Charles Rich
GLENDALE -- A look at how local minor league players are doing:
A SAVING GRACE
Former Glendale Community College and Burroughs High star pitcher Wes
Hutchison continues to impress in the early stages of his professional
career with the Single-A Salem-Keizer (Washington) Volcanoes of the
Northwest League.
Hutchison, drafted in the 10th round (316 overall) by the San
Francisco Giants in the June amateur draft, leads the Volcanoes with
eight saves. Through Wednesday, Hutchison is 3-2 with a 2.53 earned-run
average in 21 1/3 innings.
He has allowed six earned runs and struck out 30 for the Volcanoes,
who were 34-21 and in first place in the league's West Division.
Opponents are batting .218 against Hutchison, who helped Lewis-Clark
State College win a National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics National
championship in 2000.
HITTING IN THE CLUTCH
Fernando Rios, a Glendale High graduate, continues to produce for the
Mudville Nine of the California League. Rios drove in the winning run in
the seventh inning to lead Mudville, a Single-A affiliate of the
Cincinnati Reds, to a 4-3 victory against the Visalia Oaks on Wednesday.
The center fielder is hitting .280 and has 100 hits in 96 games. Rios
has scored 49 runs and has 13 doubles, four triples and four homers
through Wednesday.
FINDING HIS NICHE
Matt Hellman, who starred for GCC and Burroughs High and helped
Lewis-Clark win a championship in 2000 with Hutchison, is hitting .230 in
41 games for the Eugene Emeralds.
Hellman, selected in the June amateur draft in the 26th round by the
San Diego Padres, has scored 23 runs and recorded 35 hits for Eugene, a
Single-A organization in Oregon for the Padres.
The 5-foot-11 Hellman has four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs.
SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT Former GCC player Doug Slaten has progressed with
the Lancaster JetHawks, a Single-A squad in the California League and an
affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Through Saturday, Slaten was 6-7 with a 5.30 ERA in 24 games. In 129
innings, Slaten has allowed 183 hits, 95 runs and struck out 82.
OTHER PLAYERS: First baseman Pete Paciorek, formerly of GCC, is
hitting .223 in 94 at-bats for the Vero Beach Dodgers of the Florida
State League. Through Wednesday, Paciorek had 21 hits in 31 games,
including three home runs and four doubles.
* Mike McMullen, formerly a pitcher at GCC, doesn't have a decision
having split time with the Edmonton Trappers and Wichita Wranglers.
McMullen, who played in Edmonton from April 6 through May 13, had an 3.38
ERA in 14 games. He allowed 12 hits and 10 runs in 16 innings for the
Trappers, a Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. He joined the
Wranglers, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals in the Texas League, in
July. Through July 28, McMullen had an 11.42 ERA in 8 2/3 innings.
* GCC alum and first baseman Jason Botts is batting .303 in 102 games
for the Savannah Sand Gnats, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the
South Atlantic League. Botts, who hit 10 home runs for GCC in 2000, had
107 hits and 12 stolen bases for Savannah through Wednesday. The 6-foot-6
Botts has scored 57 runs and hit nine homers.
