Ready for our Wednesday matchup? Let’s get to it…

  • Adam Zipko came to New Market after his junior year at Divison-II Millersville in 2013. All he did in the Valley was go 0-2, 0.00, with 17 saves, a 1.000 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9, and 13.9 K/9 in 22 innings. He did not give up a single earned run all season long (the losses came from six unearned runs). He walked 10 batters and struck out 34. Zipko’s 18 total saves (he had one in the postseason) are the most since 1994. He was also named All-Decade First Team by ATVL. So while he didn’t go on to pro ball, Zipko had an illustrious college career. In his four years at Millersville, Zipko went a total of 13-4, 2.05, with 20 saves, 32 walks and 97 strikeouts in 127 1/3 innings pitched.
  • A 6-foot-3, 215 pound righthander from Mercer, Matt Blair redshirted his first year in college, but that didn’t stop him from dominating in Front Royal in 2018. In 16 games and 21 1/3 innings, Blair went 2-0, 0.84, with a 0.892 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9, and 15.2 K/9 (that’s from nine walks and 36 K’s). Among pitchers from the 2018 list, Blair finished 4th in ERA, 2nd in batting average against, 7th in WHIP, 4th in K/9, and was named 2nd Team All-Valley, and the third best reliever by ATVL. He gave up earned runs in only two of his regular season appearances, and had two different stretches of 9 shutout innings in a row, from June 10 through July 3rd, and July 7th through July 26th. Since that summer, Blair has pitched in six games for Mercer in 2019, and in one game for Georgia College in 2020.

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And by the way, if you want to read a ton about either the 2015 or 2019 VBL season, be sure to check out this post on the 2019 Valley League Annual. 

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  • Zipko firing a pitch for Millersville
  • Blair in high school