web Charlotte

Sept. 2, 2009

Charlotte, N.C. - Redshirt sophomore Shane Brown (Davidson, N.C. / North Mecklenburg HS) being named a top-ten prospect out of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League highlights the Charlotte 49ers summer league recap.

"The summer ball programs are very important to the development of our players," said Charlotte Associate Head Coach Brandon Hall.

"When you look at the success our guys have as they get a chance in pro ball, a lot of it stems from their experiences in summer leagues. We really appreciate the teams we work with each year for the way they take care of our players and the opportunity they provide."

Brown batted .361 in 29 games for the Lake Norman Copperheads of the SCBL and was named the ninth-best prospect out of that league for the summer by Perfect Game Crosschecker. He was second on the squad with 14 stolen bases, behind only Charlotte 49er teammate Mike Perkins (Skaneateles, N.Y.). Perkins hit .350 with a team-leading 48 hits in 37 games for the Copperheads. He finished tied for third on the squad with 24 RBI.

Two other Niners pitched for the squad last summer. Freshman Aubrey Meadows (Mooresville, N.C.) appeared in nine games with one save in 26 innings, striking out 26. Junior Brandon DeLong (New Bern, N.C.) appeared in four games this summer, with six strikeouts in 7.1 innings.

49ers sophomore Chad Rothlin (Hickory, N.C. / Fred T. Foard HS) and junior Justin Wilson (Canton, N.C. / Pisgah HS) played together with the Farquier Gators of the Valley Baseball League. Rothlin was 4-1, with a 1.64 ERA in 15 relief appearances, recording three saves in 33 innings. He struck out 32 and walked 11 batters. Wilson hit .250 in 32 games, finishing second on the squad with 16 stolen bases.

Redshirt junior Cory Tilton (Cary, N.C. / Green Hope HS) played against the duo on the Woodstock River Bandits in the Valley League. He pitched in eight games and played in 21 others as a designated hitter. He had no record in 9.2 innings, and batted .315 with 27 RBI and a team-high 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts.

A trio of Charlotte players headed to the Cal Ripken, Sr. League this summer. Sophomores Justin Roland (Salisbury, N.C. / East Rowan HS) and Tyler Pilkington (Waxhaw, N.C. / Weddington HS) played together for the Bethesda Big Train, which won the league title. Roland batted .258 in 22 games, logging eight RBI for the champs, while Pilkington was 2-0, with a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched. He struck out 18 and walked just one batter.

Junior Ryan Rivers (Baltimore, Md. / Eastern Technical HS) played for the Maryland Red Birds and batted .268 in 16 games, driving in six runs.

Junior Joe Yermal (Bel Air, Maryland / McDonogh HS) returned to the Northwoods League this summer and finished with a 3-2 record in six games, four of them starts for the Madison Mallards. He struck out 14 and walked four with his 4.15 ERA over the season. He had the only win for the Mallards in the championship series with a five-inning victory, allowing just four hits and two runs in a 4-3 decision over Thunder Bay.

Newcomer Corbin Shive helped lead the Rowan County Legion team to the Legion World Series this summer. Shive was 1-0 in the postseason in three starts, with a miniscule 0.86 ERA in 21 innings pitched in the playoffs. He tossed a 1-0 shutout in the open game against Sumter, S.C. and got a no-decision without allowing an earned run in the final series in Fargo, N.D. in mid-August.

The 2010 Charlotte baseball team plays 22 of its first 27 contests at home with a season-opening road contest on Friday, February 19.