briefs
Wild Things
re-sign players
The Wild Things re-signed seven players from their 2018 East Division champion roster.
The group of returners are LHP Kellen Croce, LHP BJ Sabol, RHP Dillon Sunnafrank, RHP Michael Austin, RHP James Meeker, INF Ryan Cox and INF Brett Marr.
Croce transitioned from Fargo in the American Association, pitching 10 innings and striking out 11 batters in Washington. Sabol joined the Wild Things following a successful season in the Big 10 and made 12 relief appearances professionally.
Wheeling Jesuit’s Sunnafrank was a quality find in 2018 as he shined with a 1.15 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15 innings. Austin shouldered 12 starts, 70 innings for the Things and now looks to take on more in year two.
Pittsburgh native Meeker returns for a second season where he saw 29 innings of work and 26 strikeouts out of the pen. Another Pittsburgh native, Cox, hit .265 in his first year professionally after success in the PSAC at Kutztown. Marr returns after career highs in RBI (30) and a .268 batting average for Washington.
Players honored
Washington & Jefferson field hockey’s Rachel Buyan, Alana Boyd and Rena Israel earned spots on the Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-North Atlantic Region team.
Today’s recognition marks the third time that Buyan has made a Longstreth/NFHCA All-North Atlantic Region team, and her second consecutive season as a first teamer. Boyd and Israel take home this honor for the first time in their careers, with Boyd making the First Team and Israel being named to the Second Team.
Buyan, a four-time All-Empire 8 selection and the 2018 E8 Player of the Year, had one of her best seasons to date in 2018. The senior paced the Presidents with 36 points and a career-high tying 16 goals.
Boyd posted career highs with 26 points and 11 goals, ranking second on the team in both categories.
Israel was one of the stingiest goalkeepers in all of Division III this season, ranking first in the nation in both save percentage (.909) and goals-against average (0.28). For the year, Israel posted a 16-2 record.
At The Meadows
Parked the opening three-eighths, Expose Yourself was so dominant that she still blew away the field by 6-3/4 lengths in Wednesday’s $20,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
Expose Yourself dueled with Looking For Zelda and Dirty Secret before she was able to cross over for Dave Palone. The 4-year-old daughter of Kadabra-Muscle Shirt drew steadily away and scored geared down in 1:55.2 over a “good” surface. Dirty Secret and Bessie completed the ticket.
Ron Burke trains Expose Yourself, who won for the 10th time this year and pushed her career bankroll to $166,961, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Palone collected four wins – including a pair for Burke – on the 13-race card while Mike Wilder enjoyed a triple.