Eddy Nunez

Position: Pitcher
Height: 6′1″
Weight: 149

Throws: L

Experience: Minor League

Previous Team: Dominican Summer League

Draft Position: 2004 free agent signing

Assigned to Bradenton Pirates in the Gulf Coast league

Promoted to State College: 8/28/2007

8/26 Game Notes

BATAVIA MUCKDOGS (26-37) vs. STATE COLLEGE SPIKES (31-33)
Tuesday, August 28- 7:05 PM

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park – University Park, PA

Game # 65 / Home Game #31

RHP Nicolas Suero (3-4, 3.12) vs. RHP Clay Long (0-5, 3.94)

SPIKES STARTING PITCHER: RHP Nicolas Suero will make his 13th appearance (10th start) of the 2007 campaign tonight. The righty from Elias Pinas, DR is 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA having tossed 66.1 innings. Suero has established himself as one of the finer control artists in the New York-Penn League this year, as he has struck out 39 batters while walking only two. He has walked .23 batters per nine innings which is one of the lowest ratios in all of Minor League Baseball. Nicolas also enjoys the confines of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, as the righty is 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA at home, while he has induced eight of his nine ground-ball double-plays at home. Suero has not faced the Batavia Muckdogs yet this year. In his last four starts, Suero is 2-1 and has allowed six earned runs in 23.0 innings of work. Against Jamestown on August 23, he took the loss after allowing four runs on 10 runs over his 6.0 innings of work.

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Ron Pena

Position: Catcher

Height: 5′9″
Weight: 191

Bats: R

Throws: R

Experience: Minor League

Previous Team: Dominican Summer League

Draft Position: 2006 free agent signing

Assigned to Bradenton Pirates in the Gulf Coast league

Promoted to State College: 8/28/2007

Amato returns to Happy Valley as Spikes add 3

Gary Amato has a homecoming of sorts.  

 RHP Amato had a standout season for Penn State this past spring and was hopeful that he would be assigned to State College when he was drafted by the Pirates.  Unfortunately, Gary didn’t show enough in his short workout in Florida before the short season started and thus found himself assigned to the Bradenton Pirates in the Gulf Coast League.  Today he finally made it back to Happy Valley.

Joining Amato with the Spikes are LHP Eddy Nunez and C Ron Pena.  Nunez and Pena were brought on board after playing in the Dominican Summer League.

BYLER’S BAT LEADS SPIKES TO VICTORY, 8-3

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Spikes were able to avoid a fourth consecutive loss thanks a coming out party offensively with an 8-3 win over the Williamsport Crosscutters at Historic Bowman Field on Monday night.

RHP Brandon Williams (1-1), allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking one over five innings making just his third start of the year to get the win, but the story of the night was the offensive outburst of Spikes first-baseman Justin Byler. 

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Uviedo recalled as part of Pirates’ roster shuffling

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com

WILLIAMSPORT — The late-season roster shuffles within the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system continue to impact the State College Spikes.

The Pirates promoted closer Ronald Uviedo to full-season Hickory on Monday. Uviedo, who pitched Sunday against Williamsport, led the Spikes with 12 saves and 21 appearances.

The promotion comes less than two weeks after the Pirates sent Spikes ace Tony Watson to Hickory. Uviedo, a 20-year-old non-drafted free agent from Venezuela, is the fourth Spikes promoted to Hickory.

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Byler’s big night helps Spikes top Williamsport

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com

WILLIAMSPORT — State College Spikes first baseman Justin Byler stood in the on-deck circle and watched Williamsport’s Tyson Brummett throw three pitches to Keanon Simon.

Byler then adjusted his gloves, trotted to the batter’s box, grooved his feet into the dirt, took a prolonged practice swing and worked himself into a 2-0 count.

Byler finally saw the pitch he wanted and his purpose became clear.

Byler lifted a changeup into left field for a double during the fifth inning of Monday’s 8-3 victory at Bowman Field.

Byler’s third at-bat resembled his first two.

He wanted to hit the ball hard. He did hit the ball hard.

Byler went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and he hit the ball hard enough to help the Spikes (31-33) split the 12-game SawBuck Series with the Crosscutters (27-38).

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Cutters split SawBuck Series after loss

By IAN QUILLEN, iquillen@sungazette.com

Left fielder Michael Taylor just turned and watched it fly.

After all, everyone in Bowman Field knew it was headed out of the yard. And with Justin Byler batting Monday night, it shouldn’t have been a big surprise.

Byler’s three-run, third-inning home run broke a 2-all tie and headlined a sensational personal night as the State College Spikes ran off with an 8-3 victory over the Williamsport Crosscutters.

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Mirror images

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com

It’s called the Inner Loop, and nothing about the section of Houston, Texas, resembles central Pennsylvania.

The baseball season doesn’t have a defined beginning or ending, and enough talented players reside in the area to stock some major college programs.

State College Spikes shortstop Brian Friday and catcher Andrew Walker, and Williamsport Crosscutters pitcher Joe Savery know the Inner Loop well. The area’s baseball culture shaped the careers of the three players participating in the second edition of the SawBuck Series.

Friday, Walker and Savery attended high schools separated by less than five miles. Their ability to flourish in a condensed area represents one reason they now play in an expansive section of Pennsylvania.

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