The Outer Banks Daredevils Baseball Club turned to Coastal Carolina University for four players to add to its 2010 roster. Returning to the Daredevils from Coastal are Jim Birmingham and Tucker Frawley, while pitchers Matt Rein and Rich Witten will add to the Chanticleers' presence on the Outer Banks next summer.
Birmingham, a left-handed pitcher, made up one of the top pitching staffs in the Coastal Plain League last year, and will now be joined by another lefty in Matt Rein.
At Coastal last spring, he went 5-0 with a 3.35 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 28 appearances.
Witten was redshirted early in 2009 and will receive another year of eligibility. A right handed pitcher and infielder, he played in 20 games for the CPL's Columbia Blowfish in 2008. Witten will primarily be on the mound for the Daredevils.
At catcher, Frawley kept runners honest with his arm and provided a spark with his defense behind home plate.
"Coastal Carolina is a proven program with a lot of success in recent years," Daredevils General Manager Owen Hassell said. "We're glad to maintain strong ties to the school and know these players will contribute to our team."
To see the completed 2010 team schedule, go to www.obxdaredevils.com and click the schedule link. Also look for discounts on Daredevils merchandise at www.obxdaredevils.com/shop in time for the holidays.
Last summer was a banner year for Outer Banks, winning the first half CPL North Division title and reaching the semifinals of the Petitt Cup Playoffs. The Daredevils were ranked as high as No. 7 in the weekly Perfect Game Crosschecker poll of the country's top summer league teams, and had seven league all-stars.
Outer Banks is a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Heading into its 14th season with 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, the CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with wooden bats during the summer months. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the CPL, please visit the league Web site at www.coastalplain.com.
