North Carolina State University Athletics
Rogers Continues To Dazzle Cape Cod League
7/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 31, 2002
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State righthander Michael Rogers spent much of the summer in the Yarmouth-Dennis bullpen, waiting his turn while Y-D Red Sox head coach Scott Pickler handed the ball to older and more experienced college pitchers.
After five excellent relief appearances, Rogers finally got the ball for a start on July 16, and he has dominated Cape League hitters ever since. His most recent gem came on July 30 in a 3-1 victory over the Harwich Mariners, a game with Cape League playoff implications. Rogers took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and picked up the victory after allowing three hits and three walks in seven shutout innings. He struck out seven.
For the season, Rogers is 5-1 with a 1.11 ERA. He has made eight appearances, three of them starts, and has allowed 20 hits, walked 15 and struck out 30 in 32-1/3 innings. He ranks second in the Cape Cod League in wins and eighth in earned-run average. His victory over Harwich helped the Red Sox take sole possession of third place in the Cape League's Eastern Division and pull to within 1-1/2 games of second-place Orleans. The top two teams in each division make the league's postseason playoffs.
As impressive as Rogers' overall statistics are, his three starts have been nothing short of complete domination. He has taken a no-hitter into the fifth inning of all three, including a no-hitter through six complete innings in his start of July 30. In 18 1/3 innings during the three starts, Rogers has allowed nine hits, walked four and struck out 19. He has allowed just two runs, both of them unearned.
A freshman from Hamilton, N.J., Rogers had his spring season at NC State cut short when a line drive off his shin fractured his fibula on March 23. He was 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA at the time, and because he had made just seven appearances and the injury occurred early in the season, Rogers has been granted a medical hardship by the NCAA and will be a freshman again in 2003.
Bombs Away for Gaetti: Rising junior outfielder Joe Gaetti continues to lead the Northwoods League in home runs. Through games of July 30, Gaetti, playing for the St. Cloud River Bats, was hitting .275 with eight doubles, six home runs and 28 RBIs. Gaetti led the league in home runs and was fifth in slugging percentage at .458. St. Cloud was in last place in the Northwoods League's four-team North Division with an 8-9 record, but was just 2-1/2 games behind first-place Brainerd.
Dutton Thriving On Home Cooking: Something about Durham must really agree with Jeremy Dutton. A product of Southern Durham High School, Dutton has tormented Duke in his three seasons at NC State, and now, as a rising senior, is having his best summer season playing for the Durham Americans of the Coastal Plain League.
Through games of July 30, Dutton was hitting .294 with 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs and a league-leading 33 RBIs in 36 games. In addition to leading the CPL in RBIs, Dutton was first in the league with 74 total bases, third in slugging percentage at .484, and seventh in doubles.
Coffield Heats Up: Rising sophomore outfielder Tim Coffield struggled through the first six weeks of the New England Collegiate Baseball League season, but turned his game up a notch in late July. After hitting around .150 the first week of July, Coffield has steadily inched his batting average up to .212 after 37 games, and had 10 doubles -- which tied for fourth in the league -- and 10 RBIs.
Pro Stuff: Both of NC State's 2002 draftees, outfielder Brian Wright and lefthander Mike Prochaska, were in the New York-Penn League this summer and having solid first seasons.
Wright, taken in the seventh round of the draft by the Cleveland Indians, was batting .261 with six doubles, three triples, two home runs and 18 RBIs for Mahoning Valley. He had cooled off after a torrid start, but led his team in hits, runs scored and total bases, and was among the team leaders in hits, RBIs and walks.
Prochaska, taken in the 16th round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was at Hudson Valley, where he was 2-2 with a 5.93 ERA. Prochaska had settled in after a poor start and had moved into Hudson Valley's starting rotation. In eight appearances, four of them starts, Prochaska had pitched 30-1/3 innings, allowing 36 hits and 11 walks while striking out 29.
Among NC State's 2001 draftees, righthander Josh Miller (2000-01) was dealing out of the bullpen for the Clearwater Phillies of the Class A Florida State League, and having a strong season. In 38 appearances, all in relief, Miller was 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA and 12 saves. He had allowed 68 hits, walked just nine and struck out 34 in 57-2/3 innings.
Also having success out of the bullpen in the FSL was righthander Jason Blanton (2000-01), whom the Cubs drafted in the 12th round of the 2001 draft. Blanton, a teammate of Miller's at Brevard (Fla.) Community College as well as at NC State, had a 2-2 record, a 2.29 ERA and two saves at Daytona. He had made 20 appearances, all in relief, and had worked 39-1/3 innings, allowing 25 hits and 11 walks while recording 32 strikeouts.
At Double-A Birmingham of the Southern League, righthander Clay Eason (1996-97) was having an unbelievable season. Eason, working almost exclusively in relief, was 5-0 with a 1.22 ERA. He had made 19 appearances, 17 of them out of the pen, and had yielded just 27 hits in 44-1/3 innings. He had walked 15 and struck out 40.
At Trenton of the Double-A Eastern League, Tom Sergio (1994-97) was hitting .285 with 22 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 63 RBIs in 93 games. Playing mostly as the team's designated hitter, Sergio led the Thunder in runs scored with 63, hits with 107, total bases with 168, home runs and RBIs.
