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Thursday night saw Tuscarora finally get their season underway as they hosted Woodgrove. Both teams started the game with their top arms on the mound, senior righty Charlie Krebs (Marshall) for Woodgrove and junior lefty Brendan Cowen (Virginia Tech) for Tuscarora. 

Woodgrove scored first when Tyler Payne led the second off with a triple to deep center. He then scored on a wild pitch to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. Both pitchers were otherwise very hard to hit early, Cowen punched out 4 in the first two innings and Krebs trumped that with 5 strikeouts in the first two frames.

In the bottom of the third, Tuscarora got on the board. Senior shortstop Bauer Burkart (Marshall) led the inning off with a single to left and then he scored on an RBI double from sophomore Ashton Peshke. Peshke then scored when senior catcher Braydon Kelman (Frederick CC) demolished a triple to right-center. Kelman would get stranded there.

Tuscarora add to their lead in the fourth when senior Cole Keel (Bridgewater) got a two-out two RBI single to fall into rightfield. The Huskies would add another run in the sixth and cruise to a 5-1 win, with Burkart coming in to escape a jam in the sixth and slam the door in the seventh. Cowen went 4 innings and punched out 8.

Woodgrove

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuscarora

 

 

 

 

Bauer Burkart SS / RHP / Tuscarora , VA / 2023 Burkart is a Marshall commit and has a lankier athletic frame. Defensively, he has lateral quickness and very quick soft hands, arm strength is average right now. At the plate, simple swing very short and quick to the ball. Slightly uphill line drive path, shows some gap power. Speed and quickness is a weapon on the bases. Came in to close the game, very short arm action from a lower three-quarters arm slot, throws with very high effort. Fastball was 85-86, touching 87, but mostly just sitting 86. Pitch had some armside run and riding action to it, got swing and misses up in the zone. Showed a slider at 75.

 

 

Brendan Cowen LHP / LHP / Tuscarora, VA / 2024 Cowen is a Virginia Tech commit and has a lankier frame that has a lot of projection left to it. Drop and drive and some crossfire in his delivery, he hides the ball as he strides out closed and creates some deception. Low three-quarters arm slot with a longer quick arm action, throws with higher effort and intent. Fastball was 84-87, touching 88. Mostly worked at 86 early and was 84-85 in the fourth inning, his final inning as he was on a pitch count in the team's opener. Pitch has a tough angle and some late armside with depth. Also gets some ride up in the zone and he showed comfort attacking inside under righthanders' hands with it. Slider was 72-76 and has power 2/8 break to it, pitch flashes swing and miss down right now. Didn't see him back foot it to a righty. Flashed an occasional change which was 78 with some fade. Struck out eight in four innings, was mostly dominant against the hitters that he should overpower and was aggressive. Good start to the season, still more room to develop as he continues to add strength.

 

 

Ashton Peshke LHP / OF / Tuscarora, VA / 2025 Peshke has a lanky frame with a lot of projection left to it. Played first base in this game and showed more arm strength in pregame than a first basemen usually will. At the plate, hit in the two hole, relaxed athletic open stance. He is very short to the ball and short through it. Slightly uphill path with an all fields line drive approach with some extra base juice in the gaps. Has a chance to start developing more power as he gets stronger and generates more strength at contact.

 

 

Connor Quilll SS / 3B / Tuscarora , VA / 2026 Quill is 6-1 with an athletic frame that has projection left to it. Played third in this game with Burkart at short. Pretty good left side of the infield there. Looked comfortable at third, was aggressive in playing shallow in front of the cut a lot and trusting his athleticism. Made a good play when up on a two-hopper two steps to his backhand side, showing his lateral quickness and reaction time. Average arm strength now with the chance for that to increase. At the plate, lefthanded hitter, relaxed open stance, nice simple quiet swing. Good wide firm base, very short path to ball with fast hands, good strength at contact and extension through the ball. Its a fast bat that shows line drive with some gap power now, but has a chance to really to start to show more true gap power as the season progresses and as he gets stronger. Had a few very patient, mature at-bats, didn't look like his varsity game was a moment that was too big for him, kid has a chance to be a dude.