July 7, 2001

Winston-Salem, NC -- Eight current Wake Forest baseball players are competing in the prestigious Cape Cod League this summer.

The Cape Cod League is widely regarded as the premier summer wood bat league in America featuring the best college baseball players from all over the country. No ACC team has more players in the Cape than Wake Forest.

Several Demon Deacons have been outstanding for their respective teams, most notably right-handed pitcher Dave Bush. A third-team All-American during the spring, Bush was a fourth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in last month's amateur draft. He has not signed with the club and has been nearly unhittable since joining the Chatham A's on the Cape.

In 11.1 innings over seven appearances for the A's, Bush has not allowed a run. The Devon, Pa., native has fanned 16 batters while yielding just three hits and three walks through Saturday's games. In his last outing on July 3, Bush struck out all four Hyannis Mets batters he faced. Last summer, Bush was a Cape Cod League all-star. In his one-plus seasons on the Cape, Bush has an ERA of 0.55 in 32.2 innings with 44 strikeouts.

Bush's Cape Cod teammate, Ben Clayton, has been impressive. In the Chatham rotation, Clayton has made three starts. The left-handed pitcher from San Leandro, California, owns a 2.81 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 16 innings but has not earned a decision.

Another Deacon standout on the Cape is right-handed pitcher Kyle Sleeth. He has been very sharp for the Cotuit Kettleers, earning a 2-1 record in four starts with a 2.33 ERA. He has 27 strikeouts in 27 innings against just six walks.

Other Wake Forest players in the league include Stephen Ghutzman (Falmouth), Nick Blue (Harwich), Ryan Johnson (Chatham), Adam Hanson (Cotuit), Eric Maycroft (Hyannis). Centerfielder Adam Bourassa, who will join the Deacons after two seasons at Kishwaukee Junior College, is among the league leaders in stolen bases for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

Michael Holmes, Wake Forest's administrative assistant, is the pitching coach for the Brewster Whitecaps. His pitching staff owns a 2.59 ERA and is in the upper echelon of the 10-team league despite the team's 9-12 record.

The Petersburg Generals of the Coastal Plain League, under the direction of Wake Forest assistant coach Jamie Mabe, raced to a third place in the Northern Division.

Jamie D'Antona, the ACC's 2001 Rookie of the Year, is playing in the Alaska League this summer. He has missed some time with a minor wrist injury, playing in just 15 of the team's 25 games through July 3, but is still third on the team in RBI. D'Antona is batting .278 with a home run and 15 RBI. Defensively, he has moved back to third base, the position he played throughout high school. He is joined in Alaska by Deacon teammate Gregory Russell who has a 2-1 record for the Alaska Goldpanners.

For more information on the Cape Cod League, visit: www.capecodbaseball.org