Jim Goulart

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com From Goat to Great Going from goat to hero and possibly a record tomorrow, Mat Gamel committed two errors in the 1st inning, allowing the Diamond Jaxx to get a 2-0 jump on the Stars, then vindicated himself with a spectacular catch that inning, and a 6th inning home run that put the game out of reach for the Diamond Jaxx (if such a thing is possible lately). Tonight was the first bobblehead giveaway of the Buck Rogers era........ Instead of handing them out at the gate as you came through the turnstiles, staff members handed out vouchers which would entitle them to one Ryan Braun bobblehead apiece upon leaving the gate after the game........ I can't say I liked the idea. Instead of standing in a line before the game, anxious to get home, you stood in a long one afterwards instead. For some odd reason, no one bothered to walk all the way down the right field side of the outer concourse, where there was no line at all in waiting for bobbleheads........ Going out the gate, I was offered $5 for mine.......... What a joke. $800 I'd think about. I realize it's been awhile since I've updated this site and I apologize for those who take the time to read it........ I have two jobs and between the two, I have three -- count 'em -- three hours to myself in the daily transition between one and the other....... That said, we can move on. After a 29-11 start, the Stars are looking more like the 1997 Stars than anything else ....... Scoring runs and getting hits at will (six runs and 10.6 hits per game), then giving away games after the bullpen comes in....... The Stars are 9-14 since manager Don Money became the winningest manager in Stars history........ They've hit .305, which actually is closer to the 1986 team that hit .307 after 63 games, than the '97 team (.277), but while the Stars keep the hits coming, the pen has gone 1-9 with five saves, seven blown saves, and a 5.21 ERA......... The rotation, by comparison, has gone 7-5 with a 3.93 ERA......... Don has tried one closer after another --- Joe Bateman, Patrick Ryan, Juan Sandoval, and now Omar Aguilar, waiting for someone to step up and be the one Don can rely on........ Tonight, he returned to Ryan with splendid results. David Welch, starting his first game after pitching a 2-0 no-hitter over Chattanooga last Monday, had a shaky 1st inning, and it looked as if this would be another wild one after Friday night's 13-12, four hour, 20 minute heartbreak hill....... The first inning took 33 minutes for both sides to complete....... But after throwing 31 pitches in the 1st inning, Welch settled down, getting a 3-2 lead on Gamel's two-run single in the 2nd, and retiring 15 of 22 hitters from the 2nd until he was done after 102 pitches in the 6th........With one out, Welch walked centerfielder Michael Saunders, then Mark Kiger lined a 2-2 pitch over Chris Errecart's glove into right, sending Saunders, who was going on the pitch, to third....... Michael Wilson, on a six-game hitting streak, tapped a ball to the left side, forcing Gamel to come in on the ball, an easy play still, but the ball hit off the heel of his glove and Wilson was safe on the error. Saunders scored......... With runners now on the corners, designated hitter Adam Moore hit a double play ball on an 0-2 pitch to Gamel, but Gamel's throw to start it sailed high and wide away from 2nd baseman Mike Bell for his 2nd error of the inning and the 15th of the season....... Gamel, who was plagued with these kind of errors at Brevard County last year, has made only four of those this year....... Kiger scored, giving the Diamond Jaxx, hungry to take back 1st place in the Northern division, a 2-0 lead........ Gamel began atoning for those mistakes with the next batter. Johan Limonta made contact with Welch's first pitch, popping it high toward foul territory. Gamel kept his eye on it though and made one of the finest catches of a foul ball I have ever witnessed at the Joe....... Running toward the short concrete barrier separating the fans from the field, Gamel, on the run, stretched his body over the barrier, two rows deep into the seats, and came up with the catch........ From that point on, the game belonged to Gamel, Welch, and the Stars, who now take a game lead over the Diamond Jaxx. Michael Brantley and Gamel singled to get something started for the Stars in the bottom of the 1st......... The Stars ran the risk of starting Gamel and Brantley with Angel Salome, who has a propensity for striking out, at the plate....... Salome did just that -- struck out on a 3-2 pitch with one out, and Gamel would have been out at second, but Luis Oliveros' throw sailed high into center, and Brantley scored easily, and the Stars were on the board....... After Cole Gillespie struck out on a slider in the 2nd for the first out, the Stars loaded the bases on a single to right by Mike Bell (now 8-for-19 in his last four games), a bloop single into short right field behind second base by Carlos Corporan, and a walk to Brantley....... Rich Dorman, who saw his string of 17 consecutive scoreless innings end in the 1st inning, struck out Alcides Escobar, but Gamel hit a 1-1 pitch up the middle, scoring Bell and Corporan, giving the Stars a 3-2 lead -- one which they would never relenquish....... In the Stars' 6th, Gamel topped a four-run inning with a two-run homer on a 1-1 pitch off Dorman, just clearing the first wall in left field. That gave the Stars a seemingly inaccessible 7-2 lead. Fortunately, it was enough for Welch, who threw 102 pitches, 68 for strikes, in his six innings of work....... After that 31-pitch 1st inning, Welch threw 22 in the 5th, and no more than 14 per inning in the game. Welch picked up his league-leading 8th win and lowered his ERA to 3.11........ Dorman, who picked up his first five outs via strikeouts, finished with eight -- two shy of Steve Hammond's league-leading total of 73. Gamel, a shoo-in in my opinion for the league MVP, is now two hits shy of 100 for the season....... Only one other Huntsville Star, D.T. Cromer in 1997, has ever reached that milestone total in June, and Cromer got there on June 25....... Tomorrow is the 8th. Sunday, Brae Wright (4-5, 3.86) will face left-hander Justin Thomas (3-5, 5.16)........Thomas is 0-2 with a 6.47 ERA in his last six starts........ Welch, who finished May with a 3-0 record and 3.74 ERA, has allowed just one run in his last two starts covering 13 innings....... Mat Gamel (.384), Michael Brantey (.342), and Alcides Escobar (.338) are 1-2-3 among the Southern League's best hitters (Angel Salome is only ten plate appearances shy of the 2.7 per game needed to qualify)........ If you think that's something, the top four RBI leaders in the league are all Stars -- Gamel (58), Matt LaPorta (52), Escobar (42), and Cole Gillespie (42).

Link while active, text follows: Huntsville regains division lead after beating up Diamond Jaxx Welch and bullpen sharp as Stars roll to 7-2 win By SKIP VAUGHN For The Huntsville Times, skip.vaughn@htimes.com Huntsville Stars manager Don Money was on the phone with his son before Saturday night's game against West Tenn. Don Jr. had called from New Jersey to wish his dad a happy 61st birthday. Money's daughter, brother and wife had called that morning. "Birthdays are birthdays," Money said. "It's mainly for kids. It's just another day that keeps coming around every year." Of late, Money has been hoping his bullpen will come around, having blown 13 of 31 save opportunities. Saturday's first-place battle wasn't a nailbiter, but Patrick Ryan got a save by tossing one-hit ball over the final three innings to preserve a 7-2 win before an announced crowd of 3,467 at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville (38-25) took a one-game lead over the Diamond Jaxx (37-26) with seven games left in the race for the Southern League North Division's first-half title. "If you can get a lead on them (in the race), everything's in your hands," Money said. The Diamond Jaxx used two errors by Stars third baseman Mat Gamel to strike for two runs in the first inning off starter David Welch (8-1). Welch went six innings with one strikeout and allowed two runs - one earned - on six hits and three walks. The first-inning trouble snapped his 17-inning scoreless streak and guaranteed he wouldn't duplicate last Monday's no-hitter. Ryan pitched three innings for his fifth save. First-year pitching coach Chris Hook addressed the team's recent bullpen woes. "Someone has got to take the bull by the horns and get it done," Hook said. "That's how streaks get broken." The Stars answered with an unearned run in their half of the first against West Tenn's Rich Dorman (6-2). Huntsville took the lead in the second on Gamel's two-out, two-run single that scored Michael Bell and Carlos Corporan, both of whom had singled. Gamel went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, a home run and a stolen base. He raised his league-leading batting average to .385 and compensated for the defensive miscues. "I had a good night at the plate," Gamel said. "Starting the night with two errors is never good. I felt like I had to come out and step it up. Had a couple of good pitches to hit and took advantage." The Stars went up 7-2 in the sixth on Alcides Escobar's two-run triple and Gamel's two-run homer. "It was very good pitching from starter (Welch) and Ryan," Money said. "After we made a couple of errors first inning, we had solid defense." The teams play the fourth of the five-game series today at 5:05 p.m.

Final: Huntsville 7, West Tenn (Mariners) 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Stars Slide Back into First Place Gamel Delivers Key Hits in Win Over Jaxx By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Mat Gamel overcame a tough defensive start to hit a home run and drive in four runs to power Huntsville to a 7-2 win over West Tenn Saturday night in the middle of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars improved to 38-25 and took a one-game lead over the Diamond Jaxx with seven to go in the first half. Mike Saunders walked with one out in the first and moved to third base on a single by Mark Kiger, who moved to second base on the throw to third. Mike Wilson then topped a ground ball to third that Gamel came in on and couldn't field cleanly, allowing Saunders to score, Kiger to advance and Wilson to reach. Adam Moore then hit a ground ball to Gamel, who tried to start a double play but threw the ball wildly past second base into right field, allowing Kiger to score, Wilson to move to third base and Moore to reach. Gamel then made a spectacular catch on a foul ball hit by Johan Limonta by leaning into the crowd and snaring a pop up on the backhand for the second out. Stars' starter David Welch, who threw a no-hitter last time out, then got Luis Oliveros to line out to end the inning. The runs scored were the first allowed by Welch over a 17-inning stretch dating back to May 23 against Birmingham. Gamel's two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the second inning put the Stars ahead to stay at 3-2. West Tenn starter Rich Dorman gave up a two-out single to Mike Bell in the third before setting down the next seven hitters to keep his team down by a run. Cole Gillespie led off the home sixth with a double and advanced to third with two outs before the Jaxx intentionally walked Michael Brantley to get to the righty-swinging Alcides Escobar, who had fanned twice and lined out in his first three trips. However, the Stars' shortstop spoiled the strategy by delivering a triple to center field to chase home both runners to make it 5-2. Gamel followed with a home run to left field, his 14th of the season, to finish the scoring. Welch did not allow another runner to advance past second base and stranded a runner at second in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. He gave up six hits, walked three and fanned one in picking up his league-high eighth win, and fifth at home. Dorman lost for the first time since April 15 after allowing a season high seven runs, six earned, on a season-high 11 hits, with four walks and eight strikeouts over six frames. The series continues Sunday evening with southpaw Brae Wright getting the starting nod for Huntsville against Diamond Jaxx left-hander Justin Thomas. Coverage of the game begins at 4:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com. Huntsville Box Score Michael Brantley on base four more times, now sporting an OBP of .421 - what a leadoff weapon; David Welch has eight wins, nobody else in the league has seven... Huntsville Game Log

Final: Fort Myers (Twins) 2, Brevard County 0 Game Summary from the Miracle's Site: VIERA, F.L. - Cole Devries tossed eight innings of shutout ball on Saturday night leading his Fort Myers Miracle to a 2-0 win over the Brevard County Manatees at Space Coast Stadium. Anthony Slama contributed in the blanking by working a quick ninth for the save. With the Miracle victory and a 4-3 win by Jupiter over Dunedin, the Miracle magic number is reduced to two, with a chance to clinch the division Sunday afternoon with another win and Dunedin loss. In his eight innings of work Saturday, Devries scattered just five hits and picked up five strikeouts squaring his record at 5-5. Devries dodged a couple of Manatees bullets to keep the shutout alive that included a third inning jam with runners at second and third and nobody out. Devries started the frame by hitting Yohannis Perez and surrendering a double to Martin Maldonado. After a come-backer to the mound by Brent Brewer, Devries would then fan Charlie Fermaint and get Lorenzo Cain to fly out to right ending the inning. A couple of 5-4-3 double plays in the Manatees fifth and sixth helped Devries escape those innings with the shutout still intact. Slama worked around a one-out hit in the ninth by Taylor Green to register his tenth save of the year. The Miracle offense would only need two swings on Saturday to provide the offense as a solo home run by Brian Dinkelman in the third and solo blast by Eli Tintor in the sixth gave the Miracle their only needed runs on the night. The final game of the four-game set will take place at 1:00 p.m. Sunday (12:00 Eastern) as Miracle right-hander Jeff Manship (7-2, 2.72) will look for his league-leading eighth win of the year against Manatees right-hander Josh Butler (1-7, 5.88). Brevard County Box Score Yohannis Perez hitting .406 in his last ten games but still slugging .299 overall -- he'll be 26 in October; the relatively warm Charlie Fermaint moved to the leadoff spot to spark something in this underwhelming offense, but went 0-for-4 ending a six-game hit streak; Brent Brewer has cut way back on the K's since moving to the FSL, but is only 4-for-31 with three walks, all four hits singles; fine pitching line for Alex Periard, and remarkably, the two home runs he allowed were the first two he's surrendered all season; other than Jonathan Lucroy, there's no forseeable help for this lineup coming up in the second half -- thank goodness for the Huntsville wave, because the gap at high-A and low-A looks pretty significant right now... Brevard County Game Log

Link while active, text follows: Power pull the plug on Legends' feeble first half Last-place Lexington leaves one on base By Mark Maloney mmaloney@herald-leader.com Maybe it was destiny. The off-field entertainment Saturday at Applebee's Park featured the talented drum corps known as The Bucket Boys. On the field, the Lexington Legends officially kicked the bucket. Their fourth consecutive loss clinched a first-half last-place finish in the Northern Division of the South Atlantic League. The West Virginia Power, second to last in the division, rode the arm of left-hander Chris Cody to a 4-2 victory. The Legends dropped to 19-42 overall, 9-24 at home. "His location was excellent," Legends Manager Gregg Langbehn said. "He keeps you off balance. We just didn't make very good adjustments." Cody (2-0) blanked the Legends on two hits over seven innings only last Monday. Saturday, he worked eight innings before giving way to Rob Bryson. Cody gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits. He also struck out seven and did not issue a walk. "I was lucky - everything was working except for my fourth pitch, my cutter," said Cody, who came to the Brewers system last year from the Tigers in a trade for pitcher Jose Capellan. "But it turned out I didn't really need it very much." The top five batters in the Lexington order went a combined 1-for-16. The Legends didn't leave a man on base until the ninth inning. "We were aware of that," Langbehn said. "We didn't do anything. We never threatened." Jonathan Lucroy's two-run homer in the first inning gave West Virginia a lead it would never lose. After Matt Cline looped a one-out single to short center, Lucroy jumped on a 1-2 offering by Legends right-hander Jack Leonhardt (2-5). He connected for a towering homer that hit the Ford sign beyond the left-field bleachers, his ninth blast of the season. Craig Corrado led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single. He moved to second on Matt Cusick's sacrifice. Corrado then stole third, his 25th swipe this season, and continued home when catcher Lucroy pegged the ball down the left-field line. Cline's first homer of the season, a line drive to left, made it 3-1 for the Power in the third inning. Jonathan Fixler led off the bottom of the inning with a first-pitch homer to the left-field bleachers, cutting the deficit to one run. "My game plan's to get ahead with my fastball and try to let my defense work for me," said Cody, who played collegiate ball for Manhattan. "I think the eight hitter, Fixler, he jumped me there. Hats off to him. He hit a pitch, so I'll be a little smarter next time." "I don't throw very hard, so having command is always a key for me. I try to make them miss with the barrel - let my fielders work behind me, and they did an excellent job of that tonight." West Virginia restored its two-run margin in the sixth. Caleb Gindl drew a leadoff walk. Steve Wilson doubled to the wall in left-center. Gindl never slowed at third and might have been cut down at the plate, but the relay throw from shortstop Cat Everett was up the first-base line. Catcher Max Sapp did catch Wilson trying to take third base on the throw. And that was that as the Legends were no-hit over the last four innings. As for Cody, Langbehn said: "I hope we don't see him anytime soon."

Final: West Virginia 4, Lexington (Astros) 2 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER HAND LEGENDS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE LOSS Chris Cody held the Lexington Legends to just two runs in eight innings of work at Applebee's Park on Saturday night as the Power won their 19th road game of the season with a 4-2 victory over the Legends. West Virginia's first of two home runs came in the first inning when Jonathan Lucroy smashed his ninth homer of the season off Jacob Leonhardt to give the Power a 2-0 edge. In the bottom of the inning, Lucroy's errant throw to third base in an attempt to throw out Craig Corrado ended up in left field, allowing Corrado to score. Matt Cline hit a solo homer in the third inning to make it a two-run game again before Jonathan Fixler responded in the next half-inning with a solo shot to bring the Legends back within a run. The Power scored their final run in the sixth inning when Steffan Wilson extended his road hitting streak to five games with a double off the wall in left field to score Caleb Gindl. Cody (2-0) issued six strikeouts and allowed just one earned run over eight innings to get the victory. Rob Bryson (3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get the save. Cody's eight inning outing was the longest for any Power pitcher this season. Leonhardt (2-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits over five and two-thirds. The Power improved to 27-34 with the win and the Legends fell to 19-42 with the loss. With the victory, the Power are guaranteed to have a winning record on the road in the first half. They have won 12 out of their last 17 games on the road. Eight Power players hit safely at least once and every batter in the starting lineup reached safely. Cline paced the Power with a 3-for-4 performance while Curt Rindal and Lee Haydel hit safely twice. Zelous Wheeler extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the eighth. Lucroy has scored a run in each of his last five games. The Power will finish the two game series with the Lexington Legends at Applebee's Park on Sunday night. Right hander R.J. Seidel (2-4, 5.32) will get the start for the Power and the Legends will counter with right hander Leandro Cespedes (2-4, 5.40). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM (5:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score Maybe by the time some of these Power players reach the majors, Milwaukee will have figured out how to win big league road games; Power outhit the Legends, 12-4; struggling Eric Farris moved to the 9 spot, Lee Haydel back leading off; coming off elbow pain in extended spring training, an outing in low-A made sense for 24-year-old Chris Cody, but it's past time to move him up again, Reid, especially given John Axford's recently announced DL stint in Brevard; Lexington stranded one all night... West Virginia Game Log

Looks like he's on his way for sure -- Link while active, text follows: Baseball Draft: Brewers take Sherrill in 12th round By Mike London Salisbury (N.C.) Post KANNAPOLIS - The wait was a little longer than Appalachian State junior right-hander Garrett Sherrill anticipated, but he was still ecstatic to be picked in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Friday. The Milwaukee Brewers made Sherrill, a 2005 A.L. Brown graduate, the 368th overall selection. That's No. 368 out of hundreds of thousands of draft-eligible high school and college players, so that's not bad. Sherrill was following the draft on the Internet when he got a call from the Brewers. Milwaukee representatives asked a few questions about his monetary expectations, heard what they wanted to hear and announced his selection a few minutes later. "I expected to go a little earlier, to be honest, but I'm definitely happy," Sherrill said. "The 12th round was about my cutoff for signing instead of going back to school for my senior year. All the teams knew that." Sherrill anticipates a signing bonus in the $60-65,000 range and expects negotiations between the Brewers and his advisor to be settled fairly quickly. His unofficial advisor will become his official agent if a contract agreement can be reached. "I expected it to be either the Brewers or the Chicago Cubs taking me all along, so that was no surprise," Sherrill said. "I'd talked to eight or nine clubs, but those were the two teams that seemed most interested." Sherrill, 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, was a phenomenal high school athlete at Brown, scoring 1,000 points for the basketball team, booming field goals for the football team and batting .400 and dominating on the mound for the baseball team. He won 26 games on the mound for Kannapolis American Legion squads and starred on three Area III championship teams. Sherrill began his career at ASU as a starter and was moved into the closer role as a sophomore. Sherrill ranks second in ASU history with 14 saves. He had six saves this season in a roller-coaster year in which his fastball was clocked at 93-94 mph. He fanned 45 batters in 35 2/3 innings, but his other stats - 1-4, 5.05 ERA - weren't that impressive. "I really wanted more consistency this year," Sherrill said. "There were times I felt like I couldn't be hit. There were other times when my arm felt a little tired, but I still wanted to be in there at the end of every game. That was my job." Sherrill's status was enhanced by a strong showing for the Hyannis Mets in the Cape Cod Baseball League the summer between his sophomore and junior years. He reported to Hyannis as a temporary roster player and emerged as a closer in the nation's elite wood bat league for college players. "I think the Cape experience was huge as far as scouts seeing me do well against quality hitters," Sherrill said. "The lineups there, the No. 8 and 9 hitters are the 3 and 4 hitters on their college teams, but they're also swinging wood instead of aluminum. Guys swinging wood, you can get away with a lot of pitches that aren't perfect." Sherrill's role as a pro will most likely be in the bullpen. The Brewers believe his fastball/slider combination works best as a reliever. The Cubs liked his changeup as a quality third pitch and envisioned him as a possible starter. "I'm open to any role," Sherrill said. "But I really like to close." Sherrill says his arm feels the best it has in a long while, and he's looking forward to his next assignment. Assuming he signs quickly, he'll probably be assigned to Helena, Montana, in the Pioneer League, but there's also an outside chance he could start out in the low Class A South Atlantic League with the West Virginia Power. West Virginia plays in the same league as the Kannapolis Intimidators, which would make for an interesting homecoming to Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium- and lots of ticket sales. "Getting drafted is one of those things you dream about from the time you start playing ball," Sherrill said. "The dream started to get more realistic when my teammates Zach Ward and Brett Bartles got drafted. This is a great opportunity, and I'm grateful to my family and coaches for everything they've done to get me here." More, including colbyjack's Brewerfan.net Scouting Report, can be found here http://www.goasu.com/autoimage/pNfMXC9.gif

Almost invariably, when you see young pitchers head to the D.L., it is after one, or often several, subpar outings, as they may try to pitch through some ailment before fully disclosing things to the training staff. That's a generalization, and we're not saying that was the case here. At Brevard, RHP John Axford heads to the seven-day DL retroactive to June 5th, Submarining RHP E.J. Shanks is activated from the DL in his place.

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime. Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 33 27 .550 - 19-11 14-16 W3 Memphis 31 31 .500 3.0 12-14 19-17 L1 Omaha 29 30 .492 3.5 15-17 14-13 L2 Nashville 26 34 .433 7.0 14-15 12-19 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 37 25 .597 - 20-12 17-13 L1 West Tenn 37 25 .597 - 21-9 16-16 W1 Carolina 33 28 .541 3.5 15-11 18-17 W1 Chattanooga 32 30 .516 5.0 20-15 12-15 W1 Tennessee 26 36 .419 11.0 13-19 13-17 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 39 22 .639 - 24-9 15-13 L1 Brevard County 31 30 .508 8.0 20-13 11-17 W1 Vero Beach 30 31 .492 9.0 18-12 12-19 L1 Daytona 29 32 .475 10.0 14-16 15-16 W2 Jupiter 29 32 .475 10.0 16-12 13-20 W1 St. Lucie 15 46 .246 24.0 7-24 8-22 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 36 24 .600 - 15-15 21-9 W2 Lakewood 34 26 .567 2.0 18-14 16-12 W2 Delmarva 33 26 .559 2.5 20-11 13-15 L2 Greensboro 33 28 .541 3.5 13-17 20-11 W5 Hagerstown 28 31 .475 7.5 12-18 16-13 L2 Hickory 28 34 .452 9.0 12-17 16-17 L3 West Virginia 26 34 .433 10.0 8-18 18-16 W1 Lexington 19 41 .317 17.0 9-23 10-18 L3

Follow Saturday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log" or "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_07_albaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_07_wtdaax_hunaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_07_ftmafa_breafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_07_wvaafx_lexafx_1

West Virginia's game at Lexington is also available for subscription viewing at MiLB.TV.

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Howard at home vs. Albuquerque (Marlins), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP David Welch at home vs. West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: RHP Alex Periard at home vs. Fort Myers (Twins), 6:00 PM gametime Audio link via the Miracle's SportsJuice site: http://www.sportsjuice.com/broadcaster2.aspx?bid=MTQ5-g%2fzH4cwYBjA%3d West Virginia: LHP Chris Cody at Lexington (Astros), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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Please keep in mind we have posted several day-after-draft newspaper links and updates on other Brewer draftees who may or may not sign. Those updates can be found in the threads on the Draft Forum discussing specific rounds of picks. We are hopeful that you are enjoying both our pre-draft coverage, courtesy of colbyjack's efforts, and our post-draft updates, which we are striving to make as timely and informative as possible. Thanks to all who continue to contribute to our effort. I'd also be remiss in not thanking again several of our moderators (you know who you are) who were all over the "during draft" coverage. So pre-, during-, and post-, we've got you covered.

Link Air Academy High School pitcher Dexter Price was picked in the 43rd round by Milwaukee. Price said he had signed to pitch at Auburn but would check into the Brewers' offer.

Cal-State Fullerton SS Joe Scott was also drafted by the Brewers last year (39th round) -- 41st round in '08.

Link Starting pitcher and the Cypress SUN Player of the Year Tommy Collier was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 29th round, and will be meeting with team representatives on Monday. He will be deciding to either accept the Brewers contract offer or to attend San Jacinto Junior College, and re-enter the draft next year.

Link while active, text follows: Bats rule the night Keene set to open its 11th NECBL season Ken Murphy Keene (NH) Sentinel Staff The Swamp Bats must be the team to beat in this, their 11th New England Collegiate Baseball League season. Keene opens its season tonight when it hosts the Holyoke Blue Sox at Alumni Field at 7 p.m. How else to explain that Keene's probable opening day starter, Liam Ohlmann, was plucked from the starting rotation by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 20th round of the first-year players' draft Friday, the 608th overall selection. Good enough for Keene. Good enough for the Brewers. Ohlmann, who was at Manchester (Conn.) Community College, went home to Connecticut to mull over Milwaukee's offer, according to Swamp Bats president Kevin Watterson. Not that losing a starter is going to put a crimp in the plans of first-year Coach Marty Testo, who will make his managerial debut tonight as the sixth head coach in Swamp Bats history. "It's a challenge I've looked forward to for a lot of years," Testo, Keene State's associate head coach, said on the eve of his Swamp Bats debut. "I'm going to play what we have, whether it's (a final roster) or not. I'm confident and the players are confident that whatever team we'll have out there can get the job done. We'll play what we have and go to battle with what we have. When I turn in that lineup card I'm going to be 100 percent confident that those guys can win a ballgame for us." Testo found out about the Ohlmann draft news after Friday's practice, and was not prepared to name an opening day starter until after this morning's team meeting after he had the opportunity to speak with possible replacements. Finding a pitcher will not be an issue, as the Swamp Bats, minus Ohlmann, will have 12 pitchers in uniform tonight.

Link while active, text follows: Hillcrest duo drafted by Brewers By Andrew Carroll Sports Writer, Tuscaloosa (AL) News Blake Billings and Wayne Dedrick, who helped Hillcrest High School win the Class 6A baseball championship last year, have been drafted by the same team. The Milwaukee Brewers picked Billings, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher, in the 19th round. Dedrick, a 6-2 third baseman, went in the 30th round. Billings has signed to play for Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa. Dedrick has signed to play basketball for Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. Dedrick, a guard, was named the most valuable player in the AHSAA Class 6A Tournament as the Patriots claimed the school's first basketball championship in February. Billings was eating lunch at a restaurant in Boston when he got the call. He made the trip with his brother, Brett, and Hillcrest teammates Bryant Wilson and J.T. Watkins. The four planned to watch the Red Sox play on Friday night. "I was pretty excited," Billings said. "This is something I worked on and tried to accomplish, and I finally did it. The round really was not a big issue with me. It just means a lot to anybody who wants to make to big leagues. When they get drafted, it's got to be the greatest feeling in the world." Dedrick, who has enrolled in summer school, took his call in Nashville. "I just got through lifting weights, and one of the scouts called me and told me I got drafted," Dedrick said. "I had my mind set on playing college basketball, and this opportunity came along. I really don't know what I'm going to do." Billings knows he has an opportunity to pitch at Shelton State, which made back-to-back trips to the JUCO World Series in Colorado. Shelton State coach Bobby Sprowl lost 16 sophomores off this year's team, and only two freshmen gained experience as pitchers. "Right now it's really too early to tell," Billings said. "If I sign, I think I'll go to Arizona in their rookie ball organization. "The good news is that I got my college out of the way and didn't have to worry about that during the season. I know that I would be going to a good program. Coach Sprowl has won a lot over past two years. I know he'll continue to win. Billings posted a 10-3 record and a 1.52 ERA during his senior year. He struck out 112 batters in 92 1?3 innings and finished with three shutouts and one no-hitter. Billings can throw a fastball, changeup, curveball and split-fingered fastball for strikes, but he said his main attribute is locating his pitches. "Coach (Todd) Agee (head coach) pulled me up when I was a sophomore and gave me the opportunity to pitch for the varsity," Billings said. "Again, that was a big step in my career. Coach (Jeff) Hinton (assistant) and I worked a lot together the last three years. He taught me a lot about pitching." Billings pitched a complete game in five innings when the Patriots beat Russell County 19-4 to close out the 2007 championship series. "Blake received the reward for the work that he put in," Agee said. "We knew he was going to be our workhorse on the mound this year. He had the velocity, but what made him such an effective pitcher was that he could throw four pitches for strikes. He had pinpoint control." Dedrick hit .402 with six home runs, 11 doubles, two triples and 22 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases. Playing for basketball coach Scott Suttles, Dedrick scored 25 points against LeFlore in the AHSAA semifinals. He scored 30 as Hillcrest won the title with a 66-55 victory over Homewood. "Wayne's athleticism is what caught the scouts' eyes," Agee said. "When he's in a big game, he turns it up another gear. "Both of them deserve what they're getting. I wish the best for both of them in the future. Dedrick said he started playing baseball because his dad enjoyed the sport. "To tell you the truth, I didn't really like baseball early on," he said. "I knew my dad loved it. This year I started falling in love with it. "Being at Hillcrest, I felt like the luckiest kid in the world. I've pretty much been around great people and great coaches. They knew what they were doing, and they cared about their players. I'm used to winning now, and I know what it takes to win. The hard work the coaches put us through gave me the opportunities I've had. And my parents being there for me all my life, I couldn't have done it without any of these people."

Again, looks like it will happen -- Link Shortstop Mikey Marseco became the highest draft choice in Samford history when he went in the 11th round to Milwaukee. Samford's Marseco will begin negotiations with the Milwaukee Brewers today and hopes to get a deal completed quickly. "I'm going to go off my gut feeling," he said. "I hope to get something worked out. I don't really think it will take too much. I'm happy to have this opportunity." Marseco was the Ohio Valley Conference's co-player of the year after setting Samford single-season records with 93 hits and a .419 batting average. In just three years, he ranks third at the school in career hits (247, 18 short of first place), batting average (.353) and runs scored (132 ). "I was hoping to go as high as possible, but the 11th round is still a great opportunity," he said. "I got about three phone calls in a row. They asked, `Can we draft you in the ninth round?' I said yes. `Can we draft you in the 10th round?' Yes." Much more, including colbyjack's Brewerfan.net Scouting Report, can be found here http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/samf/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/1651951.jpeg

More official "unofficial" turning pro updates -- Link VMI junior pitcher Michael Bowman was taken by Milwaukee in the ninth round, the highest a Keydet has been drafted since Ryan Glynn went in the fourth round in 1995. "It's crazy," Bowman said. "It shows how VMI has taken off." Bowman said he will skip his senior season and turn pro, Bowman wasn't the only Keydet that Milwaukee liked. The Brewers took junior catcher Michael Roberts in the 38th round. Bowman and Roberts became the first VMI juniors to be drafted since Glynn. Roberts said he is leaning toward skipping his senior season to turn pro. Much more on Michael Bowman, including colbyjack's Brewerfan.net Scouting Report, can be found here http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/MichaelBowman.jpg Michael Roberts Photo: http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/mikeroberts.jpg

Link Catalina Foothills (AZ) High School pitcher Kayvon Bahramzadeh was picked by Milwaukee in the 47th round but said he'll "probably end up going to college" at Kansas State next year.

Odorizzi runs to the rescue Game story, not only did supplemental first rounder Jake Odorizzi throw 111 pitches, it came on only three days' rest -- "We've been riding him like Big Brown here and he just battles"

This signing is official. Link while active, text follows: Brewers select ACU's Watten By Daniel Youngblood youngbloodd@reporternews.com (Abilene, TX) Abilene Christian University pitcher Trey Watten wasn't taken on the first day of baseball's 2008 First-Year Player Draft as he had hoped to be. But the Milwaukee Brewers made sure the 6-foot-4 right-hander wouldn't have to wait long to be selected on the second day. The Brewers took Watten in the seventh round with the 16th pick of the day on Friday, making him the 218th selection of the 2008 draft. Watten's already decided: He's turning pro. "I'm glad it's all over. It was nerve-racking," Watten said. "I wanted to get taken in the first day just so I could get it over with. But it's good to finally get taken. It was definitely worth the wait." Watten's selection comes after a stellar junior season in which he posted 10 wins and a 2.56 ERA in 98 1/3 innings. In just two years as a pitcher for the Wildcats, Watten went 20-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 167 1/3 innings. Watten's seventh-round selection makes him the second-highest ACU player selected in the draft, behind only Bill Gilbreth -- a third-round selection by Detroit in 1969. "It's a great feeling because I now know what I'm doing for the next three or four months of my life," Watten said. "Baseball's my priority now and not school, which has never been the case. I've been playing baseball my whole life and it was always school work first. Now I'm playing baseball for a living, and I'm just looking forward to the next thing that happens." Watten has already agreed to terms on a contract with the Brewers, and he will be fly to Arizona on Sunday for a minicamp with other Brewers draftees. After that, he said he will likely head to Montana to play for the Helena Brewers, Milwaukee's short-season Single A affiliate. "I'm glad he got that contract signed and done with as soon as possible," said ACU coach and Watten's uncle, Britt Bonneau. "The good thing is he's going to get to go and get a short season under his belt. He had such a good April and May, and I hope he's able to show that to (the Brewers) and get better." Heading into the draft, the Brewers, the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers had shown the most interest in Watten. Watten had pitched for scouts for all three teams, but a trip last week to pitch at Miller Park -- the Brewers' home field -- got the 22-year-old excited about the opportunity to pitch in Milwaukee. "I've always been excited about pitching in the major leagues, but after leaving there and that atmosphere, it just increased my excitement," Watten said. "Not only am I going to get to play professional baseball, but it's in a great city and for a great organization. It just gives me something to look forward to if I work hard enough." Before 2007, the notion of Watten pitching in the major leagues might have drawn blank stares. He came to ACU as a shortstop and spent his first year as a position player. But he began experimenting on the mound the summer after his freshman year and his career took off during his sophomore and junior seasons. He was able to mix a 92-93 mph fastball with two solid off-speed pitches to have immediate success for the Wildcats. Bonneau said he believes Watten's lack of experience on the mound actually improved his draft status. "Nobody knows what his ceiling is because he's only pitched two years. He's just now developing into kind of knowing what to do," Bonneau said. "I think that's a positive on his side because I think scouts knew here's a kid that's fresh. "He's a kid that doesn't have a lot of experience and he's a quick learner. Once he gets into the organization, in two or three years, here's a kid that's going to be 25 years old and have a chance to be in the big leagues." Much more, including colbyjack's Brewerfan.net Scouting Report, can be found here http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics3/200/FF/FFMQJXDZUDEZSJE.20070322221322.jpg