FEATURE: Eagles in the Summer Leagues – Valley League
7/29/2022 2:30:00 PM | Baseball
Seven-part feature catches up with GS baseball players on summer league teams
STATESBORO – 18 Georgia Southern baseball players have kept busy after the conclusion of the baseball season by playing in various summer baseball leagues around the country. For the final part of the feature, we will be covering the Valley League where infielder Corey Dowdell and pitcher Brett Zerbel have been playing for the summer.
The Valley Baseball League is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball like the Sunbelt League. The VBL operates with NCAA rules and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The VBL boasts that 25 alumni were playing in the majors, be it MLB teams or their farm systems, in 2021. The VBL is based out of the Shenandoah Valley in Northwestern Virginia.
Both Eagles featured today play for the Winchester Royals based out of Winchester, Virginia. The Royals compete in the VBL's North Division, which is a six team division compared to the five teams in the South. The Royals finished the season with a 14-27 record and did not qualify for the VBL Playoffs.
COREY DOWDELL
Dowdell finished his season with a .226 batting average, with 14 hits, three doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored and eight RBI in 20 games for a .371 slugging percentage. He also stole three bases walked five times for a .324 on-base percentage for a .695 OPS. One of Dowdell's best performances was on July 16 in a 9-5 win over the Covington Lumberjacks, where he went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI.
BRETT ZERBEL
Zerbel appeared in eight games, starting two this season. He finished the season with a 0-1 record and a save, posting a 4.00 ERA. Zerbel struck out 16 batters in 18 innings and only walked seven all season. One of Zerbel's best performances this season was during a July 7 game against the Front Royal Cardinals, where he pitched for three innings, only allowing a single hit and sat down six Cardinal batters.
LINKS
Valley League
Winchester Royals
Dowdell Stats
Zerbel Stats
SCHEDULE
July 21 – Appalachian League – Thomas Ross
July 22 – Cape Cod League – Ben Johnson, Noah Ledford, Jaylen Paden
July 25 – Coastal Plain League – Troy Britts, Jarrett Brown, Blake Evans
July 26 – Perfect Game Collegiate League – J.C. Peacher, JP Tighe, Ga'von Wray
July 27 – Ripken Collegiate League – Sam Blancato, Jarrett Jenkins
July 28 – Sunbelt Baseball League – Phillip Ard, Preston Gunnell, JD Kaiser, Will Robbins
July 29 – Valley League – Corey Dowdell, Brett Zerbel
The Valley Baseball League is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball like the Sunbelt League. The VBL operates with NCAA rules and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The VBL boasts that 25 alumni were playing in the majors, be it MLB teams or their farm systems, in 2021. The VBL is based out of the Shenandoah Valley in Northwestern Virginia.
Both Eagles featured today play for the Winchester Royals based out of Winchester, Virginia. The Royals compete in the VBL's North Division, which is a six team division compared to the five teams in the South. The Royals finished the season with a 14-27 record and did not qualify for the VBL Playoffs.
COREY DOWDELL
Dowdell finished his season with a .226 batting average, with 14 hits, three doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored and eight RBI in 20 games for a .371 slugging percentage. He also stole three bases walked five times for a .324 on-base percentage for a .695 OPS. One of Dowdell's best performances was on July 16 in a 9-5 win over the Covington Lumberjacks, where he went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI.
BRETT ZERBEL
Zerbel appeared in eight games, starting two this season. He finished the season with a 0-1 record and a save, posting a 4.00 ERA. Zerbel struck out 16 batters in 18 innings and only walked seven all season. One of Zerbel's best performances this season was during a July 7 game against the Front Royal Cardinals, where he pitched for three innings, only allowing a single hit and sat down six Cardinal batters.
LINKS
Valley League
Winchester Royals
Dowdell Stats
Zerbel Stats
SCHEDULE
July 21 – Appalachian League – Thomas Ross
July 22 – Cape Cod League – Ben Johnson, Noah Ledford, Jaylen Paden
July 25 – Coastal Plain League – Troy Britts, Jarrett Brown, Blake Evans
July 26 – Perfect Game Collegiate League – J.C. Peacher, JP Tighe, Ga'von Wray
July 27 – Ripken Collegiate League – Sam Blancato, Jarrett Jenkins
July 28 – Sunbelt Baseball League – Phillip Ard, Preston Gunnell, JD Kaiser, Will Robbins
July 29 – Valley League – Corey Dowdell, Brett Zerbel
Players Mentioned
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