The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Staying Active In Summer Baseball Leagues
7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 10, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Five members of the UAB baseball team are currently honing their skills in summer leagues across the country, ranging anywhere from Massachusetts to Alaska.
Second baseman Nick Crawford, who hit .292 in 56 games for the Blazers last season, is spending his summer with the Hyannis Mets of the prestigious Cape Cod League. Through games of July 9, Crawford leads Hyannis with a .361 batting average and 14 runs scored.
Keep up with Crawford through the official Cape Cod League website at capecodbaseball.org.
On the other side of the continent, pitcher Ryan Woolley is playing for the Athletes in Action Fire of the Alaska Baseball League. Woolley, who sat out the 2009 college season after transferring and was recently drafted by the Atlanta Braves, has appeared in five games for the Fire through July 9. He owns a 3.38 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.
Last summer, Crawford played in Alaska along with fellow Blazers Brint Hardy and Jonathan Merritt. Hardy was named the league's player of the year.
Follow Woolley at alaskabaseballleague.org, the official site of the Alaska Baseball League.
A pair of Blazers -- infielder Keith DePew and outfielder Danny Volk -- are playing together this summer for the Union City Greyhounds of the KIT (Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee) League. Through games of July 9, the Greyhounds are in first place, while Volk is hitting .258 and DePew checks in at .238. Both players saw limited action as reserves for UAB last season.
Keep up with DePew and Volk through the KIT League's official site at kitleaguebaseball.com.
Pitcher Trey Vice is also on the mound this summer, playing for the East Alabama Big Train of the Great South League. The Big Train play in Jacksonville, Ala., and currently lead the league's West Division through July 9.
Follow Trey Vice through the Great South League's official website at greatsouthleague.com.
UAB's five summer league players helped the Blazers to a 31-26 record in 2009 as the team reached the 30-win mark for the first time since 2005. UAB closed the campaign with wins in four of its final six Conference USA series.
