Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Summer Ball Recap
8/25/2021 10:57:00 AM | Baseball
A total of eighteen Dirtbags enjoyed summer ball seasons across the country following the 2021 season.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Dirtbags stayed busy over the summer as eighteen current Dirtbags played in eight different leagues across the country. The Cape Cod League featured the most Long Beach State athletes of all the leagues, with five active players.
Devereaux Harrison had arguably the busiest summer of the group, playing with Team USA's Collegiate National Team as well as spending time in the CCL with the Wareham Gatemen. With Team USA, the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year tossed six innings out of the bullpen posting a 1.50 ERA while holding opponents to a .167 average. The right-hander also pitched against the U.S. Olympic Team, tossing a shutout inning in their final tune-up. In the Cape, he served as a two-way player tossing 3.2 innings with a save on the mound while recording a hit and a pair of walks at the plate.
Jack Noble also pitched for the Wareham Gatemen, totaling six appearances with a pair of starts. In 12 innings of work, he recorded 18 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .200 average. Through his first three appearances, he surrendered just two hits in 6.1 innings with a 1.42 ERA.
Chase Luttrell had the most games played among the Dirtbags in Cape Cod, appearing in 37 for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Facing some of the best collegiate pitchers in the nation, he posted a .239 average with a .564 OPS. In 134 at-bats, the first basemen totaled 14 runs scored while recording 15 RBI.
Luis Ramirez had a great summer on the mound for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, making six starts on the mound. In 29 innings of work, he pitched to a 3.10 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. The right-hander struck out 33 while walking 13 and holding opponents to a .170 average.
Jake Rons made an appearance in Cape Cod League with the Falmouth Commodores. In his one inning of work, he faced six batters and picked up a strikeout. The right-hander appeared mainly with the Woodstock River Bandits in the Valley League. There, he worked 21 innings totaling 30 strikeouts and holding opponents to a .162 average.
Charlie Loust was teammates with Rons on the River Bandits. The redshirt sophomore posted a .285/.379/.392 slash line launching three home runs and stealing 13 bags. In 39 games, he scored 27 runs and notched 18 RBI.
A pair of Dirtbags helped bring home a championship for the Danbury Westerners in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). Ethan Clough made eight appearances during the regular season, pitching to a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings. During the playoff run, the right-hander tossed seven innings across four games without allowing a run. He surrendered just six baserunners while striking out a dozen en route to the title as well.
On the offensive side, Sebastian Murillo started at second or shortstop most of the time for the Westerners. While he struggled in the regular season, he turned things up to another level in the playoffs. In 26 at-bats, he posted a .346/.485/.577 slash line across his eight games. Of his nine hits, three went for extra bases while driving in five runs and scoring four more.
Speaking of champions, three Dirtbags appeared on the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL) Champion Bethesda Big Train. The lone position player of the trio was Rocco Peppi, who posted the second-best average in the league at a .357 clip. He also recorded 12 extra-base hits, including four home runs, while scoring 34 runs, driving in 25 RBI, and going a perfect seven-for-seven in steals.
Redshirt freshman Zach Locke proved to be a dominant arm on the mound for the Big Train, recording a 2.75 ERA in 16.1 innings. In 11 games, the right-hander was 1-0 with 17 strikeouts and held opponents to a .267 opponent average.
Noah Carbajal also pitched for the Big Train, making six appearances including a pair of starts. In 19 innings of work, he was a perfect 3-0 with 17 strikeouts.
Brennan Rozell was the only Dirtbag in the Coastal Plain League, playing with the Forest City Owls. The utility infielder appeared in 30 games, posting a .381 on-base percentage. In 86 at-bats, he recorded 23 hits including a home run while driving in 11 runs. He also tallied 15 walks and eight stolen bases.
In the home state of California, two Dirtbags appeared in the CCL. Outfielder Jesse Lopez was one of the stars of the league, finishing with the second-best average at a .405 clip. He also ranked second in home runs with six and in the top five with a 1.268 OPS. The senior totaled 21 extra-base hits, scored 38 runs, drove in 25 RBI, and stole 10 bases.
Elsewhere in the CCL, redshirt freshman Tommy Castillo played with the Arroyo Seco Saints leading the team with a .381 average. In 42 at-bats, he notched 16 hits including four doubles and two triples while swiping seven bases. His 1.006 OPS was second-best on the team.
In the Northwoods League, both Dirtbags put together All-Star seasons. Alex Pimentel also appeared in the Major League Dream Showcase game. For the season, the sophomore outfielder posted a .241 average with a .615 OPS. In 52 games, he scored 18 runs while driving in 19 more and recording a team-high 20 stolen bases.
Connor Burns was the other NWL All-Star, posting a .235 average and a .768 OPS. In 47 games, he launched a team-leading six home runs while scoring 30 runs. Totaling 356 innings behind the plate, he made just eight errors in 363 chances.
The final league that featured Dirtbags was the Futures League in the northwestern part of the country. Javier Rosales, a member of the Pittsfield Suns, put together an All-Star season with a .336 average in 31 games. His four home runs were tied for the most on the team while his 27 RBI was second-most.
On the mound in the Futures League was redshirt freshman Juaron Watts-Brown for the Brockton Rox. The right-hander totaled 36.2 innings in 11 appearances, including seven starts. He posted a 3.19 ERA and held opponents to a .195 average. His 50 strikeouts was third most on the team and was good for a 12.2 K/9.
In total, five Dirtbags helped their team win league titles and four were named All-Stars in their respective leagues.
