For the sixth time in seven years, the State College Spikes are beginning the New York-Penn League season in central Pennsylvania.
The Spikes open 2012 at Williamsport on Monday, June 19, according to a schedule
released by the franchise Monday. The home opener is the following night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The SawBuck Series rivals meet 12 times during the 76-game season. The teams meet four straight days to begin the season before playing four games in July, two in August and two in September. The Spikes have opened five of their first six seasons against Williamsport. The 2008 season started at Jamestown.
The 2012 schedule includes two six-game homestands against McNamara Division teams. Staten Island and Brooklyn visit from July 11-16 and Aberdeen and Hudson Valley visit from Aug. 1-6.
The Spikes play the entire Stedler Division on the road, visiting Tri-City and Vermont from July 4-9 and Connecticut and Lowell from July 25-30. The first of three six-game roadtrips is June 25-30 when the team meets Pinckney Division foes Batavia and Mahoning Valley.
The season concludes Sept. 5 after a four-game homestand with Williamsport and Mahoning Valley.
The NY-PL All-Star game is Aug. 14 at Mahoning Valley’s East-wood Field.
Monday-Saturday home games begin at 7:05 p.m. Sunday home games start at 6:05 p.m. The July 24 game against Batavia begins at noon and the Sept. 3 game against Williamsport starts at 4:05 p.m.
Former Spikes on list
Baseball America’s rankings of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top 10 prospects includes three former Spikes — and one glaring omission.
Kyle McPherson, who spent parts of three seasons in State College, leads former Spikes on the list at No. 6. Tony Sanchez and Stet-son Allie are ranked seventh and ninth, respectively.
Allie, a 2010 second-round draft pick, made the list despite struggling throughout 2011. Missing from the list is 2010 fourth-rounder Nick Kingham, who went 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 71 innings last season. Allie and Kingham are both 20 years old.
The publication ranks 2011 No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole as the organization’s No. 1 prospect. Jameson Taillon and Josh Bell follow Cole on the list. Bell, a 2011 second-round pick, worked out with the Spikes this past season but has yet to begin his professional career.
Quartet on 40-man roster
Former Spikes Duke Welker, Rudy Owens, Jordy Mercer and Matt Hague joined the Pirates’ 40-man roster this past weekend.
Welker, a right-hander, pitched for the ’07 Spikes. Owens, a left-hander, pitched here in ’08. Mercer and Hague briefly played infield for the ’08 team before receiving promotions to full-season Hickory.
Eight former Spikes own spots on the current 40-man roster. McPherson, Daniel Moskos, Tony Watson and Chase d’Arnaud were already on the list.
Four former Spikes— pitchers Jason Motte and Adam Ottavino and infielders Allen Craig and Mark Hamilton — are currently on the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster. Motte and Craig helped the franchise win the World Series. The Spikes spent 2006 as a Cardinals’ affiliate.
Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.
