Christopher Murrill

End of season awards: Bowling Green Hot Rods

Minor League Baseball

The Bowling Green Hot Rods digressed in their second season from a 64-74 record in 2009 to a 61-78 record in 2010. The Hot Rods were slightly worse in the second half of the season than the first, but were consistently below average for the whole year. The season wasn’t without its highlights though as the Hot Rods led the Midwest League with 249 stolen bases, 64 more than the second place team. In the second end of season awards post we’ll look at the best performances at the plate and on the mound from Bowling Green in 2010.

Hitter of the year: 2B Tyler Bortnick

  • Infielder Tyler Bortnick spent all but 12 games in Bowling Green this season and finished the year as the only Hot Rod with a batting average above .300. Bortnick batted .303 with eight home runs, 45 RBI, 72 runs scored and 39 stolen bases in 113 games with the Hot Rods. Bortnick’s 39 steals were seventh most in the Midwest League, and he ranked tenth in batting average.
  • Honorable mention — Outfielder Brett Nommensen led the team with 10 home runs and 68 RBI…Outfielder Ty Morrison ranked second in the Midwest League with 58 stolen bases…Outfielder Christopher Murrill stole 28 bases and batted .292 in 70 games.

Pitcher of the year: RHP Alexander Colome

  • Right-handed starting pitcher Alexander Colome was the only Hot Rods’ pitcher with enough innings to qualify for the league ERA title to post an ERA below 4.00. On the season Colome was 6-6 with a 3.95 ERA in 22 starts for the Hot Rods. Colome struck out 118 batters and walked 45 in 114 innings.
  • Honorable Mention — Right-handed pitcher Kirby Yates posted a 3.30 ERA in 27 games, including 12 starts…Reliever Scott Shuman led the team with 14 saves…Left-handed pitcher Kyle Lobstein led the team with nine wins and 128 strikeouts.

Bowling Green Hot Rods May Awards

Minor League Baseball

May’s standout performances from the Bowling Green Hot Rods:

Hitter of the month: SS Tyler Bortnick

  • Stats: 31-94 (.330), 2 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 6 SB
  • Honorable Mention: Christopher Murrill, Brett Nommensen, Tyler Morrison

Pitcher of the month: RHP Alexander Colome

  • Stats: 4-1, 0.93 ERA, 5 GS, 26 SO, 29 IP
  • Honorable Mention: Jason McEachern, Shane Dyer, Kirby Yates, Scott Shuman

BluGrass Baseball Hot Rods April Awards

Minor League Baseball

We’re back on the April minor league award series with the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The first month of the season wasn’t kind to the Hot Rods, who stumbled out of the gate to the tune of a 5-17 record. Check out Bowling Green’s standout April performances below:

Hitter of the month: C Mark Thomas

  • Stats: .298/.365/.426 — 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R
  • It says a lot about the Hot Rods’ first month that the team’s most productive hitter played in just 14 of 23 games. Thomas led Bowling Green with two home runs, ranked second on the team with seven RBI and if he would have played in enough games to qualify for the percentage categories he would have led the team in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.
  • Honorable Mention: OF Christopher Murrill, 1B Ryan Wiegand

Pitcher of the month: RHP Shane Dyer

  • Stats: 1-2, 2.17 ERA, 20 SO/3 BB, 29 IP
  • If Dyer was upset at being sent back to Bowling Green to start 2010 he’s making his case for a promotion. The 2008 6th-round pick led the team in ERA and innings pitched. He even tallied a complete-game shutout in the month.
  • Honorable Mention: RHP Alexander Colome, RHP Wilking Rodriguez, RHP Kirby Yates

BluGrass Baseball MiLB Opening Day Highlights

College Baseball

Ryan Strieby; Photo via Flickr by mwlguide

The minor league season officially kicked off Thursday night, and there were no shortage of relevant Kentucky highlights to pass along. Check out these recaps of the local teams, plus notes from Kentucky alumni across MiLB:

  • Sam LeCure surrendered two runs in five innings to give the Louisville Bats their first win of the season, 5-3 over the Toledo Mud Hens. Chris Heisey, Todd Frazier, Daniel Dorn and Chris Valaika each tallied two hits. The two Kentucky natives, Josh Anderson and Chris Burke, were a combined 0-10 batting in the top two spots in the lineup. (Box Score)
  • University of Kentucky alum Ryan Strieby was 1-3 with a home run for the Mud Hens.
  • The Lexington Legends dropped their first game 5-2 to Charleston, but 2009 second round pick Tanner Bushue made his Lexington debut with 4.1 scoreless innings. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out six. 2009 Astros’ first round pick Jiovanni Mier was 1-4 in his debut. (Box Score)
  • The Bowling Green Hot Rods season got off to an inauspicious start with a 7-2 loss to Fort Wayne in the team’s Midwest League debut. Leadoff man and center fielder Christopher Murrill was 3-5 in his Bowling Green debut, and Brett Nommensen and Mark Thomas each tallied two hits. (Box Score)
  • Eastern Kentucky University alum Christian Friedrich took the loss in his AA debut for the Tulsa Drillers, but allowed just one run in six innings. He surrendered four hits, walked two and struck out five. (Box Score)
  • Lexington native Ben Revere was 1-4 with a run scored in his AA debut for the New Britian Rock Cats. (Box Score)
  • UK alum Collin Cowgill was 2-4 with a double in his AA debut for the Mobile BayBears. (Box Score)

Bowling Green Hot Rods 2010 Opening Day Roster

Minor League Baseball

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have released their 2010 Opening Day roster for its first season in the Midwest League. The Hot Rods will feature four players, right-handed pitchers Shane Dyer, Jairo De  La Rosa and Deivis Mavares and infielder Robi Estrada, who spent part of 2009 with the team. Five 2010 Hot Rods were ranked by Baseball America on the Tampa Bay Rays’ top 30 prospects list, and I’ve included those rankings next to the players’ name below.

Pitchers

  • RHP Alexander Colome (BA #7) — NDFA (2007)
  • RHP Jairo De La Rosa — NFDA (2002)
  • RHP Shane Dyer — 6th Round (2008)
  • LHP Kyle Lobstein (BA #11) — 2nd Round (2008)
  • RHP Deivis Mavares — NDFA (2007)
  • RHP Jason McEachern (BA #25) — 13th round (2008)
  • RHP Wilking Rodriguez (BA #17) –NDFA (2007)
  • RHP Scott Shuman — 19th Round (2009)
  • LHP Matthew Stabelfeld — 41st Round (2009)
  • LHP Jake Sullivan — 22nd Round (2009)
  • RHP Kirby Yates —

Catchers

  • Mayobanex Acosta — R/R — NDFA (2006)
  • Tomas Francisco — R/R — NDFA (2006)
  • Mark Thomas — R/R — 22nd Round (2006)

Infielders

  • SS — Tyler Bortnick — R/R — 16th round (2009)
  • 3B — Julio Cedeno — R/R — NDFA (2006)
  • 2B — Robi Estrada — S/R — 19th round (2006)
  • SS — Diogenes Luis — S/R — NDFA (2006)
  • 1B — Eli Sonoqui — L/L — 9th round (2006)
  • 2B — Kyle Spraker — R/R — 34th round (2009)
  • 1B — Ryan Wiegand — L/R — 25th round (2009)

Outfielders

  • CF — Dustin Bell — L/R — 5th Round (2007)
  • LF — Ty Morrison (BA #14) — L/R — 4th Round (2008)
  • CF — Christopher Murrill — L/L — 35th Round (2009)
  • RF — Brett Nommensen — L/L — 8th Round (2009)