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October 7, 2016
 Chris Ray recently completed his second year of Professional baseball as a member of the Old Orchard Beach Surge of the Empire League, an independent professional baseball league.
In his rookie season he finished with .350 batting average, 3rd highest average on his team and 4th in the league, a .942 fielding percentage, and was named an all-star. In his second season, he hit .248 and fielded .951 while starting at 2nd baseball with spot starts at shortstop and 3rd base.
Ray attended Alvernia university from 2009-2013, winning all conference honors all 4 years and winning MAC Rookie of the year in 2010 and MAC Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. Finishing with a .389 career average, he was an integral piece of the winningest class in Alvernia history.
He spent the summer following his sophomore season as a member of the 2011 Quakertown Blazers hitting .268 and fielding .960 at 3rd base and played with the Geneva Redwings of the NYCBL in the summer of 2012.
Ray has spent 5 years coaching players of all ages, and 3 years of coaching and training multiple high school teams. In 2013, he was an assistant coach at Elizabethtown College, specializing in hitting and infield instruction, and assisted with coaching while playing in Old Orchard beach in 2016.
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July 29, 2016
Dan Morrin (Moravian) allowed only one run over four innings as the Blazers defeated the Allentown Railers 6-1 in the second game of a doubleheader at Memorial Park on Friday evening.
Angel Lopez (Northampton CC) had three hits while Bob Barnett (Widener) chipped in with two hits.
Allentown won the opener 9-0 behind the pitching of Sean Pare (West Liberty State) and hitting of Ed Posavec (Binghamton).
Pare pitched five scoreless innings while Posavec had two hits including a home run.
The Blazers finish the regular season at 21-19 and travel to Allentown on Monday evening to start the playoffs.
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July 27, 2016
The Quakertown Blazers defeated the Lehigh Valley Catz by scores of 3-1 and 4-2 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Steve Muscovitch (Millersville) did not allow an earned run over seven innings for the win in the opener. A two run double in the third inning by Anthony Rinaldi (Lehigh) was the key hit for the Blazers.
In the second game Mike Hunter (Marist) allowed one run over six innings and Robbie Welhaf (Elon) recorded the save. Kevin Barron (Campbell) hit a two run double to spark the Blazers' offense. Anthony Rinaldi had three singles also.
The Blazers are now 20-18 and travel to Allentown tomorrow night and return home on Friday evening to host the Railers in the regular season final game.
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July 21, 2016
The Wolff Division topped the Kaiser Division in the ACBL All-Star Game played Thursday evening at Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona, New York by a score of 2-1.
The Wolff Division scored a single run in the top of the sixth inning when Bob Barnett (Widener, Quakertown) scored on a two-out single to rightfield by Kevin McGowan (LaSalle, South Jersey).
The Kaiser Division came back to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth as Tyler Benson (Bloomsburg, North Jersey) scored on a sacrifice fly by Tom Marcinczyk (Rutgers, Jersey).
The Wolff Division took the lead for good as Jared Melone (West Chester, Quakertown) chased home Austin Edgette (Bloomsburg, Lehigh Valley) on an infield ground ball.
Sean Pavlik (Penn State, Allentown) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win while Drew Tumbelty (Rider, South Jersey) closed out the game with a 94 MPH third strike fastball to get the save.
Twenty-four Major League scouts were in attendance.
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July 20, 2016
 Former Blazers Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock) and Dylan Tice (West Chester) were recently promoted by the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals respectively.
RHP Trivino was an 11th round selection of the A's in the 2013 draft and excelled in 33 relief apprearances at Stockton of the High A California League. He posted a 2.81 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 18 base on balls in 41.2 innings. He moves up to the AA affiliate Midland in the Texas League.
Tice was used as an utility infielder at State College of the short season New York Penn League where he hit .281. He was a 36th round selection of the Cardinals in the 2015 draft and moves up to Peoria, the Low A affiliate of the Cardinals in the Midwest League. Tice went 2-for-4 in his debut with Peoria.
LHP Tim Mayza (Millersville) has posted a 3.09 ERA in 10 appearances with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats after his promotion to the AA Toronto affiliate one month ago.
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July 17, 2016
 Quakertown Blazer shortstop Joe Sheeran (West Chester University) completed an unusual offensive feat when he hit for the cycle in the first four innings of the second game of a doubleheader with the Jersey Pilots on Sunday at Rutgers University.
The rising senior at WCU opened the second game with a home run to leftcenter field. He followed with a single in the second inning, a triple in the third inning and a double to centerfield in the fourth inning. He was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBIs.
Outfielder Anthony Rinaldi (Lehigh) also had a big day at the plate with six hits and seven RBIs including a two run home run in the Blazers' doubleheader sweep.
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July 15, 2016
Michael Anthony (LaSalle), Tyler Ksiazek (Monmouth), Dan Morrin (Moravian) and Mike Hunter (Marist) combined on a three hit shutout.
Ryan Calhoun (Harford CC) and Joe Sheeran (West Chester) both hit home runs and Mark Gentilotti (Delaware) had two hits and a RBI for the Blazers.
The Blazers improved to 13-15 while the Allentown Railers remain in first place with a 22-6 record.
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June 25, 2016
 Dan Jacobson (Delaware) pitched a seven inning no-hitter as the Quakertown Blazers defeated the Trenton Generals 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Memorial Park on Saturday.
The 6-5 RHP struck out five and walked four while lowering his ERA to 0.83.
Jared Melone (LaSalle) delivered a two run single for the Blazers.
This was the fourth no-hitter in Blazer history. Mo Sanford and Bob Gantz combined for a no-hitter in 1986 against Scranton. In 2001 Jared Trout, Bob Truskey and Jim Gendaszek posted a no-hitter against Long Island while Lou Trivino pitched a no-hitter against North Jersey in 2011.
The Blazers won the second game 5-3. Tyler Ksiazek (Monmouth) received the win and John Turner (Millersville) hit a three run double for the Blazers.
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June 24, 2016
LHP Darin Gorski (Kutztown University, Kutztown Rockies, Quakertown Blazers) is returning to the New York Mets AAA affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, after his contract was purchased from the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.
Gorski posted a 4-2 record with a 3.88 ERA in eleven starts over 60 innings for the Patriots.
He started his career with the Mets in 2009 after he was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
Last year at Las Vegas he posted a 10-8 record in 137 innings with 27 starts, the most starts in the Mets' minor league organization.
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June 21, 2016
LHP Tim Mayza (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers) tossed a scoreless inning in the Florida State League All-Star game on Saturday and was promoted to the Toronto Blue Jay AA affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, on Monday. At Dunedin Mayza posted a 1-0 record with three saves and a 2.04 ERA. In 21 appearances over 35 innings he struck out 41 with ten base on balls and a 1.05 WHIP.
In other news, RHP Jim McDade (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers) signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Padres after the draft and has been assigned to the Arizona League. McDade went 12-1 for the Marauders who advanced to the D-2 World Series. He only walked nine batters in 91 innings with 70 Ks and a 3.05 ERA.
Kyle Petty (California U of PA, Lehigh Valley Catz) was selected to the California League All-Star team after hitting .327 with ten home runs for the Seattle Mariners' High A Bakersfield affiliate. He won the California vs. Carolina League Home Run Derby aboard the USS Midway in San Diego with 22 home runs into the Pacific Ocean.
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June 19, 2016
The Quakertown Blazers defeated the North Jersey Eagles 6-2 and 9-1 this afternoon at Memorial Park.
Dan Jacobson (Delaware) allowed only two runs over seven innings in the first game while Tyler Ksiazek (Monmouth) gave up just one run in five innings for the 9-1 win in the second game.
Bob Barnett (Widener) and Jared Melone (LaSalle) both went three-for-seven in the DH with Melone putting up three RBIs including a home run to left center.
The Blazers are now 7-6 and host the South Jersey Giants on Tuesday evening at Memorial Park.
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June 11, 2016
The Quakertown Blazers put up all seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Max Dolente (Hofstra) hit a grand slam home run and Jared Melone (LaSalle) cleared the bases with a three run double.
Dan Morrin (Moravian) started for the Blazers followed by Mike Anthony (LaSalle) who tossed four scoreless innings and Michael Hunter (Marist) closed out the ninth inning for the save.
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June 7, 2016
A three run home run in the top of the first inning by Joe Sheeran (West Chester) provided the scoring as Quakertown topped the Allentown Railers by a 3-2 score on Tuesday night at ECTB Stadium.
Sheeran and Jared Melone ( LaSalle) each had two hits for the Blazers.
Josh Lafferty (Widener), Tyler Ksiazek (Monmouth), Robbie Welhaf (Elon) and Michael Hunter (Marist) combined to limit the Railers to two runs and five hits.
The Blazers are first in the Wolff Division with a 3-1 record and travel to South Jersey on Wednesday.
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June 4, 2016
The Quakertown Blazers lost the first game 3-2 and won the second game 6-0 at Mercer County College this afternoon.
Joe Sheeran had the big blow in the second inning of the nightcap as he cleared the bases with a three RBI double down the left field line.
Dan Jacobson, Mike Anthony and Quinn Kelly combined for the shutout.
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May 31, 2016
The Quakertown Blazers will kick off their 33rd season of ACBL baseball on Thursday June 2 when they host the Lehigh Valley Catz at 7pm in Memorial Park. Dewey Oriente is the new field manager and the Blazers will have all new players except for pitcher Dan Morrin who returns for his second season.
In other Blazer news Ryan Vogelsong is on the road to recovery after receiving multiple facial fractures when hit in the face by a 92-MPH fastball last Monday against the Rockies. Vogey was hospitalized for three days and stopped at PNC Park after being discharged from the hospital on Thursday. Reportedly there is no longer a concern that Vogelsong suffered any "significant damage" to the eye itself. At present he is on the 15 day DL.
Former Blazers Tim Mayza and Lou Trivino are performing well in relief at the High A level.
LHP Mayza has a 1.65 ERA with three saves in 16 appearances for the Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League.
RHP Trivino posted a 3.18 ERA with one save in 16 appearances for the Stockton Ports, the Oakland affiliate in the California League.
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April 14, 2016
Photo Courtesy of Gene J. Puskar | Associated Press
On Wednesday Ryan Vogelsong (Kutztown, Quakertown Blazers) allowed only one run in five innings as he started for the Pittsburgh Pirates in place of injured Francisco Liriano.
This was Vogey's first start in a Pirates uniform since September 29, 2004 and his first start against Detroit since Game 3 of the 2012 World Series. A Pirate bullpen collapse gave the Tigers a 7-4 victory.
Vogelsong is 1-0 with a win in relief for the Pirates on April 8 against the Cincinnati Reds.
On Monday Nick Tropeano (Stony Brook, Riverhead) tossed five shutout innings as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Oakland Athletics 4-1.
RHP Phil Klein (Youngstown, Hamptons) has not allowed a run in two relief appearances for the Texas Rangers.
Shortstop Nick Ahmed (UConn, Westhampton Aviators) is hitting .296 for the Arizona Diamondbacks with three home runs.
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March 29, 2016
Tim Mayza (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers, 2011) and Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock, Quakertown Blazers, 2011) both recently pitched in relief for their Major League teams in spring training.
On Sunday Mayza hurled a scoreless 8th inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4. LHP Mayza allowed one hit, struck out two with no walks and touched 97 MPH with his fastball.
RHP Trivino pitched to one batter in the top of the 8th for the Oakland A's today and the batter popped out on a foul ball to the third baseman as the A's lost to the Cubs 9-5.
Trivino was a 11th round selection of Oakland in the 2013 MLB draft while Mayza went in the 12th round to Toronto.
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February 17, 2016
 Blake Smith enters his first year on the coaching staff at Eastern University. He serves as the team’s pitching coach, while also assisting with the development of the catchers. He is also in charge of monitoring the student-athlete’s academic progress, while heavily assisting in recruiting efforts.
Blake is a 2015 graduate of Brescia University in Owensboro, KY where he helped the team to a school record 35 win season his junior year. He was selected as a team captain his senior year.
Prior to Brescia, he played two years at Macomb Community College in Warren, MI. He was a 2-time NJCAA Academic All American, and helped his team to a runner up finish in the Regional Tournament in 2011. He was selected as a team captain his sophomore year in 2012.
A native of Belleville, MI, Blake is a 2010 graduate of Detroit Catholic Central. He is currently pursuing his Master’s of Arts in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University.
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January 26, 2016
In recent minor league transactions catcher Vinny DiFazio (Univ. of Alabama, Quakertown Blazers) signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers while LHP Darin Gorski (Kutztown Univ., Quakertown Blazers, Kutztown Rockies) signed with the Washington Nationals.
 DiFazio was named Player of the Year in the independent American Association while hitting .361 with 17 home runs and 82 RBIs. The All-Star catcher led the St. Paul Saints to a 74-26 record and was in the running for the triple crown.
Gorski had a New York Mets organization leading 27 starts for Las Vegas in the AAA Pacific Coast League. He posted a 10-8 record while striking out 108 in 137 innings with a 5.52 ERA.
Veteran LHP John Lannan (Siena, Long Island Collegians) signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals after going 6-10 with 25 starts and 152 innings for the Colorado Rockies AAA affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes.
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