WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Aden Howard hit home runs from both sides of the plate, one an inside-the-park homer, and made a diving catch in center field to make his mark for the State College Spikes in the first half finale of the Major League Baseball Draft League schedule, but the Williamsport Crosscutters took a 12-7 win on a Fourth of July afternoon at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
Howard, a 17-year-old native of Carrollton, Texas who just graduated from Hebron High School in May, smashed his second home run of the MLB Draft League season as a right-handed hitter in the fourth inning after taking a 3-1 pitch from Williamsport (11-17) lefty Zac Shoemaker into the Spikes (12-16) bullpen in left field.
The Dallas Baptist commit, who hit leadoff in the game for State College, then switched around to bat as a lefty against righty Jacob Peaden in the eighth inning. Howard launched a fly ball to right field that ricocheted off the wall and bounced back towards the infield, with his dash around the bases punctuated by a headfirst slide into home just ahead of the relay throw for the first inside-the-park home run by any Spikes player since Brady Brecklin in 2021.
Howard also robbed the Crosscutters’ Stephen Hrustich of a base hit in the fourth inning with a full extension diving grab.
The Spikes took a 5-4 lead on Howard’s first homer in the first inning, but the crooked number aided the Crosscutters. Williamsport scored its first four runs in the second, and, after a wild pitch scored Reed Chumley with the tying run in the sixth inning, added six runs in the seventh to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Crosscutters reliever Zane Robbins (1-0) picked up the win, while Spikes reliever Sam Walbridge (0-1) took the loss.
The Spikes will finish the first half of the 2023 MLB Draft League season with a fourth-place finish.
Nine Spikes players – outfielder Howard, infielders Cam Bufford and Tyler Wilson, and pitchers Corey Avant, Chris Barraza, Matthew Linskey, Jacob Odle, Connery Peters, and Gabe Starks – will now represent the club in the Major League Baseball Draft League Prospect Game taking place at Trenton Thunder Ballpark tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m.
Spikes manager Dave Trembley and Trenton Thunder manager Jeff Manto will serve as the managers for the game, which will be a Team Trembley vs. Team Manto matchup. Team Trembley will consist of players from the Spikes, the Frederick Keys, and the West Virginia Black Bears. Team Manto will consist of players from the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the Trenton Thunder and the Williamsport Crosscutters.
The Spikes’ roster will now transition to the 50-game second half of the season, with familiar names returning as young professionals fill the squad. Pitcher Louis Davenport, who set the Spikes’ single-game strikeout record last year with 12 whiffs at Mahoning Valley on August 16, will join infielder Marques Paige and catcher Luis Aviles as returnees from the club’s 2022 second half. Bellefonte native Logan Mathieu, who led the MLB Draft League in second half home runs for the West Virginia Black Bears last year, will return home to play for the Spikes this season.
The second half gets underway as the Spikes host the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Friday, July 7 at 6:35 p.m. Fans will enjoy the second of three Dollar Dog Nights this season, with all Country Store Brand hot dogs available for just $1 each all game long.
Plus, it’s Fitness Night at the ballpark, leading to a unique combination as we encourage fans to #MeatTheChallenge by eating nine $1 hot dogs over the course of the game’s nine innings. Any fan who can successfully #MeatTheChallenge will be entered into a drawing, with one lucky winner receiving a FREE yearlong membership at East Coast Health & Fitness.
It’s also a 4 for $44 Friday presented by 93.7 3WZ, with four of our best seats, four hot dogs and four sodas, a value of up to $88, available for just $44. Additional 4 for $44 packages can also be purchased for just $11 apiece.
After the game, it’s a Kids Run the Bases Home Run Edition presented by Mount Nittany Health.
Tickets for Friday night, as well as every game remaining on the second half of the Spikes’ largest regular season home schedule in franchise history, are available now. Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. until the end of the game Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. through the end of the game on Saturday and Sunday.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets, and view the full 2023 promotional schedule, by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
More ticket packages, including Flex Books and an array of group and hospitality options for the 2023 season, are currently on sale by calling the Spikes at (814) 272-1711. Additional information on all club ticketing options, as well as team news and schedule info, can be viewed at StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all the action of the Spikes’ game on Friday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park starting at approximately 6:05 p.m.
The game can be viewed worldwide on the MLB Draft League streaming platform at MLBDraftLeague.com/streaming, along with the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
