Monday, July 2, 2007
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Erik Dodge (left) and
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Mercy Baseball Players Craig Ross and Erik Dodge Fine Tune Skills in NW Collegiate League
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. - Mercy College baseball players Craig Ross (Bellmore, NY) and Erik Dodge (Fabius, NY) are spending the summer prior to their senior year on the west coast, playing with the Seaside Wildcats (Oregon) of the NW Collegiate League (NWCL), and are making the most of that opportunity.
The Wildcats completed a six-game series over the weekend, going 3-3 against the Southern Oregon River Dogs. They are now 12-14 overall, including 12-10 in the league, good for second place. The NWCL is a newly formed collegiate wood bat summer league with national membership in the American Amateur Baseball Congress Stan Musial division.
Ross, a 5-foot-10 infielder, is currently batting .313 with an on base percentage of .415. He went 6-for-16 in the series with the River Dogs, and is now 15 for his last 36 (.417), with 10 runs batted in over the last 13 games.
"This has been a once in a lifetime experience for me," said Ross. "Living on the opposite side of the country and facing great competition for the summer has been incredible so far. Hitting with wood against solid pitching in an elite league forces you to make adjustments at the plate. Finding my swing with wood out here should really give me a jump start on the transition when I head back to the east coast."
Dodge, a 6-foot-5 right-hander has also enjoyed recent success pitching against competition with wood bats. Last week he pitched on back-to-back days, including a shutout inning of relief with a strikeout against the Vancouver Flyers. Ross drew a walk-off walk that forced in the winning run in that contest.
"It has been a lot of fun and a great experience," said Dodge. "Playing against talent like this and learning to play in a wood bat league can only help us improve."
Ross, Dodge, and the Wildcats will be back in action again on Tuesday, July 3, at the Pacific Javelinas.
About Mercy College Athletics
Mercy College is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and a member of the East Coast Conference (ECC). The College sponsors 15 men's and women's sports. To learn more about Mercy's Department of Athletics and Recreation, call (914) 674-7220 or visit http://www.mercyathletics.com/.
