June 27, 2008

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina baseball players - both past and present - are keeping busy through the summer. Three seniors from last year's class have signed professional contracts, while WCU continues to have a pair playing Major League baseball. Also, sophomore Nick Liles was recognized for his strong play by the Cape Cod League:

* Western Carolina still boasts two players in the Majors - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jared Burton and Milwaukee Brewers hurler, Mark DiFelice ... Burton is currently 4-1 on the season - 8-3 for his professional career - with a 2.40 ERA and 44 strikeouts ... DiFelice, who was called up back in May, has made 10 appearances this year with a 3.95 ERA and 16 strikeouts;

* Red-shirt freshman infielder/catcher Justin Crawley is playing summer league baseball in the SANDLOTT (Select Amateur National Development League for Travel Teams) Wood Bat League in Nashville, Tenn. The Bryson City, N.C., native is playing for the Seahawks. Crawley brings Western's total to 11 playing summer league ball;

* WCU infielder Nick Liles was named the Coca-Cola, Cape Cod Player of the Week for June 15-22 ... he opened his first season in the Cape in a manner most players can only dream about. Liles split his time between right field and third base and ended the week with a league-leading .444 batting average. The Laurinburg, N.C., native hit safely in every Yarmouth-Dennis game until going 0-for-2 Saturday night at Falmouth (although he was on base twice with walks in that game). He had four multiple-hit games on the week, including a 3-for-6 effort against Harwich and a 2-for-4 performance at Wareham in which he also scored twice, drove in three runs and stole three bases as the Red Sox posted a come-from-behind 11-7 victory over the Gatemen. Liles started the second full week of Cape League play as the league leader in batting average (tied at .444), hits (tied at 10), RBI (7) and stolen bases (6).

* Last weekend, former Western Carolina outfielder and first-baseman, Barrett Shaft, was signed by the Midwest Sliders of the independent Frontier League ... He became the third Catamount senior from last year's squad to sign with a professional team, joining Tyler Sexton and Blake Murphy. Last season, Shaft led the Catamounts with a .374 batting average while also becoming the all-time leader in base hits in WCU school history ...Through his first four games with Midwest, Shaft had a .313 average (5-for-16);

* Left-hander Tyler Sexton, pitching for the Bluefield Orioles, dropped his first minor league start, only lasting two innings while allowing four hits with a strikeout but no earned runs ... He fanned seven in his second start, earning a no-decision after lasting four innings allowing two earned runs ... In two appearances, Sexton has a 3.00 ERA with 8 Ks.

* Blake Murphy, playing with the Batavia Muckdogs in the single-A, short-season New York-Penn League, is currently hitting .226 (7-of-31) with three doubles and a triple ... the Waynesville, N.C., native is hitting .444 with a .778 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching.

* Former Catamount closer, Greg Holland, is pitching for the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Class A Advanced Carolina League ... Currently, Holland is 3-3 with three saves in 12 appearances, including six starts with a 3.80 ERA ... Holland is 1-0 as a reliever, the role he serves while wearing the purple and gold.