A look back at the 2017 State College Spikes

With several of the organization’s newest players, the State College Spikes went 40-35 in 2017 and finished the season just games shy of second consecutive postseason berth.

Cardinals 11th round selection was infielder Evan Mendoza, and the 21-year-old did not disappoint in his first stint in the farm system. Mendoza led the New York-Penn League with a 191 wRC+, .455 wOBA, and was the batting champ of the league with a .370 average through 41 games.

St. Louis’ first selection in the 2017 draft, outfielder Scott Hurst, maintained a .432 slugging percentage - second to only Mendoza on the team. Hurst, also 21, led the team with six triples and his 36 runs scored were tied with Edwin Figuera for the team best.

Figuera was one of three Spikes with exactly 11 doubles (Hurst and Joshua Lopez, as well), and Lopez led State College with five long balls.

On the pitching side of the spectrum, Cardinals 12th-round pick Andrew Summerville was superb. Summerville appeared in 13 games — 10 starts -- for the Spikes, pitching to a 1.69 ERA with a .206 opponents’ batting average in 60 ¹⁄₃ innings.

Daniel Castano was very solid as well. The 22-year-old whiffed 81 and walked 13 in 14 starts for State College, maintaining a team-best rate of 0.30 HR/9. Castano also led the pitching staff with a 2.80 xFIP.

Pitchers Jonathon Mulford and Paul Balestrieri deserve some recognition, as well; Mulford logged 73 frames in 15 starts, and Balestrieri surrendered just one home run in 52 ²⁄₃ innings.

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That does it for our State College Spikes review. Next time, we’ll conclude with the Johnson City Cardinals.

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