Hokie ClubOf the 20 Virginia Tech baseball players who are taking part in summer leagues around the country this summer, six of them have been named to, or have already played in, mid-season all-star games.
Rising sophomore Tony Balisteri was the starting shortstop for the North Division of the Northwoods League, and he went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Through 33 games with the Rochester Honkers, where he plays with fellow Hokie Austin Wates, Balisteri was hitting .284 with eight doubles, three home runs and 14 runs batted in.
Brothers Anthony and Buddy Sosnoskie are both playing for the Lake Norman Copperheads of the Southern Collegiate League, and both saw action in the recent all-star game for the North Division. Anthony started at catcher and went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored, while Buddy subbed in at first base and doubled and scored a run. Anthony has twice been named the league’s player of the week and was batting .400 through 36 games with seven home runs, 17 doubles and 35 runs batted in. Buddy was batting .284 in 28 games with six steals.
Ty Hohman started at second base for the Eastern Division All-Stars in the New York Collegiate League and went 1-for-2 with a run scored. He plays for the Saratoga Phillies, and was hitting .303 as of July 17th with four doubles in 17 starts.
Relief pitcher Kyle Cichy plays for the Luray Wranglers of the Valley League and pitched a scoreless, one-hit sixth inning for the North in the all-star game. Cichy has appeared in 13 games, making three starts, and had compiled a 1.76 earned run average and a 3-0 record with two saves. In 30.2 innings pitched, he has fanned 43 batters, while walking just seven.
Finally, left-handed starter Justin Wright has made the all-star game of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League after a first half in which he started a league-high seven games for the Bethesda Big Train and finished with a 2.45 earned run average. He has gone 3-1 in 33 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts and a .227 opponents’ batting average.
For a complete list of the Hokies playing in summer leagues this year and links to their stat pages, visit http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/2008_league.html