University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Trio Among The Top Summer Baseball League Prospects
September 01, 2009 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga. --- University of Georgia outfielder/catcher Peter Verdin, outfielder Zach Cone and pitcher Justin Grimm were listed among the top prospects in their respective summer leagues by Baseball America Tuesday.
Verdin was selected as the No. 2 prospect out of the New England Collegiate League. The Bulldog sophomore played for the Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats and saw action in the outfield and at catcher. He batted .296 with three home runs and 11 RBI plus was 9-for-12 in stolen base attempts. He played in 30 games with 28 starts in the wood bat league. In 2009 for the Bulldogs, Verdin hit .316 with two home runs and eight RBI. He appeared in 46 games including 26 starts. He fielded .980 with just one error in 50 total chances. Baseball America stated that Verdin has “a chance to be a true five-tool player.”
Cone was tabbed as the No. 12 prospect out of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Bulldog sophomore played for the Cotuit (Mass.) Kettleers. In the wood bat league, Cone hit .243 with three home runs and 20 RBI plus was 10-for-12 in stolen base attempts. One National League scouting director told Baseball America that Cone was the “top position player in the league.” This past season for the Bulldogs, Cone batted .323 with four home runs and 18 RBI. He played in 45 games with 20 starts including at all three outfield spots. He had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 40 total chances. Also, Cone enjoyed a solid postseason, hitting a team-best .417 as Georgia finished 38-24 after advancing to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
Grimm was named the No. 18 prospect out of the Cape Cod League. In eight starts for the Kettleers, Grimm posted a 2.84 ERA and a 1-4 record. He registered 47 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44.1 innings pitched. In his sophomore season with the Bulldogs, Grimm went 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 15 starts. He tallied 72 strikeouts and 26 walks in 78 innings pitched. Grimm emerged in the postseason, going 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA. A 13th round draft pick by Boston coming out of Virginia High School in 2007, Baseball America stated Grimm “has all the raw ingredients to become a first-round pick next June.”
In related baseball news, former Bulldog catcher Clint Sammons was recalled by the Atlanta Braves Tuesday. On September 1, Major League rosters expanded from 25 to 40 players for the final month of the regular season. This is the fourth stint in the majors for Sammons who was a sixth round selection of Atlanta in 2004. He helped Georgia win the 2004 Southeastern Conference title and led them to a third place finish at the College World Series.
An excellent defensive catcher, Sammons began this year with Atlanta but spent a majority of the season at Triple-A Gwinnett where he batted .214-9-37. In the past three years, Sammons has appeared in 28 career games with Atlanta. Sammons is the latest Bulldog in the majors this season, joining Gordon Beckham (Chicago White Sox), Jeff Keppinger (Houston) and Mitchell Boggs (St. Louis).