Ben Heath

August Awards: Lexington Legends

Minor League Baseball

In the second August monthly awards post, we’ll look at the best performances from the Lexington Legends for the month:

Hitter of the month: OF Jacob Goebbert

  • Stats: .390/.453/.520, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 24 R
  • Honorable Mention: Ben Heath, Jimmy Paredes, Kody Hinze, Jiovanni Mier

Pitcher of the month: RHP Tanner Bushue

  • Stats: 2-2, 2.64 ERA, 21 SO/11 BB, 30.2 IP, 5 GS
  • Honorable Mention: Jose Cisnero, Luis Cruz

MiLB Roundup: Legends win; Bats, Hot Rods lose; Jones, Casey, Popham earn wins; Gaynor, Cowgill, Shelby homer

Minor League Baseball

Chris Dominguez; UofL Photo

Highlights from Tuesday Kentucky MiLB action:

  • The Louisville Bats fell out of first place in the International League West Division after a 4-1 loss to Toledo. Right fielder Danny Dorn homered for Louisville.
  • Former UK infielder Michael Bertram homered for Toledo in the game.
  • The Lexington Legends closed out August with back-t0-back 10-run games in a 10-7 win over Hagerstown. Designate hitter Ben Heath slugged his fourth home run for Lexington and tenth home run of the season.
  • The Bowling Green Hot Rods finished their 2010 home schedule with a 13-9 loss to Fort Wayne. Right fielder Burt Reynolds hit a grand slam in his only at-bat for the Hot Rods.
  • Former UofL infielder Chris Dominguez was 4-4 with a double, triple and four RBI for low A Augusta.
  • Former WKU infielder Wade Gaynor was 4-5 with a home run, double, three RBI and two runs scored for low A West Michigan.
  • Former UK outfielder Collin Cowgill slugged his 16th home run of the season for AA Mobile.
  • Former UK outfielder John Shelby slugged his tenth home run of the season for AA Birmingham.
  • Former NKU left-handed pitcher and 2010 White Sox draftee Jarrett Casey earned his first professional win after pitching six shutout innings in a start for rookie-level Bristol.
  • Former NKU right-handed pitcher Nathan Jones improved to 11-5 on the season after pitching seven shutout innings in a start for high A Winston-Salem.
  • Former Murray St. first baseman and 2010 Padres draftee Wes Cunningham slugged his fifth home run for short-season Eugene.
  • Former Union College right-handed pitcher Marty Popham improved to 7-6 on the season after surrendering just two unearned runs in six innings for high A Kinston.
  • LCA alum Robbie Ross took a loss despite surrendering just two runs in six innings for high A Bakersfield.
  • Louisville native Seth Bynum was 3-4 with a double and run scored for AAA Syracuse.
  • Paducah native Daniel Webb was promoted to low A Lansing where he debuted with a loss after surrendering six runs, only two of which were earned, in five innings.

MiLB Roundup: Bats, Legends, Hot Rods lose; Revere tallies 4 hits, steals 3 bases; Shaffer, Wilson homer

Minor League Baseball

Ben Revere; Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Highlights from Saturday Kentucky MiLB action:

  • The Louisville Bats opened their three-game series against Toledo with an 8-3 loss. First baseman Todd Frazier was 2-3 with a run scored.
  • The Lexington Legends couldn’t salvage a series split in its final road game of the season after suffering a 6-5 loss to Kannapolis. Catcher Ben Heath was 2-3 with a triple and two RBI.
  • The Bowling Green Hot Rods opened their four-game series with Fort Wayne with a 3-2 loss. No Hot Rods batter tallied multiple hits in the game.
  • Lexington Catholic alum Ben Revere was 4-5 with a run scored and three stolen bases for AA New Britain.
  • Former UK outfielder Antone DeJesus was 3-4 with a double, triple and two runs scored.
  • Former UofL outfielder Boomer Whiting was 3-4 with a run scored for AAA Syracuse.
  • Former NKU outfielder Jake Shaffer slugged his ninth home run of the season for high A High Desert.
  • Covington native Neil Wilson slugged his fifth home run of the season for AAA New Orleans.
  • St. Mary’s alum Shawn Roof was 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored for AAA Toledo.
  • Louisville native Stephen Shackleford earned his second win of the season after throwing three scoreless innings for short-season Salem-Keizer.
  • Former Murray St. first baseman and 2010 Padres draftee Wes Cunningham singled in four at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 11 games for short-season Eugene.

Zych receives top Cape honors; Heath names SAL player of week; Ijames disappointed by draft process

College Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Latest links from around Kentucky baseball:

  • University of Louisville right-handed pitcher Tony Zych was named to the All Cape Cod League Postseason Team and received the league award for best reliever and top professional prospect.
  • Lexington Legends catcher Ben Heath was named South Atlantic League player of the week after batting .533 with three home runs, 10 RBI and four runs scored last week.
  • UofL rising redshirt junior outfielder Stewart Ijames told Jim Pickens of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer that based on where he was drafted he “basically had no choice but to return [to U of L].”
  • Michael Grant of the Courier-Journal reports Louisville Bats manager Rick Sweet says left-handed pitching Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman is ready to help the Cincinnati Reds in their major league bullpen.
  • Jason Beck of MLB.com reports the Detroit Tigers have sent former UK first baseman Ryan Strieby for additional tests on his oft-injured left wrist to try to identify the cause of the reoccurring injury.

MiLB Roundup: Legends catcher hits three HRs in loss; Cooper defeats Hot Rods; Bats lose; Rusin, Marks win

Minor League Baseball
Chris Rusin; Photo by UK Athletics

Chris Rusin; Photo: UK Athletics

Highlights from Friday Kentucky MiLB action:

  • The Louisville Bats snapped their eight-game winning streak with a 12-4 loss to Columbus. Designated hitter Wladimir Balentien was 2-4 with a triple, home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
  • The Lexington Legends blew an 8-2 sixth inning lead in an eventual 10-8 loss to West Virginia. Catcher Ben Heath posted one of the best performances of the season, going 3-4 with three home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored.
  • Danville native and 2010 Tigers draftee Patrick Cooper held the Bowling Green Hot Rods scoreless for six and one-third innings in a 4-2 West Michigan win. Cooper surrendered just two hits in the start.
  • Former UK left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin won his second consecutive start for AA Tennessee after surrendering two unearned runs in six innings. Rusin struck out six and walked one.
  • One-time UK outfielder Jason Kipnis was 2-5 with a home run, two RBI and one run scored for AA Akron.
  • Former UK catcher and 2010 Astros NDFA Marcus Nidiffer was promoted to short-season Tri-City of the New York-Penn League where he went 1-3 in his debut.
  • Former UK outfielder Sawyer Carroll slugged his seventh home run of the season for AA San Antonio.
  • Former UofL infielder Chris Dominguez slugged his 18th home run and drove in four runs for low A Augusta.
  • Former UofL left-handed pitcher Justin Marks picked up his second consecutive win after surrendering one run in six innings for high A Stockton.
  • Former NKU left-handed pitcher and 2010 White Sox draftee Jarrett Casey surrendered just five hits in 10 shutout innings but still took a no decision for rookie-level Bristol.