NYCBL Alumni Spotlight: 2004 Glens Falls Golden Eagles

Welcome back to the New York Collegiate Baseball League Alumni Spotlight. Every other week until the beginning of the 2008 NYCBL season on June 6th, former NYCBL (or NCBL) players or coaches will be featured. Last June, 27 current or former New York Collegiate Baseball League players were selected in the Major League Baseball entry draft. Countless other former players and coaches have gone on to success at the collegiate and professional levels.

Today, the spotlight shines on the 2004 Glens Falls Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles, in their inaugural season in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, won the Eastern Division regular season title with a record of 31-10 and finished with the league's highest winning percentage (.756). Seven members of the team were named to the NYCBL postseason all-star team and an eighth player, Terry Blunt, was selected as the NYCBL Player of the Year. The Golden Eagles all-stars were Chris Carlson, Jeremy Goldschmeding, David Williams, Brett Zamzow, Shawn Ryan, Ryan Basham and Jeremy Hall.

Eight members of the 2004 Golden Eagles are preparing to play professional baseball in 2008. Those eight players are Terry Blunt, Steve Calicutt, Jeremy Hall, Chris Carlson, David Williams, Ryan Hill, Ryan Basham and Shawn Ryan.

Last season, Blunt played for the California League's Bakersfield Blaze. He's the first former Golden Eagles player to reach High-A. Blunt, in his first full season in High-A, batted .159 in 41 games with six runs batted in, 18 runs scored, 21 hits and nine stolen bases. He had his best professional season in 2006 with the Clinton LumberKings of the Midwest League. Blunt played in 115 games and batted .271 with 45 runs batted in. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Texas Rangers after finishing his collegiate career at Kansas State.

Calicutt pitched for the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League in 2007. He went 6-5 with a 3.88 earned run average in 33 appearances and 16 starts. Calicutt also converted two saves. He finished the season strong with three victories in his final four appearances, including a three-hitter over six innings to close the season against Kannapolis. Calicutt, out of East Tennessee State, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st round (626 overall) of the 2006 draft.

Hall started the 2007 season with Princeton of the Appalachian League and finished the year with the South Atlantic League's Columbus Catfish. In 12 starts for the Princeton Devil Rays, Hall went 4-1 with a 1.56 earned run average. He struck out 59 batters in 69.1 innings pitched and held opponents to a .242 batting average. After being called up to Columbus, Hall hurled a four-hitter over six innings to lead the Catfish to a victory over Savannah on August 27. He was signed as a free agent by the Devil Rays after his collegiate career at East Tennessee State. For more on Hall, please click here.

Carlson spent last season with the Oneonta Tigers of the New York-Penn League. He was named the team's Player of the Year and was the Most Valuable Player at the NY-Penn League All-Star Game. For the season, Carlson hit .291 with 10 home runs and 51 RBI. He totaled 75 hits, 44 runs, 21 doubles and 29 walks. Carlson was a Topps Short-Season Rookie All-Star in 2006 with the GCL Tigers of the Gulf Coast League. He was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the 29th round (892nd overall) of the 2006 draft out of the University of New Mexico.

Williams made his professional debut in 2007 with the Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Penn League. Williams hit .276 and drove in 19 runs for the Baby Bombers. He collected 61 hits, 25 runs, 12 doubles and seven stolen bases. Williams was a three-time draft pick, being taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005 and the Florida Marlins in 2006. The Yankees tabbed Williams in the 15th round (484th overall) in the 2007 draft out of Rutgers.

Hill, after wrapping up his senior season at Rutgers last year, spent the remainder of the 2007 professional campaign with the San Diego Padres affiliate in the Arizona League. Hill batted .213 with one home run and 19 runs batted in over 49 games for the AZL Padres. He scored 16 runs and totaled 30 hits. Hill was taken several slots ahead of his Rutgers teammate Williams in the 15th round of last June's draft; he was chosen 477th overall.

Basham was named the 2007 Rookie of the Year in the Frontier League. Basham, playing for the Florence Freedom, hit .298 with a team-high 17 home runs and 74 runs batted in. He finished second on the team with 108 hits. Basham signed with the Freedom as a free agent last April and helped the team to a third place showing in the Frontier League's East Division. He played collegiately at Michigan State University.

Ryan pitched last season in the independent Can-Am League for the Quebec Capitales. Ryan, used primarily as a reliever, went 1-1 with a 6.16 earned run average in 24 appearances. He threw 61.1 innings, struck out 38 and held opponents to a .258 batting average. Ryan, a former UAlbany star, has pitched for "Les Capitales" for the last three years. He also made five appearances for the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks in 2006.

In addition, 2004 Golden Eagles Brett Zamzow, Will Groff and Tom Hill all played professionally in 2007. Zamow made 30 appearances for the Clinton LumberKings of the Midwest League. Groff hit .252 in 36 games for the Batavia Muckdogs of the New York-Penn League. Hill, no relation to Ryan Hill, appeared in 25 games for the Burlington Royals of the Appalachian League.

Jeremy Goldschmeding, another 2004 Golden Eagle, played professionally in 2006 with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League. He retired prior to last season.