June 24, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The summer baseball season is underway and a number of Blazers are playing for teams all around the country. Redshirt freshman Devin Hamilton is this week's Florida Collegiate League Player of the Week, while sophomore Andrew Manning was the league's player of the week last week.

Hamilton is batting .256 with two home runs and six RBI playing with the Sanford River Cats, while Manning is batting .275 with a home run, four RBI and has five stolen bases for the Orlando Suns.

Junior Robert Brewster is also a member of the Orlando Suns and has appeared in one game on the mound in which he threw one scoreless inning.

Junior third baseman Luke Stewart has 18 RBI, seven doubles and three home runs playing with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League.

Three Blazers are playing with the Athletes in Action Alaska Fire. Senior right fielder Brint Hardy leads that club with a .472 batting average. Hardy has one home run and six RBI and has stole six bases.

Also playing with the Fire are UAB's young middle infield in junior Jonathan Merritt and sophomore Nick Crawford. Crawford is batting .231, while Merritt is hitting .222.

Senior RHP Mitch Kloskowski and junior catcher Digger Towe are each playing for the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League. Kloskowski has made two starts so far this summer, while Towe has seen limited time.

Junior catcher Kevin Cope is playing with the Bolivar A's of the New York Athletes in Action League. Cope is batting .341 with four doubles and 11 RBI.

In the professional ranks, former UAB first baseman Ryan Keedy has continued to excel at the next level. The Gardendale, Ala. native is batting .381 with a double and four RBI, while boasting a .458 on base percentage after playing six games with the Boise Hawks in the Class A Short-Season Northwest League.