Buckwalter Earns First Professional Victory in First Career Appearance

June 21, 2007

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Former Shippensburg baseball standout Ross Buckwalter (Ephrata/Ephrata) made his first career appearance as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization on Tuesday, June 19 and in doing so, earned his first career professional victory.

Currently a member of the Gulf Coast Blue Jays of the Gulf Coast League in Florida, Buckwalter appeared in relief in the team’s season-opener against the Gulf Coast Yankees. He entered the game in the top of the eighth with the game tied at 1-1 and proceeded to retire the first three batters he faced in order on two fly outs and a ground out.

Then, in the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Jays’ Jonathan Del Campo hit a one out double to center field before moving to third on a fly out to center by John Tolisano. Del Campo would then score the game-winning run on a wild pitch by Yankee reliever Jacinto Gonell to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 victory.

Buckwalter was relieved in the top of the ninth by Nathan Jennings who picked up the save, retiring the Yankees in order.

The Rookie League Gulf Coast Blue Jays are Toronto's newest minor league affiliate, replacing the Pulaski Blue Jays of the Appalachian League. Toronto dropped Pulaski from its Minor League system after last season.

While the GCL Blue Jays do not yet have a web site, fans can follow Buckwalter's performance by clicking here. Information on the Gulf Coast League such as news, standings and statistics can be viewed here.

On Wednesday, the Gulf Coast Yankees defeated the Gulf Coast Blue Jays 7-2 at Yankee Complex in Tampa, Florida. In that game, Buckwalter’s teammate, former West Chester standout and 2007 PSAC Eastern Division Pitcher of the Year Frank Gailey, made his professional debut.

Gailey held the Yankees scoreless in the eighth and ninth, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out two in two innings of work. Of the five Blue Jay pitchers used, he was the only one not to allow a run.

As for Buckwalter, he is looking to become the fourth Red Raider pitcher to make it in professional baseball joining Paul Abraham ’01, Evan Englebrook ’04 and Nathan Starner ’06 who is also in the Blue Jays organization.

Currently with Toronto’s Class-A, Midwest League affiliate, the Lansing Lugnuts, Starner has made 14 starts and currently leads the team in wins (5), innings pitched (69.1) and strikeouts (71).

An All-PSAC Western Division Second Team selection this year, Buckwalter led the PSAC in both innings pitched and games started, finishing the season with 85.1 and 12, respectively. He also totaled a 5-3 record with a 2.85 ERA, five complete games and 60 strikeouts while receiving North Atlantic Region Second Team honors by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Daktronics, Inc.

- Red Raider Baseball -