Sixteen Sun Devil baseball student-athletes took their talents to various summer baseball leagues across the country, including the Cape Cod League, Northwoods League and the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
Since the midway point of the summer season recently passed, let’s hand out some grades and analysis on how the 2013-14 Sun Devils are doing.
NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
OUTFIELDER/INFIELDER DAVID GRAYBILL – Newport Gulls: B
Graybill had himself a quality first half of summer baseball. He batted .260 with three doubles, a home run and four RBIs. The rising sophomore has not committed an error in the field and he crossed plate ten times for the Gulls.
The 6-foot-5, 220 pound athlete was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2012 draft. Being a local product out of Phoenix, Arizona, Graybill is in line to make a bigger impact next year for the Sun Devils.
RHP DARIN GILLIES – Newport Gulls: B-
Gillies showed signs of struggling this summer, but his statistics are not as bad as they look. Despite allowing 11 runs (six earned) this summer, he has struck out 12 batters and only allowed two walks.
Yes the 4.15 ERA is a bit too high for appearing in five games, but the 6-foot-4, 200-pound righty has found more control in his 13 innings of work. He has only one wild pitch after hitting nine batters and throwing four pitches to the backstop this past spring.
Maybe he fixed his pitching mechanic to be more accurate, but he has allowed three doubles and leads the team with two home runs allowed this summer.
Gillies should continue to be a middle relief pitcher for the Sun Devils during his junior campaign.
LHP BRETT LILEK – Newport Gulls: A
After missing nearly three quarters of his first season with ASU, Lilek is off to an impressive start this summer. He leads starters with a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings of work. Lilek boasts a 3-0 record, one save, and nine strikeouts on the bump.
The South Holland, Illinois native has only given up one extra base hit this summer and he has held batters to a .204 average.
Coach Esmay wanted to use Lilek as a mid-day or possibly the team’s Sunday starter as a true freshman after the start he had against then-No.2 Arkansas in the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise, Arizona. In his start against the Razorbacks, the 6-foot-4, 190 pound reliever threw five innings of one-run baseball and struck out six.
Lilek is a power pitcher who had 17 strikeouts in 20 innings and should compete for a starting spot in the spring.
CORNER INFIELDER DALTON DINATALE – Ocean State Waves: C
DiNatale was a key role player during his freshman season in Tempe, but this summer has not been as generous. DiNatale has a team-worst .114 batting average and no walks in the 14 games he has appeared in.
The Parkland, Florida native batted over .300 as a true freshman in 44 games, but the wooden bat has not helped him at the plate. Though his stats for the Waves are not what he would have hoped, it’s still too early to press the panic button.
OUTFIELDER JAKE PEEVYHOUSE – Laconia Muskrats: B
Peevyhouse is having a good transitional period between his sophomore and junior season. The hometown Phoenix boy is hitting .263 with four doubles in 19 games. He knocked in four runs thus far and he has six walks compared to just nine strikeouts.
The Sun Devils’ outfielder is not doing anything to flashy for the Muskrats, but he is playing consistent and that’s what the maroon and gold will need from him at the plate next season.
