Athletes Beyond Bartow: Locals participate in collegiate world series and NCAA Championships
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com 5/30/2023
As the 2023 season comes to a close for Bartow County's collegiate athletes across the country, the Minor League Baseball prospects wrap up their second month of action.
Locally, right-hand pitcher Mason Barnett of the Kansas City Royals organization and catcher Anthony Seigler of the New York Yankees organization, continue to toil with their respective MiLB teams.
Meanwhile, the community was represented by local athletes at the NAIA World Series, the NCAA D-II WCWS, and the NCAA Men's Golf Championship.
MiLB
MASON BARNETT — Quad Cities River Bandits (KC Royals High A affiliate; 2nd-yr. pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a five-inning start and received no decision last Wednesday in the Bandits’ 4-3 home win over the Beloit Sky Carp. The right-hander allowed three earned runs on two hits and a pair of walks. He struck out five. Barnett, a third-round selection by the Royals in 2022, is 1-1 in seven starts and has struck out 43 in 33-⅔ innings. He has a 3.74 ERA. Quad Cities (24-21) went 6-0 last week against Beloit and has reeled off a dozen straight wins. The River Bandits now trail Cedar Rapids by just one game in the Midwest League’s West Division.
ANTHONY SEIGLER — Somerset Patriots (NY Yankees Double-A affiliate; 6th-yr. pro; Cartersville HS) … was 0-for-13 with three walks, one RBI, and score one run last week as the Patriots went 2-4 at the Erie Sea Wolves. Seigler, a 2018 first-round selection by the Yankees, made two starts at catcher and started twice at DH. After hitting .265 in April, the 23-year-old has struggled in 48 official at-bats in May with a .104 batting average. For the season, he is hitting .171 in 82 at-bats with 11 RBIs. Somerset (25-19) remains 4-½ games behind the Portland SeaDogs in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division. The Patriots host a six-game series with Portland Tuesday through Sunday.
BASEBALL
DEVIN WARNER — Georgia Gwinnett College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … returned to action Monday following an injury in the Grizzlies’ 11-10 loss to Indiana Wesleyan at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Warner started at third base and was 2-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run and two RBIs. GGC (50-8) lost two straight in the ten-team, double-elimination World Series also falling to Taylor University (Indiana). Warner hit for a .353 average in 2023 appearing in 51 games with 167 official at-bats. He had 14 home runs and 55 RBIs.
COHEN WILBANKS — Georgia Gwinnett College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … went 2-for-4 with a double in the Grizzlies’ 23-7 loss to Taylor University in the first game of the double-elimination NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. GGC led 6-2 through the first four innings before Taylor exploded for 21 runs across the fifth through eighth frames. In their final game Monday, Wilbanks was 1-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Georgia Gwinnett finished the season with a 50-8 record. He finished the 2023 season hitting for a .400 average while appearing in 42 games with 120 official at-bats. The Grizzlies’ catcher hit two homers and drove in 48 runs.
SOFTBALL
SADYE JOHNSON — University of North Georgia (So., Adairsville HS) … although the Nighthawks’ catcher has been in a supporting role since mid-April, UNG has won the 2023 Peach Belt Conference, the Southeast sub-regional and Super Regional, and advanced at the NCAA D-II Women’s College World Series to the National Championship series against Grand Valley State (Michigan) Tuesday and Wednesday in Chattanooga.
GOLF
BUCK BRUMLOW — University of Georgia (So., Cartersville HS) … played the first three rounds this past Friday through Sunday at the NCAA Championship but did not have a counting score for the Bulldogs. He carded rounds 74-78-74 while UGA made the 54-hole cut and qualified for the final 18-hole round of stroke play on Monday. Brumlow was not a starter in Monday’s round. Georgia finished 14th and did not qualify for match play. The top eight teams following Monday’s final stroke play round start match play for the national title Tuesday and Wednesday. The NCAA Championship is being conducted on the 7,289-yard, par-70 Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Brumlow finished his sophomore campaign with five Top 20 individual finishes including a second at the Classic City One Day, 10th at the Puerto Rico Classic, 13th at the Calusa Cup, 17th at the Fredrica Cup, and 18th at the NCAA Bath Michigan Regional.
