Penn State softball player interns with the Spikes

By: Keith Hejna, Penn State Athletic Communications Student-Assistant

Last year, at Penn State softball games, Meghan Wolfer’s only responsibility was to play. Everything else was handled by others. The grounds crew took care of the field, the marketing department promoted the games, and the athletic communications department kept the statistics.

This year, as a marketing intern for the State College Spikes – the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class A minor league team – Wolfer has gotten the chance to carry out the other responsibilities that come along with a baseball team beyond playing.

“I really enjoy it,” she said about her internship. “It gives me a chance to see things from the other side.”

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Meghan Wolfer on 70s theme night during her internship with the State College Spikes.

Prospect Chatter

Prospect Chatter
18 09 2007

In Sunday’s Centre Daily Time, we rated the Top 5 prospects from the 2007 State College Spikes.

To say the least, there were some tough decisions to be made.

Making the cut were pitcher Duke Welker, catcher Andrew Walker, pitcher Tony Watson, first baseman Justin Byler and outfielder Austin McClune.

One of the most difficult decisions involved whether left-hander Daniel Moskos should have made the list.

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Spikes’ attendance climbs in second season

By Guy Cipriano

Curve Baseball LP managing partner Chuck Greenberg has moxie.

Or bravado. Or good leadership skills.

Or a crystal ball. After last season, Greenberg said the State College Spikes attendance in 2006 — a healthy 3,851 fans per game — would be the franchise’s lowest.

Talk about putting pressure on your employees.

This was like George Steinbrenner telling Billy Martin he needed to win a particular game or his job was somebody else’s.

Okay, maybe it’s not fair to put Greenberg, one of finalists to become the president of the Pittsburgh Pirates, in the same class as Steinbrenner. Okay, nobody is in the same class as Steinbrenner. But you get the point.

For a minor league owner, Greenberg made a bold statement.

Looking back on the Spikes’ second season, the statement was a valid one.

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Pirates fire GM Littlefield

Spikes react to club’s latest move

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com

UNIVERSITY PARK — On the day the State College Spikes concluded their second season, their parent club ended the tenure of a high-ranking baseball official.

The Pittsburgh Pirates started distributing blame for their woes by firing general manager Dave Littlefield on Friday. The decision could impact the Spikes because the Pirates are responsible for the team’s baseball personnel.

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Spikes End Record Setting Season With 4-3 Win

UNIVERSITY PARK – The State College Spikes closed out their 2007 season with a 4-3 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Friday evening. The team finished the season with a 36-39 record thanks to a four-game winning streak to end the year. The team also saw unsurpassed success in the stands, as 151,394 fans walked through the gates of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park during the team’s second season, an increase of nearly 13,000 fans from the inaugural campaign.

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NY Times: A Pirates Farmhand Has the Skinny on Chamberlain

By JACK CURRY

Published: September 9, 2007

Every time Joba Chamberlain pitches for the Yankees, John Fitzpatrick, a Class A first baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization, is reminded of his brief, brilliant history against him. 

“Hey, Fitzy, he still hasn’t given up a run,” Fitzpatrick’s teammates on the State College (Pa.) Spikes tell him.

Of course, Fitzpatrick knows that. Last year in college, he did something that no major league hitter has been able to do this season. He hit a home run off Chamberlain.

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Spikes end season with win

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com

 UNIVERSITY PARK–Some started playing in January on teams that trained rigorously to qualify for the College World Series. Another batch started this season in March learning the game from Pittsburgh Pirates instructors in the sweltering Florida heat.

The groups converged in June.

Now, many players who became known as State College Spikes are stuck in a predicament only baseball can provide.

They have spent months away from their friends and families.

Yet returning to a normal life can be challenging after nights such as Friday.

The Spikes ended their second season by defeating Mahoning Valley 4-3 before 3,794 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The victory was the team’s fourth straight.

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State College Spikes starting pitcher Nicolas Suero fires to the plate against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Friday, Sept. 7, 2007.

Scrappers end year with loss

By BILL ALBRIGHT

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers were hoping to finish the 2007 season in the same manner as they started it, with a win.

However, Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, State College would have nothing to do with the plan as the Spikes won the final game of the season by a 4-3 score before a crowd of 3,794.

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9/07 – State College 4 Mahoning Valley 1

September 6, 2007
	Final    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E   Mahoning Valley   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0      1   7   1   State College   0   0   0   0   4   0   0   0   X      4   10   0  box | log W: Z. Duke (1-0, 1.59); L: G. Rieck (3-1, 2.00); SV: D. Moskos (1) HR: None.

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Spikes’ defense helps Duke earn win

By Guy Cipriano 

UNIVERSITY PARK — The inning included two telling ovations, one directed from a temporary member of the State Colleges Spikes to a permanent one, another directed from the fans to the 24-year-old they paid to see.

When witnessed from somewhere inside Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the ovations told the story of Game 74 of this 75-game season.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Zach Duke applauded left fielder James Barksdale’s diving catch during the sixth inning of Thursday’s 4-1 victory over Mahoning Valley.

The 4,667 fans who entered the ballpark then applauded the brush with the big leagues that accompanied Duke’s rehabilitation assignment.

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Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitcher Zach Duke, on rehab assignment with the Spikes, throws a pitch against Mahoning Valley on Thursday September 6. CDT/Christopher Weddle

Duke Deals Spikes to 4-1 win over Scrappers

UNIVERSITY PARK – The State College Spikes pushed their winning streak to three games thanks to a 4-1 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Thursday evening. Pirates’ hurler Zach Duke made the start for the Spikes and was truly impressive over his 5.2 innings of work as he continued to rehab his left elbow. The southpaw allowed one run on three hits, while walking one and striking out three. In what is most likely his final rehab appearance before rejoining the Buccos, he tossed 89 pitches with 57 of them going for strikes.

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Major Leaguer Duke solid in rehab start

By Dean Myers

Collegian Staff Writer

Fresh off of what is likely to be his final rehabilitation assignment before rejoining the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitcher Zach Duke stood pressed against the State College Spikes’ clubhouse wall surrounded by reporters. With several voice recorders held toward his face, he was calm, cool and collected while he fielded post-game questions.

He had the poise and look of a man completely comfortable and in command of his situation. In command not only of the moment, but for what must have been the first time in months, his career.

On a night when the Spikes’ parent club saw two of their prized top young pitchers combine to surrender 10 runs in four and a third innings, the club received some desperately needed good news.

Not only did its Single-A affiliate Spikes win 4-1 but its star pitcher, Duke, had five and two-thirds innings of three hit, one run baseball.

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Zach Duke threw 57 strikes during his five innings of work for the Spikes.

9/06 – State College 4 Mahoning Valley 1

September 6, 2007
	Final    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E   Mahoning Valley   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0      1   7   1   State College   0   0   0   0   4   0   0   0   X      4   10   0  box | log W: Z. Duke (1-0, 1.59); L: G. Rieck (3-1, 2.00); SV: D. Moskos (1) HR: None.

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Duke gets the win, Moskos with the save

Duke had a sharp outing.  He started slowly but in his middle innings he was crips albeit not overpowering.  After reaching his pitch limit in the sixth Zach was pulled with one runner on.  That runner came round to score so the official book will show Zach with 5 2/3 innings worked with only one earned run given up.

Daniel Moskos came on in the ninth and recorded his first save of the year.   The Pirates have spent an awful lot of money on Moskos this year and have little to show for it.

9/06 – Spikes Game Notes

MAHONING VALLEY SCRAPPERS (37-35) @ STATE COLLEGE SPIKES (34- 39)Thursday, September 6 – 7:05 PM

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park – University Park, PA

Game # 74 – Home Game # 36

RHP Josh Judy (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Zach Duke (0-0, – . –)

SPIKES’ STARTING PITCHER: Pittsburgh Pirates‘ LHP Zach Duke will make his fourth rehabilitation start when he takes the mound for the State College Spikes tonight at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Duke is rehabbing from left elbow tendonitis and was placed on the Pirates’ 15-day DL on 7/1/07 and moved to the 60-day DL on 8/14/07. Before his injury, Duke was 3-7 with the Pirates with a 5.79 ERA in 17 starts. Drafted in the 20th round out of Midway High School in Midland, Texas, the 24-year old Duke made his major league debut with the Pirates halfway through the 2005 season after a 12-3 start in Indianapolis (AAA). Duke busted out of the gates, sporting an 8-2 record, and 1.81 ERA in 14 starts and finished fifth in the 2005 National League Rookie of the Year balloting. In 2006, Duke went 10-15 with a 4.47 ERA en route to working 215.1 innings pitched. Zach has made three rehabilitation starts already – two for the Gulf Coast League Pirates (Rookie – A) on 8/22 (2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K) and 8/27 (4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K) while also starting a game against for Indianapolis which he lost against Louisville on 9/1 (3.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K). Duke is expected to return to Pittsburgh to join the Pirates after his outing in State College. Among the many of Zach Duke’s accomplishments are two-time National League-Rookie-of-the-Month in 2005 and in 2005 was tine International League’s Most Valuable Player, while also being named to the MLB futures team that same year. In 2004 Duke was named the Pirates’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

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