Josh Lopez of the Crosscutters celebrates with group mates after scoring throughout a current sport at Journey Financial institution Ballpark.
DAVE KENNEDY/Solar-Gazette
With how younger some Summer season League rosters are, expertise might be one of many extra invaluable accolades a ballplayer can have.
Doubly so within the Draft League’s first-half marketing campaign, the place a lineup might be stuffed out with guys contemporary out of highschool commencement, or their first yr enjoying school ball.
Having a man that’s been there earlier than might be essential to group success.
For the Williamsport Crosscutters, one athlete that comes with loads of expertise at this stage is Joshua Lopez.
At 24 years previous, Lopez is among the oldest on the Crosscutters, with a league common three years older than the everyday Draft League prospect. With the added age, Lopez on paper
brings 5 years of school and two years of summer time league ball heading into 2024 with the Crosscutters.
“[It’s] simply doing somewhat little bit of every thing,” stated Lopez when requested about his position with the group. “I’m attempting to steer somewhat bit. Assist the blokes if anybody has questions. Simply assist them within the cage, or if there’s something on the psychological facet of the sport, I’m simply attempting to assist out and be the very best chief that I might be and be the very best teammate I might be.”
A standout three sport athlete at Danbury Excessive Faculty, Lopez started his collegiate profession on the JUCO stage with Monroe School, batting .292 in 26 video games with the Mustangs.
His proclivity on the plate would assist him transition to a different JUCO in Jefferson, the place Lopez would develop into an additional standout. The Connecticut native dominated accolades in his 2024 senior marketing campaign, batting a monstrous .340, while main the group in RBIs (61), runs (59), and OPS (1.178).
However what earned him a visit to the Draft League most was his energy hitting, with Lopez’s 20 house runs this previous yr breaking a program document. In whole, Lopez hit 31 dingers in three seasons with the Rams.
That energy hitting has transitioned to the Draft League, with Joshua already knocking one out of the park to garnish a terrific .346 common throughout seven video games as Williamsport’s designated hitter.
“It’s been going fairly effectively,” stated Lopez on his enigmatic begin. “[I’ve] been seeing the ball effectively, having some group AB’s. [I’ve] simply been doing my finest to get on for the group.”
On tempo for summer time league profession bests in common and OPS, and already matching his whole in house runs, Lopez’s mild has shined early on in one of many largest levels in summer time league ball.
As has been the case for the Cutters as an entire, with Williamsport holding a first-place spot within the Draft League heading into Thursday night time’s slate of fixtures.
When requested concerning the group’s success, and a league that’s highlighted by shining a lightweight on the person, Lopez supplied a selfless response for somebody that immediately comes off as a locker room man.
“The most important factor for us is we’ve got nice group chemistry,” defined Lopez earlier this
week. “I feel we take pleasure in our time collectively… us having the ability to have that comradery helps us win.”
Coming off of a house sequence in opposition to the West Virginia Black Bears, Williamsport will journey south this weekend for the start of a 5 sport street journey; three versus Frederick and two in opposition to State School. Williamsport’s subsequent house sequence will happen Thursday, when the Cutters sq. off in opposition to Mahoning Valley.
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