Sept. 6, 2010
Frisco Roughriders Website | York Revolution Website
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - At least two former Nittany Lion baseball players will participate in the 2010 postseason after their respective squads advanced to baseball's second season. Pitchers Clayton Hamilton and Sean Stidfole are both set to begin the playoffs this month.
Former Penn State standout Matt Cavagnaro and his Long Island Ducks have not officially been eliminated from contention, but stand 11.5 games out with only 15 games remaining.
Hamilton, who recently resigned with the Texas Rangers organization, has impressed in four games thus far for the Double-A Frisco Roughriders. The Riders won the South Division first half and will begin the first round of the Texas League Playoffs on Wednesday. Frisco will face Midland in a five-game series with the first two games at home.
Overall, Hamilton is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts. He was on the mound against Corpus Christi during former catcher Ben Heath's first-career Double-A start. He never faced him, however. Hamilton was replaced by Michael Schlact as Heath was approaching for his first-career Double-A plate appearance.
Stidfole has enjoyed a resurgent season for the Atlantic League's York (Pa.) Revolution. He owns a miniscule 1.76 ERA in a team-leading 63 appearances and 11 saves. The squad is 63-63 overall, but has already qualified for the postseason after winning the first half of the Freedom Division behind a 40-30 record. The Revolution will host the first two games of the Freedom Division Championship Series on Sept. 22 and 23 against an opponent to-be determined.
York, located southeast of Harrisburg, plays in one of the top independent (non-affiliated) leagues in the nation. A number of top young prospects and notable veterans play in the Atlantic League, including former Major League All-Stars Armando Benitez, Carl Everett, Edgardo Alfonzo and Scott Williamson. Cavagnaro is also in the league with the Long Island Ducks.
Heath's former team, the Tri-City ValleyCats, clinched the New York-Penn League's Stedlar Division Championship on Sunday. Heath, who began his professional career with the ValleyCats, has since been called up to the Lexington Legends and now the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, all in the past month.
Check back to GoPSUsports.com throughout the fall for continued updated on current and former Nittany Lions.
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