Aug. 31, 2009

River Hawks' sophomore pitcher Jack Leathersich (Beverly, MA) was named the number one prospect in the Valley Baseball League according to PG Cross Checker's annual list.

Leathersich pitched out of the bullpen for the Haymarket Senators this summer, compiling a 2.19 ERA in 19 appearances. The hard-throwing lefty struck out a team-best 64 hitters, second most in the league, in just 37 innings. His 15.57 strikeouts per nine innings were far and away a league best. At the season's midpoint Leathersich was named a Valley League All-Star and the Senators were crowned league champions at season's end.

"This shows that he is one of the top pitchers in the country regardless of the division," said UMass Lowell head coach Ken Harring. "It's a great honor for him and adds a lot of credibility to our program and the type of players that we bring in."

According to PG Cross Checker, the list was compiled through staff, scout and manager input to evaluate which players are best poised to succeed at the next level.

As a freshman at UMass Lowell this past season, Leathersich recorded a 7-4 record with a 2.18 ERA and 63 strikeouts. The Beverly native led the team in wins, strikeouts and games started (10).

Leathersich and the rest of the River Hawks will return to action on September 20th when they open their 2009 fall baseball schedule against Bunker Hill Community College at noon at LeLachuer Park.

The complete PG Cross Checker prospect list can be found by clicking here.