The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
2015 Blazer Baseball Summer League Update
7/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Six members of the UAB baseball team are spread from Ohio to Alaska competing in various collegiate leagues this summer.
Three Blazers are currently competing in the Alaska Baseball League (Luke Eigsti, Holt Davis, Matthew Furuto), two are playing for the San Luis Obispo Blues in California (Blake Johnson, Mitch Williams), while Ryan Ruggles is representing UAB in the Great Lakes League with the Lima Locos. Brett Blackwood played for the Eau Claire Express in Wisconsin earlier in the summer but has since returned home due to injury.
Below is a look at how each player is performing in the summer league ranks through July 5.
Ryan Ruggles | LHP | Lima Locos (Great Lakes)
After just completing his freshman campaign at UAB as a C-USA All-Freshman selection, Ruggles has been one of the leaders thus far for the Locos in the Great Lakes region. He is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 8.0 innings pitched, most recently earning his first win July 1. The Sheffield, Ala. native has struck out 10 hitters, including a six-strikeout effort vs. Southern Ohio on June 22.
Luke Eigsti | RHP | Chugiak Chinooks (Alaska)
A Blazer signee for the 2016 season, Eigsti has pitched four times for the Chugiak Chinooks, including one start. Thus far, he's totaled 5.0 innings pitched with six strikeouts and an ERA of 9.00.
Holt Davis | INF | Chugiak Chinooks (Alaska)
Davis is another Blazer playing for Chugiak in Alaska, and has appeared in 15 games thus far. He's hitting .250 with eight RBI off 12 hits and has drawn seven walks at the plate.
Matthew Furuto | INF | Chugiak Chinooks (Alaska)
A junior to be on the 2016 UAB squad, Furuto is one of Chugiak's leading hitters through 19 games with a .279 batting average and 17 hits. He's knocked in nine runs off two doubles and a pair of triples, and is one of the ABL's top hitters thus far in the summer season.
Blake Johnson | INF | San Luis Obispo Blues (California)
Johnson has appeared in 10 games for the Blues. He's hitting .222 with one run scored and one RBI.
Mitch Williams | C | San Luis Obispo (California)
Williams, who will be a senior on the 2016 UAB club, has had success alongside Johnson for San Luis Obispo, hitting .250 through 10 games. He's driven in three runs and scored five times for the Blues.
Brett Blackwood | INF | Eau Claire Express (Northwoods)
Blackwood hit .286 in six games for the Express with two RBI off six hits, before an injury ended his summer season.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official Twitter account of UAB Athletics (@UABAthletics).
