Sam Barletta (Chesnut Hill, Quakertown Blazers, 2021) was named Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Week on April 26 after going 10-for-11 (.909) at the plate. The junior catcher/outfielder scored seven runs, posted seven RBI and was 3-for-3 in stolen bases with a 1.273 slugging average. Barletta is currently hitting .417 with 20 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

Mitch Balint (Delaware, Quakertown Blazers,2021) was selected Colonial Athletic Conference Player of the Week for March 9 after batting .750 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI as Delaware swept LaSalle in a doubleheader. The freshman catcher/DH is currently hitting .288 with four home runs and nine RBI for the Blue Hens.

Matt Stamford (Lehigh, Jersey Pilots, 2019,2021) was named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week on March 16 after posting a perfect 5.2 innings of relief in a Lehigh victory over Bucknell. The junior LHP has posted a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA in 25 innings.

Bryant Skurbe (Merrimack, Ocean Gulls, 2021) was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week on March 16 after hitting .286 with two home runs and seven RBI. Two weeks later he was again named Rookie of the Week after hitting .556 with a .889 slugging average including 10 hits and seven RBI. The freshman outfielder/DH is currently hitting .273 with four home runs and 24 RBI.

Freshman catcher Billy Minett (St. Thomas Aquinas, Ocean Ospreys, 2021) was named East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week on April 12 after posting a .571 batting average (4 for 7) with three doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in two wins over the College of Staten Island.

Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock, Quakertown Blazers, 2011) and Tim Mayza (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers,2011) did not allow a run this spring and were nearly unhittable for the Oakland A’s and Toronto Blue Jays respectively.

Trivino only allowed one hit in seven relief appearances over 7 1/3 innings. The 6-5 RHP struck out eight with a save. His WHIP was 0.55 and opponents hit .043 against him. Trivino’s role may be as a potential multi-inning weapon out of the A’s bullpen.

Mayza is coming off Tommy John surgery in late 2019 and also allowed only one hit in seven appearances over 6 2/3 innings with a win. He struck out six while posting a 0.45 WHIP and opponent batting average of .048. Mayza may assume his prior role of the “go to lefty” out of the Blue Jays bullpen. In 2019 he topped the Blue Jays with 68 appearances.

Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock, Quakertown Blazers) has made 150 relief appearances for the Oakland A’s over the past three years and is now a top candidate for the closer role since All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks departed via free agency to the Chicago White Sox.

LHP Tim Mayza (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers) has been invited to the Toronto Blue Jays training camp after recovering from major arm surgery including Tommy-John surgery. In 2019 Mayza topped the Blue Jays in relief appearances with 68 while posting 18 holds prior to his injury in September 2019.

Kyle McGowin (Savannah St. Sag Harbor) Washington Nationals, Aaron Slegers (Indiana, Riverhead) Los Angeles Angels, and Justin Topa (Long Island, Southampton) Milwaukee Brewers also report to spring training to prepare for their relief roles in 2021.

Veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed (UConn, Westhampton) returns to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Outfielder Josh Palacios (Auburn, Staten Island Tide) and catcher Seby Zavala (San Diego St. Riverhead) are on the 40 man rosters of the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox respectively.

Former ACBL players who are non-roster invitees to MLB spring training include catcher Nick Dini (Wagner, Center Moriches) with the Kansas City Royals, catcher P.J. Higgins (ODU, Lehigh Valley Catz) with the Chicago Cubs, RHP Kevin McCarthy (Marist, Sag Harbor) with the Boston Red Sox and 1B Frank Schwindel (St. John’s, Riverhead) with the Oakland A’s.

Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock, Quakertown, 2011) on Monday became the fifth former ACBL pitcher to record a three pitch inning, the 189th in MLB history, on Monday as the Oakland A’s defeated the Houston Astros 6-0.

Baseball Almanac data indicates that the American League has posted 82 3-Pitch Innings with Walter Johnson leading the way with four from 1911 thru 1917. Jim Mecir (Eckerd, Nassau) threw a three pitch eighth inning on May 17, 1998 for Tampa Bay. Allen Watson (NY Tech, Long Island) tossed a three pitch ninth inning for the New York Yankees on September 26, 1999.

Pete Harnisch (Fordham, Long Island) tops the National League list of 106 3-Pitch Innings with three 3-Pitch Innings for the Cincinnati Reds. The first one was the fifth inning on September 26, 1998 followed by fourth inning feats on August 24, 1999 and April 7, 2001. Jamie Moyer (Saint Joseph’s, Allentown) put a 3-Pitch Inning on the record for the Philadelphia Phillies on May 7, 2013.