the mound, went 4.1 innings, and suffered the pitching loss last Monday at Anderson University. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out seven. Saturday, in an 11-inning loss to conference co-leader Mount Olive, Etheridge faced four batters in a shutout frame with one walk, a pair of fly outs and a ground out. Limestone (20-27, 10-14) qualified as the 6-seed for the Conference Carolinas Championship Tournament and plays 1-seed North Greenville Thursday to begin the double-elimination event that runs through Sunday.
SEAN McDERMOTT — Mercer University (Jr., 1B, Adairsville HS)… appeared in four games last week with a pair of starts. He was 1-for-6 with two walks and three RBI as the Bears went 2-2 with a loss at Georgia State and two wins in three games at Western Carolina. His hit was a second inning two-RBI double Saturday to give the Bears a 2-0 lead in an eventual 4-1 win. He also added a sacrifice bunt in games Saturday and Sunday and had a sac fly Sunday for a run. Mercer (28-14, 8-7 Southern Conference) plays at top-ranked Florida Tuesday and hosts VMI Friday through Sunday in conference action.
HARRISON OSBORN — Point University (Fr., RHP, Cartersville HS)… started and went two innings last Tuesday in a 20-3 win at Tuskegee University. He was credited with the pitching win allowing a run on a solo homer and two walks. He fanned one and improved his season mark to 4-2 in 42.2 innings across 11 appearances with a 4.43 ERA. Point (26-21, 13-11) hosts NAIA top-ranked Faulkner for a doubleheader Tuesday before traveling to Montreat College (NC) for a three-game conference series Friday and Saturday.
HUNTER REAID — Shorter University (Fr., C, Woodland HS)… started at DH and was 0-for-2 with a walk Saturday in a 13-2 loss at Valdosta State. Shorter had a 2-2 week with a win at Emmanuel College and one win in three games at Valdosta State. The Hawks (22-23, 10-17 Gulf South Conference) host Miles College Tuesday before entertaining Lee University for a three-game series Saturday and Sunday to conclude the conference regular season.
GRANT ROBINSON — Central Alabama CC (Soph., RHP, Woodland HS)… has made nine relief appearances on the mound this season for the Trojans with five strikeouts and a 7.20 ERA in ten innings. Central Alabama (17-28, 7-16) plays at Coastal Alabama North Tuesday, hosts a doubleheader with Snead State CC Thursday and travels to Snead State for a Saturday doubleheader.
MASON ROBINSON — Louisiana Tech University (R-Jr., OF, Woodland HS)… hit for the cycle last Wednesday in a 15-2 win at Louisiana-Lafayette finishing 4-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored. He also went 3-for-12 with a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI in a three-game weekend sweep at Marshall. Robinson has appeared in 42 games with 40 starts this season. He has a .285 batting average in 151 at bats with 43 hits, four doubles, two triples, four homers, and 27 RBI. The Bulldogs (29-13, 13-6 C-USA) host Louisiana-Lafayette Tuesday night and travel to Western Kentucky for a three-game Conference USA series Friday through Sunday.
TRISTIN SMITH — Young Harris College (Jr., Inf., Adairsville HS)… has now hit safely in nine straight games and was 7-for-21 with two doubles and two RBI in five games this past week. The Mountain Lions won non-conference games with Southern Wesleyan and at Anderson University before winning one of three against visiting 5th-ranked Columbus State. YHC (25-22, 15-15) closes out the regular season Tuesday with a doubleheader at Tusculum and travel to the Peach Belt Conference Championship Tournament in St. Augustine, FL May 11-13 at Flagler College.
Tristin Smith Tyler Washington
TYLER WASHINGTON — Young Harris College (Sr., OF, Adairsville HS)… In the past two weeks, Washington has improved his season batting average from .277 to .324 with a ten game hitting streak that includes a 17-for-39 stretch. He has also collected five walks, three doubles, a triple, four homers, and 13 RBI over the last ten games. The Mountain Lions (25-22, 15-15) conclude their regular season Tuesday with a doubleheader at Tusculum College and have qualified for the Peach Belt Conference Championship Tournament May 11-13 at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL.
