STATESBORO — After a brief break following the Southern Conference Tournament, the majority of the Georgia Southern baseball team is back in action.
Fourteen members of the 2013 squad are playing in summer collegiate leagues across the country. Also, two of the four draftees have received their minor-league assignments.
Sophomore Casey Kicklighter of Jesup, who is trying a new position in the outfield for the OTC Bearcats near Atlanta, is ninth in the Sun Belt League with a .348 batting average. Kicklighter is 8-for-23 at the plate with a double and a home run. Also in the Sun Belt, pitcher Drew Johnson of Peachtree City is 2-0 with a 1.39 ERA in three starts for the Home Plate Chukars in Peachtree City. He has allowed two earned runs over 13 innings with eight strikeouts.
Chase Griffin of Leesburg, playing for the Glenn Falls (N.Y.) Golden Eagles in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, is third on the team with a .368 batting average. In 10 games this summer, he has one double, a triple and a home run.
Over in the Northwoods League, Ben Morgan of Evans is 10-for-23 (.435) for the St. Cloud (Minn.) Rox with three doubles and three RBIs.
Starting the next stage in their baseball careers, Chris Beck and Eric Phillips both received their minor-league assignments. Beck will start in the Rookie League with Chicago White Sox affiliate the Great Falls (Mont.) Voyagers, while Phillips traveled north of the border to play for the Toronto Blue Jays’ Class A short-season affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians.
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