Lefty Set to Start Game 1 Tonight

The Wilmington Sharks and the Coastal Plain League announced Thursday that Morehead City’s Joe Sclafani was named the Rawlings Hitter of the Week, while the Tri-Pitchers of the Week honors went to the Sharks’ Mat Batts, Asheboro’s Joshua White, and Florence’s Hunter Adkins for week nine of action (July 26 - August 2).

Batts threw a complete game against Florence in game one of the July 29 twin bill. The left-handed sophomore out of UNC Wilmington went seven innings, surrendering just four hits while striking out seven RedWolves. Those numbers gave the 6-0, 195-pound Batts the win and a perfect 0.00 ERA on the week.

Batts’ final CPL regular season stats come out to a 3-3 record with a 1.89 ERA, a mark that gives him the fourth-best ERA in the league. Batts finished with two complete games in 62.0 total innings of work and struck out 54 batters, tied for the most on the Sharks, while holding opponents to a .227 batting average.

Sclafani batted a league-best .500 average on the week with 14 hits. The junior from Dartmouth also had a pair of doubles, two homers and five runs scored, to go with a league-high 12 RBIs. Furthermore, Sclafani racked up 22 total bases, had a slugging percentage of .786, an on-base percentage of .559 and was walked five times.

On the mound, White, a junior at Limestone, finished the week with a perfect 0.00 ERA and 1-0 record. He made one start, throwing a complete game shutout on July 29 vs. Petersburg. In nine innings of work, the 6-0, 195-pound right-hander scattered just two hits, while walking one and striking out five. Further, he held opposing batters to just .067 against him.

Meanwhile, Adkins and Batts also threw complete game shutouts in their respective appearances. Adkins, a sophomore at Middle Tennessee State, had his come against Wilmington in game two of a doubleheader on July 29. The 6-4, 195-pound righty pitched seven innings of two-hit baseball, walked one and struck out eight to earn a 0.00 ERA and 1-0 record.

The Wilmington Sharks are members of Coastal Plain League, the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league.  Celebrating its 15^th season, The Coastal Plain League features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.  The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats.  Players are housed with local host families for the summer.  The CPL has had over 930 alumni drafted and 45 alums make their Major League debut thus far.  For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.