Athletes Beyond Bartow: Barnett, Mosby advance in post-season

ATHLETES BEYOND BARTOW

Former Cartersville High standout Mason Barnett was the starting pitcher Monday night in Auburn's Regional win. The hurler helped the Tigers reach the College Baseball World Series for the sixth time in program history and the second time in the last four years.

In MiLB action, pitcher Sam Howard picked up a couple of holds with relief performances for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens while Yankees' organization catcher Anthony Seigler started five games with solid results this week with Hudson Valley.

Meanwhile on the hardwoods, former Canes' basketball product A.J. Mosby and the Albany Patroons advanced in the TBL playoffs.

PRO BASEBALL

Sam Howard (Toledo Mud Hens, Detroit Tigers Triple-A affiliate; 9th-year pro; Georgia Southern University; Cartersville HS) — Howard tossed a total of 1-2/3 innings across a pair of wins over the Iowa Cubs. Following a scoreless two-out stint in a 7-6 win last Friday, Howard gave up a solo home run but nothing else in earning a hold this past Sunday. The left-hander struck out two in an eventual 14-9 victory.

Anthony Seigler (Hudson Valley Renegades, New York Yankees High Class A affiliate; 5th-year pro; Cartersville HS) — Seigler started five times (four at catcher) during a series against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. The highlight of the week for the former first-round pick came Saturday when Seigler, batting leadoff for the Renegades, cranked a solo home run for the only tally in a 1-0 win. Despite finishing with just three hits in the series, the switch-hitter kept his OPS above 1.000 by drawing five walks. In total, Seigler scored and drove in three runs each in the series.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Mason Barnett (Auburn University, Jr., Cartersville HS) — Barnett threw the opening 4 1/3 innings of Game 3 in a Super Regionals series against third-seeded Oregon State Monday in Corvallis, Oregon. The right-hander departed with a 2-1 lead and two runners on base, who were eventually stranded, in a 4-3 victory. Barnett allowed five hits and issued three walks (all to the same hitter), while striking out five of the 21 batters he faced. With the win, the Tigers advance to the College World Series in Omaha. No. 14 seed Auburn will open the eight-team tournament with a matchup against fellow SEC West member Ole Miss at 7 p.m. Saturday.

PRO BASKETBALL

A.J. Mosby (Albany Patroons, The Basketball League; Cartersville) — After dropping Game 1 of the Northeast Division finals at the Atlantic City Gambits, the Patroons reeled off back-to-back home wins to capture the series. Mosby posted two extremely similar lines in the victories, totaling 37 points and finishing with exactly five assists and four rebounds in each game. Mosby, who posted 17 points and seven rebounds in the series-opening loss, shot 6-of-8 from the floor for 19 points in Game 2 — a 102-86 win. He added 18 points (7-for-13 FGs) in the decisive Game 3 — a 109-83 triumph. A first-team all-East Conference selection, Mosby went 4-for-4 from the foul line in both victories. The Patroons will compete in the Eastern Conference Finals, which serves as a quarterfinal round in The Basketball League, against the Huntsville Hurricanes, beginning with a pair of games Thursday and Friday in Albany.

-- Nicholas Sullivan of The Daily Tribune News contributed to this update.