The Boys Of Summer Scatter From Tuscaloosa

While the Alabama baseball season ended last weekend at the NCAA Conway (S.C.) Regional many of the Crimson Tide players are scattered about North America this summer playing various collegiate summer leagues.

Alabama has 13 current players participating in seven different collegiate summer leagues this summer.

“I think this summer will be a good experience for all of our players,” Alabama Coach Jim Wells said. “They all will be playing against good competition each and every day, which will only make them better players, plus they will be getting top-notch instruction from some very good coaches. This is a great experience for all of them.”

Junior catcher Mike Sharp, sophomore third baseman Jake Smith, sophomore pitcher/outfielder Del Howell and freshman right-hander Jimmy Nelson will all play for the McKinney (Texas) Marshalls in the Texas Collegiate League for former Tide assistant coach Jim Gatewood. The TCL regular season runs from June 10-August 3, with the playoffs beginning on August 5.

Junior center fielder Alex Kubal, freshman pitcher Austin Evans and redshirt freshman middle infielder Jon Kelton will spend their summer with the Thunder Bay (Ontario) Border Cats in the Northwoods League. The league began play on May 29 and continues through August 11. The playoffs run from August 12-17.

Alabama’s freshman duo of Josh Rutledge and Ross Wilson will spend the summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Rutledge, a 2008 Freshman All-American, will play for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Wilson, who was named to the 2008 Conway Regional All-Tournament Team, will spend the summer with the Bourne Braves. The Cape Cod League opens play on Friday, June 13 and concludes on August 7. The playoffs run from August 9-14.

First-Team All-SEC outfielder Brandon May will spend his second straight summer with the Newport (R.I.) Gulls in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. May was named to the 2007 NECBL All-Star team following his freshman season last summer. The NECBL opens play on Friday, June 6 and the playoffs begin on Saturday, August 1.

Junior catcher Kyle Moore will spend this summer in Alaska after playing summer ball in Hawai’i last year. Moore will play for the Anchorage (Ak.) Bucs in the Alaska Baseball League. The league begins play on Monday, June 9 and concludes Friday, August 1. The playoffs are set to begin on Tuesday, August 2 with the winner advancing to play in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas in mid August.

Redshirt freshman Tyler White will pitch this summer for the Wilmington (N.C.) Sharks in the Coastal Plain League. The league began play on May 29 and White has already made two appearances. In 4 2/3 innings of relief, White has 11 strikeouts for the Sharks.

Freshman Connor Hoehn will play for the Youse’s (Md.) Orioles in the Cal Ripken Sr., Collegiate Baseball League. The Orioles are the defending league champions and have won five straight AABAA World Championships in Johnstown, Penn. The Ripken League opens play on Friday, June 6 and continues with the playoffs through August 8.