The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Toe and McCarty to Pitch in College Summer Baseball Invitational
6/3/2020 2:24:00 PM | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – UAB baseball graduated seniors Mac McCarty and Sylvester Toe will pitch in Collegiate Summer Baseball Invitational (CSBI) on Thursday, June 4, in the heart of Central Texas.
The CSBI in an invitation only, 4-team regionally formatted tournament featuring rosters composed of players from elite universities all around the country. The four teams were hand-picked by the CSBI coaching staffs and more than 70 teams will be represented.
The opening night of the CSBI will air on ESPN2 with two games at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. CST. The entire three-day event will be televised via a Pay-Per-View subscription which starts at $49.95 for the first 2,000 members and includes the entire 6-game tournament. 5% of the retail price of each subscription will be donated to No Kid Hungry (nokidhungry.org).
"This an incredible opportunity for our two guys to showcase their talent," said head coach Perry Roth. "With so many people hungry to watch baseball again and the games airing on ESPN2, I believe they will have a lot of eyes on them. The fact they were invited to pitch in this says a lot about their talent. With the season shortened and the draft shortened, this is a great chance for scouts to get a look at them. We hope this opportunity opens the door for them both in professional baseball."
McCarty was one of the most dominant closers in the country before the season came to an abrupt end. McCarty picked up five saves in 10 appearances. In 16 innings of work, he allowed just three hits and had a 0.00 ERA while striking out 16.
The Washington native and VCU grad transfer led the nation with a 0.31 WHIP and 1.69 hits per nine innings. His five saves led C-USA and ranked eighth nationally.
Toe was a perfect 2-0 in nine appearances as a senior. He pitched nine innings and had a 3.00 ERA while striking out seven. Throughout his four years, he made 45 appearances all from the bullpen. This year he picked up wins against Alabama State and Toledo.
The CSBI has been coordinated with local health officials and will include the full quarantining of everyone involved; From the players, coaches, umpires and broadcast team, everyone will be secured in a local hotel for the entirety of the week. All participants will be tested for Covid-19 upon their arrival, and will be checked daily for any medical conditions.
In addition to ensuring the safety of all the participants off the field, the CSBI staff is putting rules in place to ensure player safety on the field as well.
Brian Nelson, the Director of Baseball Operations, said "all of these players are beyond excited to get back out on the field. They missed their spring seasons and have been cooped up at home for a while now. But this is also why we have to be smart and extra careful about how we let the players re-enter competitive play. We are putting multiple rules and limitations in place like pitch counts, innings and appearance limits. This will allow us to expand the rosters and give a lot of players the opportunity to participant in this awesome event. This is a free event for the players and we just want coaches and families to know that their kids are being taken care of."
On the technology front, the CSBI has teamed up with Infinity Sports & Entertainment to ensure the streaming experience is as top notch as someone would expect a broadcast to be. Infinity Sports & Entertainment CEO, Uri Geva who has led Pay-per-View streaming events for almost 20 years, ranging for the Arena Football League, Professional Hockey, Minor League Baseball and International Cheerleading Championships was quoted - "This is an amazing opportunity to help showcase some of the best college baseball in the country, while raising funds for a charity and helping to provide some relief to everyone dealing with Covid-19's challenges."
The CSBI in an invitation only, 4-team regionally formatted tournament featuring rosters composed of players from elite universities all around the country. The four teams were hand-picked by the CSBI coaching staffs and more than 70 teams will be represented.
The opening night of the CSBI will air on ESPN2 with two games at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. CST. The entire three-day event will be televised via a Pay-Per-View subscription which starts at $49.95 for the first 2,000 members and includes the entire 6-game tournament. 5% of the retail price of each subscription will be donated to No Kid Hungry (nokidhungry.org).
"This an incredible opportunity for our two guys to showcase their talent," said head coach Perry Roth. "With so many people hungry to watch baseball again and the games airing on ESPN2, I believe they will have a lot of eyes on them. The fact they were invited to pitch in this says a lot about their talent. With the season shortened and the draft shortened, this is a great chance for scouts to get a look at them. We hope this opportunity opens the door for them both in professional baseball."
McCarty was one of the most dominant closers in the country before the season came to an abrupt end. McCarty picked up five saves in 10 appearances. In 16 innings of work, he allowed just three hits and had a 0.00 ERA while striking out 16.
The Washington native and VCU grad transfer led the nation with a 0.31 WHIP and 1.69 hits per nine innings. His five saves led C-USA and ranked eighth nationally.
Toe was a perfect 2-0 in nine appearances as a senior. He pitched nine innings and had a 3.00 ERA while striking out seven. Throughout his four years, he made 45 appearances all from the bullpen. This year he picked up wins against Alabama State and Toledo.
The CSBI has been coordinated with local health officials and will include the full quarantining of everyone involved; From the players, coaches, umpires and broadcast team, everyone will be secured in a local hotel for the entirety of the week. All participants will be tested for Covid-19 upon their arrival, and will be checked daily for any medical conditions.
In addition to ensuring the safety of all the participants off the field, the CSBI staff is putting rules in place to ensure player safety on the field as well.
Brian Nelson, the Director of Baseball Operations, said "all of these players are beyond excited to get back out on the field. They missed their spring seasons and have been cooped up at home for a while now. But this is also why we have to be smart and extra careful about how we let the players re-enter competitive play. We are putting multiple rules and limitations in place like pitch counts, innings and appearance limits. This will allow us to expand the rosters and give a lot of players the opportunity to participant in this awesome event. This is a free event for the players and we just want coaches and families to know that their kids are being taken care of."
On the technology front, the CSBI has teamed up with Infinity Sports & Entertainment to ensure the streaming experience is as top notch as someone would expect a broadcast to be. Infinity Sports & Entertainment CEO, Uri Geva who has led Pay-per-View streaming events for almost 20 years, ranging for the Arena Football League, Professional Hockey, Minor League Baseball and International Cheerleading Championships was quoted - "This is an amazing opportunity to help showcase some of the best college baseball in the country, while raising funds for a charity and helping to provide some relief to everyone dealing with Covid-19's challenges."
Players Mentioned
RHP
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