Arkansas Tech left-handed pitcher Blaine Sims was named Valley Baseball League pitcher of the day in recognition of his efforts for his summer league team on Tuesday.
Sims, a member of the New Market Rebels in the Virginia-based Valley Baseball League, pitched six shutout innings and earned a win over the Winchester Royals on Tuesday. He allowed six hits while striking out nine and walking two.
All Things Valley League, a blog that covers the 12-team league, named Sims its pitcher of the day after the Southpaw helped New Market improve to 6-14 on the season.
Sims is 1-1 this summer with a 4.15 earned run average. He has recorded 22 strike outs in 26 innings of work.
He was 6-4 with a 5.31 ERA as a junior for the 2010 Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys, who set a school record with 35 wins.
The Valley Baseball League, founded in 1923, provides current college players with an opportunity to gain valuable experience during the summer months. The league is funded in part by a grant from Major League Baseball and is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, a national affiliation of summer leagues.
According to its Web site, the league has produced more than 1,000 professional baseball players, including a record 79 former players drafted in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in June 2008.
Sims and fellow left-handed Arkansas Tech pitcher Jordan Gomez will play for New Market through the end of the season in early August.
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