July 7, 2009

LOWELL, MA (July 7, 2009) - UMass Lowell's Jack Leathersich (Beverly, MA) has another honor to place on his baseball résumé: Valley Baseball League All-Star.

The sophomore-to-be has followed up his eye-opening freshman campaign with an equally impressive run in one of college baseball's most prestigious summer leagues. The Valley Baseball League is one of just eight leagues sanctioned by the NCAA and has produced countless MLB talent, including David Eckstein, Brandon Inge, Juan Pierre and Mike Lowell.

"This is a great honor for Jack and the UMass Lowell baseball program," said River Hawk head coach Ken Harring. "It shows that he can compete with the best college players in the country, and helps give a stamp of approval that UMass Lowell continues to have a top notch Division II baseball program. This will give Jack tremendous exposure to professional scouts."

Leathersich is a member of the Haymarket Senators and has been used in a relief role. Out of the pen, he has a 2.40 ERA with two saves and 29 strikeouts, second most in the league, in just 15 innings pitched. Leathersich holds a league-best 17.40 strikeouts per nine innings.

"It means a lot, not only to me, but to my team and the school, to show that I'm working hard down here and hard work pays off," said Leathersich of the honor. "The competition down here is really good; every player down here is Division I. You can't make as many mistakes as you can in other leagues. The kids are so good that every mistake, they're going to make you pay for it."

Leathersich is among five players selected for the All-Star game from the Haymarket Senators, coached by Ryan Fecteau.

"He has been one of the top relievers in this league," said Fecteau. "He comes in and lets it all out for a few innings. He comes right at hitters and he's got presence on the mound."

The All-Star game will be held on July 12th, 2009 at Central High School in Woodstock, Va. For more information, please visit www.valleyleaguebaseball.com(.)