SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—The Blue Sox roster continues to take shape, as three players from Stanford have signed on to take their talents to Mackenzie Stadium, General Manager Hunter Golden announced today.
The trio of players includes two pitchers and an infielder, with hurlers Dan Starwalt and David Schmidt and utility infielder Bobby Zarubin all joining the team.
Starwalt made seven relief appearances for the Cardinal totaling 8.2 innings, striking out eight batters before being sidelined by an injury. The 6’3” sophomore righty had a strong freshman season last year, throwing 26.1 innings in ten appearances with two starts, fanning a dozen batters and earning a pair of wins over Rice and Texas.
“Daniel was a projected 3rd and 4th rounder out of high school and some organizations pegged his talent higher than that,” said Blue Sox GM Hunter Golden. “Chances are if he’s healthy, he’ll be among the best pitchers in our league. He’s got a legitimate chance of being a first or second round pick when he declares for the draft in a few years.”
Schmidt has been a key reliever for the Cardinal in each of the last two seasons, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns, combining for 61.0 innings in those years. The St. Louis native was drafted by his hometown Cardinals in 2011.
“David is a guy I think everyone will enjoy watching and will be an important piece of the team,” said Golden. “He had some experience on the Cape last year and that kind of experience is invaluable in leagues like ours.”
Zarubin is a converted infielder after spending his freshman year as a pitcher. He made ten starts and fifteen appearances overall, tallying 58.1 innings and a 2.16 ERA before an arm injury.
“Bobby’s a really solid athlete who should lend a sense of versatility to our roster,” Golden said. “He can pitch and play SS, making him an intriguing two-way option. He’s got a great arm and comes with a ton of defensive tools.”
The 2014 season will represent the Blue Sox seventh season in the Pioneer Valley, playing at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke. The Blue Sox have been a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL; www.necbl.com) since 2008. The NECBL is funded in part by Major League Baseball and is comprised of 12 teams throughout all six New England states who recruit the elite athletes and premier pro prospects from around the world.