The Coastal Plain League announced today that Dusty Baker of Wilson Tobs was named Hitter of the Week, while Ryan Cusick of High Point-Thomasville earned Pitcher of the Week honors for the short first week of the CPL regular season (July 1 – July 5.) CPL Players of the Week are brought to you by Trackman Baseball, providing players and coaches next-generation analytical data all season long.
Baker, a senior at Mount Olive, continued the momentum from his 2019 CPL All-Star season playing for Morehead City with a big first week in 2020 now playing for the Wilson Tobs. The outfielder finished with a .778 batting average across three games and nine at-bats, all versus the Peninsula Pilots. In total he notched two doubles and one triple on his way to five RBIs and a 1.222 slugging percentage. Baker also drew three walks to push his on-base percentage to .833, helping him score six runs on the week.
On the mound, Cusick was dominant in his first regular season start in the CPL for the HiToms on July 3 versus the Martinsville Mustangs. With players only recently returning to live action after losing their collegiate spring seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cusick left the game after four but not because a lack of dominance. In front of a large contingent of scouts the sophomore from Wake Forest did not allow a hit or run over his four innings of work while walking two and striking out eight for a 0.50 WHIP and 18.00 K/9.
About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Heading into its 24th season in 2020, the CPL features 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,600 alumni drafted and 131 alums – including 2017 ALCS MVP, 2017 World Series champion, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, as well as 2017 NLCS MVP Chris Taylor – make their Major League debut. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball.