Crimson Tide Baseball Summer League Wrap-up
8/16/2019 1:43:00 PM | Baseball
Alabama's 16 players were split across nine different summer leagues
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Sixteen members of the 2019-20 Alabama baseball roster took part in collegiate summer leagues spread across the United States with those players racking up impressive stats, league honors and team championships.
At the midway point of the summer, seven Crimson Tide players were named to their respective league's All-Star teams. That group included six returning players from last season's roster in addition to one newcomer. The returners included Brett Auerbach, Tyler Gentry, Justin King, Chase Lee, Jacob McNairy and Garret Rukes. Incoming junior Jackson Tate was selected to his league's All-Star squad to round out the seven who will be a part of the Alabama roster for the upcoming season. Highlighting the group was Auerbach, with the senior earning Most Valuable Player honors in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game thanks to his walkoff single to clinch the win for East squad.
The conclusion of the summer saw many of the Crimson Tide receive national attention from D1Baseball.com and Prep Baseball Report. The duo of senior Justin King and sophomore T.J. Reeves were each selected as PBR's Top Prospects in the Major League Dreams Showcase for the Northwoods League. In addition, the two were recognized by D1 as some of the top prospects at the Showcase while D1 also tabbed sophomore Dylan Smith as one to watch from the Perfect Game League.
Below is a look at how some of the Alabama players finished their summer campaigns.
Brett Auerbach | C/INF | Brewster Whitecaps (Cape Cod)
Auerbach closed out his time in Brewster as the team leader in runs (25), hits (43), walks (15) and stolen bases (11). Those numbers paired with his .297 average and 11 RBI to wrap up a standout summer for the California native.
Tyler Gentry | OF | Brewster Whitecaps (Cape Cod)
Gentry joined Auerbach on the Whitecaps roster, finishing as the team leader in doubles with 11 and ranking second in RBI at 22. The senior played in 44 games and added 17 runs, 10 walks and three stolen bases to his summer stat line.
Justin King | OF/INF | Willmar Stingers (Northwoods)
King paced Wilmar in RBI (35) while tying for the team lead in home runs (7). He also ranked second in doubles (11) and third in hits (52) to go with 29 walks and three stolen bases in his 57 games played.
Chase Lee | RHP | Bethesda Big Train (Cal Ripken)
The Cal Ripken League Player of the Year, Lee helped Bethesda to a summer title. His two-month campaign featured 51 strikeouts and seven saves to pace the Big Train and lead the league. Lee also led Bethesda in appearances and ERA at 1.04 (3 ER/26.0 IP) while ranking second in innings pitched.
Jacob McNairy | RHP | Mat-Su Miners (Alaska)
McNairy enjoyed a successful stint in Alaska with Mat-Su. The right-hander finished as the Miners' leader in saves (9) and ERA (1.25). McNairy's ERA was tops among league arms while his save total tied for the league lead.
T.J. Reeves | OF | Wisconsin Woodchucks (Northwoods)
Reeves saw time in 50 games and accumulated 182 at-bats to finish with an impressive .324 average that was second on the team. He also recorded 12 doubles and 10 home runs – both tied for the team lead – to go with 39 runs, good for third on the Woodchucks.
Dylan Smith | RHP | Amsterdam Mohawks (Perfect Game)
Progressing as the summer wore on, Smith's strong performance helped the Mohawks to the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League Championship. He finished with a 2.37 ERA (5 ER/19.0 IP) and tallied 28 strikeouts compared to five walks on the way to second team All-League recognition.
The Crimson Tide players will now return to campus for the upcoming 2019-20 academic year with classes starting on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
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