Edenton Steamers Announce the Return of Four Pillars from Last Summer
Edenton, NC – The 2009 Edenton Steamers established modern Coastal Plain League team records last summer when it achieved its sixth consecutive winning season, accompanied by playoff berths in each of those campaigns. This run has been marked by a .652 cumulative winning average, eight North Division half titles, and two Petitt Cup league championships.
With this in perspective, it is with great satisfaction and excitement that the club announces the return in 2010 of four key players from last year’s outfit: Jake Magner, Anthony Markham, Randall Thompson, and Dan Williams. The expectation is that this quartet will be in a great position to lead their teammates on and off the field, drawing on their success in the Coastal Plain League, as well as their familiarity with our town and the off-field responsibilities presented at this level.
Magner is a redshirt-junior at the University of North Dakota, where he plays first base and has previously batted third in the lineup. He is 6’3”, 220 lbs., and bats/throws right-handed. The Fighting Sioux are transitioning in 2010 from NCAA Division I Independent status to the newly-formed Great West Conference and are postseason eligible this year. The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native earned All-Independent First Team honors in 2009 after a stellar spring that saw him hit .393 with a .459 on-base average, .673 slugging mark, 13 doubles, 10 homers, and more walks than strikeouts (20:12).
He delivered on that promise by earning CPL All-Star distinction and performing similarly throughout the summer in an Edenton uniform. Primarily playing first base and hitting cleanup, Magner established himself as the greatest power hitter in franchise history when he set club records in home runs (12), slugging average (.540), and total bases (101). He complemented those numbers with a team-leading .310 batting average, got on base at a .397 clip, and once again posted more bases on balls (26) than strikeouts (21).
According to 2010 Steamers Head Coach Marty Smith, who also managed Magner last summer,
“Jake is that rare power hitter, who also hits for a high average and controls the strike zone. We feel this makes him an ideal cleanup man because he isn’t just a slugger; he has the ability to drive runs in or keep the line moving with a single or a walk. He should see time this summer at designated hitter and first base; but obviously it’s a special bat that we project to count on every day.”
Markham is a junior at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, where he will once again be counted on as a weekend starter, potentially even assuming the role of staff ace. The right-hander stands 6’3” and 185 lbs. and hails from Summerville, South Carolina. The Buccaneers are a member of the NCAA Division I Big South Conference. Despite leading them in starts in 2009, he struggled somewhat to harness what proved to be dazzling stuff. The increased command consistency he displayed in Edenton should key him reaching his potential this spring.
This preview materialized over the summer as Markham established himself as the unequivocal ace of the Steamers staff, en route to an all-star berth and franchise-tying 7 wins. The feat had been accomplished twice previously and he did so over 9 starts, losing just one decision with a 1.83 ERA, .217 batting average against, and 66 Ks in 59 innings pitched.
Smith shares this about Markham,
“Anthony is that true #1 that you got to have to go places in this league. Even with some of our inconsistency last summer, Markham was the guy we felt like we could win every time with on the mound; and his record largely backed that up. It was also rewarding to watch him grow into his success; his confidence building each time he was able to execute his game plan. This is a guy that sits low 90s, touches 95, and has solid secondary stuff; he is certainly a legitimate professional prospect.”
Thompson enters his junior season at Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech), where he has begun this spring as the #2 starter after moving from a setup role into the rotation in the middle of 2009. The righty is listed at 6’2”, 200 lbs., and calls Orlando, Florida his hometown. The Panthers compete in the NCAA Division II Sunshine State Conference, widely regarded as one of the best D2 leagues in the country, even ranked ahead of many Division I conferences in terms of talent and professional development. He made good on the move last spring by tossing 1 complete game shutout in his 7 starts and notching 46 strikeouts in 48 innings overall.
After Coty Woods signed professionally with the Colorado Rockies, Thompson stepped up permanently for Edenton and performed solidly in the vital closer’s role. He acquitted himself quite well with a 1.88 ERA over 24 appearances to go with 11 saves. His outings were rarely clean, evidenced by a 1.47 WHIP, .250 batting average against, along with 16 walks, and 5 hit batsmen in 28.2 frames. But he thrived under the pressure of runners on base and his back against the wall, and never seemed to give up the big hit, allowing only 4 doubles all summer, no triples, and no homers.
“Randall competed great all summer long; he’s a grinder. This is a guy that went from the bullpen to the rotation at Florida Tech, had settled into that role, and then was thrust back into the pen as a closer in the Coastal Plain League. And even though he struggled with his command and control, we could count on him. He was going to be the same guy every time out and was able to handle the pressure and still find a way to succeed. Our bullpen may have had its difficulties in 2009, but without Randall’s performance we are not a winning club that goes to the playoffs,” added Coach Smith when asked for comment on Thompson.
Williams rounds out the returning foursome for Edenton and is also in his junior year of eligibility at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school located in Philadelphia. He returns to the Quakers in 2010 as the starting third baseman, where he hits in the middle of the order, and is also a two-time All-Ivy League Second Team selection. The Southampton, New Jersey product checks in at 6’1”, 195 lbs., and bats/throws right-handed. One of the steadiest performers last spring at school, Williams hit safely in 23 of the first 24 games and 37 of 41 overall, on his way to a seasonal line of .337-.396-.482, 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 walks to 20 strikeouts. He also made a successful transition from shortstop, where he played as a prep and during his freshman collegiate year, to third base.
Steamer faithful saw much of that same steady, consistent player all last summer in Williams, albeit with some stretches of inconsistency both at the plate and in the field. After enjoying a fast start with some game-winning RBI hits, Williams struggled some in the middle of the summer with strikeouts, before ending the schedule on an absolute tear. He finished with a .266 average, .336 on-base, and slugged .349, including 10 doubles, 20 walks, and was 9 of 10 in steals. Similarly on defense, the third sacker was excellent for the majority of the summer, but fought his footwork and mechanics on throws some of the time. He was able to overcome this in setting a new franchise single-season record for assists by a third baseman (113).
“Dan is a guy we’re looking to take a step forward in 2010. He’s got a great even-tempered demeanor for this game and just needs to translate that further in his execution at the plate, including his 2-strike approach. He did have some big hits for us last year. Defensively, he projects as our truest defender at the hot corner; there’s a lot of athleticism at that position with Dan. His feet and range allow him to make some plays that a lot of collegians do not. And you figure he’s got a chance to be even smoother there this year with the added experience,” said Coach Smith regarding Williams.
The Edenton coach concluded by asserting that,
“All four of these guys, Jake, Anthony, Randall, and Dan, we could count on. They were the same player day in and day out; there’s a lot of understated value in that from my standpoint. One of the biggest elements in this game, at any level, is showing up and the manager trusting and knowing what he has on any given day from each guy. Combining this quality with the fact that all four of them were also productive in this league makes them special and led to our efforts to bring them back.”