Edenton Steamers Fish the Gulf South Athletic Conference for Three Pitchers

Edenton, NC – The Edenton Steamers announced today the signing of three pitchers for the 2010 staff - Coty Saranthus, Trey Mitchell, and Patrick Hinton; all are right-handers and currently pitch for NCAA Division II institutions in the Gulf South Athletic Conference, which features schools located throughout the Deep South states.

Saranthus is a junior from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, where the Statesmen are perennial Division II World       Series contenders and a consistent Top 25-ranked team.  He is a transfer from Southwest Mississippi Community College and was recently highlighted in Collegiate Baseball magazine. The publication named him as one of the five most outstanding incoming pitchers to the NCAA Division II South Region. The Terry, Mississippi native is 5’11”, 165 lbs., and throws from a sidearm/submarine angle.

He impressed on a national level last summer when he took home Western Major Baseball League (Canada) Pitcher of the Year honors and established the league’s all-time single-season ERA record at 0.41.  As the multi-inning closer for the Melville Millionaires (who also produced 2007 Edenton Steamer and current Toronto Blue Jay farmhand Randy Schwartz), Saranthus finished the 2009 summer regular season with 20 appearances, 43.2 innings pitched, and two saves.  He permitted just a .161 batting average against, striking out 62, while only walking 13.  He dominated further in the WMBL playoffs when he punched out 18 hitters over 10.2 frames, collecting another three saves.

Saranthus has opened this spring in fine fashion after three appearances, including a win, spanning five innings with a 1.80 ERA, five strikeouts, and only six base runners allowed.

2010 Steamers Head Coach Marty Smith offered this on Saranthus:

“Coty is a very exciting get for us.  An arm-angle reliever is a great weapon to have in the Coastal Plain League.  We’ve had success in the past with Joe Smith, Coleman McKellar, and Coty Woods.  The combination of Saranthus’s stuff, performance last summer, and closer experience appealed to us.  Here’s a guy that throws mid/upper 80s from a low slot.  We feel like he can get guys out on both sides of the plate and throw multiple innings in spots; in the least, he should be very tough on right-handed batters.”

Mitchell is a junior at the University of North Alabama in Florence, where he has begun this spring as the Lions #2 starter.   The right-hander stands 6’4” and 190 lbs. and is a local boy from right there in Florence.  He is transitioning somewhat in 2010, as he spent the majority of his two underclass campaigns as a multi-inning reliever.  He did, however, make two starts a year ago among his 18 appearances, totaling 43.1 innings, notching one save; he struck out 37 and issued only 13 bases on balls.  Mitchell then assumed a fulltime starter’s workload last summer, better preparing him for his 2010 role.

He was the ace of the staff, and one of the best starters in the league, for the 2009 Fort Collins (Colorado) Foxes of the Mountain Collegiate League, a smaller summer wood bat circuit with outfits in both Colorado and Wyoming.  In 9 appearances, all starts, he went 51 innings, yielding only a .207 opponent batting average, with 60 strikeouts against 14 walks.

In two appearances (one start) so far this spring, Mitchell has thrown 6.1 innings with a 2.84 ERA, yielding only 4 hits for a .190 batting average against.

Smith went on further about this signing,

            “Trey’s performance last summer impressed us; even though the MCL is a smaller, younger league, the altitude there provides an inherent challenge for pitchers and he passed with flying colors.  This is a physical guy with the body strength to start and hold up for the duration; we understand that he’s extremely competitive and hope that translates to a bulldog quality on the hill.  Trey commands a mid/upper 80s fastball, complemented by excellent secondary stuff in his slider and change-up, giving him the 3-pitch mix you look for.  He has a chance to come in right away and establish himself as a guy in our rotation.”

Hinton also enters his junior season at the University of North Alabama, where he occupies the closer’s role, a spot in which he flourished the last two years for Northeast Mississippi Community College.  The righty is listed at 5’11”, 180 lbs., and calls Kossuth, Mississippi his hometown.  His combined statistics the last two springs are eye-popping in 33 appearances and 44.2 innings pitched: 20 saves, 56 Ks, only 12 walks, highlighted by a .113 batting average against in 2009.

He is off to a great start in 2010 for the Lions with four appearances, 5.1 innings, notching a win and a save already, without permitting a hit or a walk, while fanning six.

            “Patrick is one of three sub-6’ late relief guys we project to feature this summer.  And even though you ideally like ‘em a little bigger, it’s made up for with arm speed and stuff.  Greg Holland (2006 Steamers, Western Carolina University) was a short closer here and he’s in AA now with the Royals.  Our reports indicate that Patrick runs it up there 89-91 mph, locates his fastball, but can also get outs with his slider and change-up. Showing hitters three quality pitches in a 1-inning look is probably part of what makes him so tough,” detailed Coach Smith when talking about Hinton.

The Edenton coach closed with,

            “Coty, Trey, and Patrick are all welcome additions to our 2010 pitching staff.  We have had a ton of success with elite small-college pitchers and we expect the same of these three.  Coty and Patrick should help us shorten games with their ability in the bullpen; and we think Trey can succeed as a starter.”