July 10, 2007
UTICA, N.Y. - Two former University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Baseball Standouts have signed professional contracts to play for the New York State League. Coincidentally, the two are still teammates as they both are playing for the Utica Brewmasters. The New York State League is a new professional league for former collegiate players in their first or second year out of college.
The league consists of four teams all playing in Utica and sharing the same field at Murnane Stadium which used to belong to short season team the Utica Blue Sox. They were sold to Ripken Baseball and moved to Aberdeen, Md. where they became the Aberdeen Ironbirds.
The four teams, the Brewmasters, the Rome Coppers, the Oneida Barge Busters and the Herkimer Trailbusters play each night with a double header of two seven inning games. The league is for one year only for the members of the four teams. Once you have played a year the league hopes that if you are good enough you will get signed by another professional team, independent or one affiliated with major league baseball.
Eric Gaines, who played three seasons in the maroon and grey of the Hawks said that one player was signed by the independent Cam-Am league before even pitching a game.
"This is a great opportunity," said Gaines. "It is great exposure to scouts and a great atmosphere for the players. I am taking it all in, its just awesome."
Longchamps, who pitched two years for the Hawks is considered one of top prospects in the league and was signed the very first day of open tryouts on June 27th. To date he has seen action in two games, picking up his first professional win against the Trailbusters on July 8th. A former starter for the Hawks, Longchamps is serving in a set-up role for the Brewmasters.
"I am having a blast," said Longchamps. "I am learning a lot and it is a great chance to keep playing and get seen by more scouts."
Dustin earned All-MEAC honors in the 2006 season and this season was a pre-season Baseball America All-Conference selection. He also earned MEAC All-Tournament Team honors for a dominating performance against Florida A & M. In that game he worked eight innings and earned a win over the second seeded Rattlers. He allowed just six hits and three walks while striking out seven. He allowed two runs, neither of which were earned. Longchamps finished his season as the team leader in wins (4), games started (16), innings pitched (112), strike outs (101), and opponents batting average (.253).
In 2006 he was the Hawks go to pitcher, starting 14 games in 15 appearances and finishing seven of those starts. He had seven wins, a UMES record since becoming Division I. Last year he led the team with 60 Ks while opponents hit under .250 off of the starter.
Gaines, who primarily played shortstop with UMES it listed as a utility player for the Brewmasters and is rotating time with other infielders. "I have had about eight at bats to date and three of them were hits," he said. I have scored a couple of times and stolen a couple of bases. My first at bat was a pinch hit in the ninth of opening night and I singled up the middle for my first pro hit, it was an awesome feeling."
Gaines has picked up numerous accolades along the way including nods as an All-MEAC performer in 2006 and a nod this past season as pre-season Baseball America All-Conference selection. This year he finished the year with a .272 average and started all 55 of the Hawks games. He led the team in stolen bases with 14 and runs with 35. He had a .376 on base percentage, second on the team and tallied 53 hits and 15 RBI from the lead-off spot.
The previous season Gaines posted a .300 batting average and again started all 52 of the teams' games. He had a fielding percentage of .948 and led the team in assists, stolen bases, RBI, triples and runs. He was second in hits, total bases and slugging percentage. Last year Gaines led the Hawks to the runner spot in the MEAC Championship.
The Eastern Shore connection doesn't stop there for the pair of Hawks. Their manager is former major league star and three-time All-Star Dave Cash who is from Utica. Cash had been a manager and instructor in the Baltimore Orioles organization for the past ten years. Last season he was the Orioles' first base coach.
The connection comes from Cash's son, Dave Jr. who plays for the Delmarva Shorebirds. In the small world of baseball on the Eastern Shore of Delmarva, Gaines and Longchamps knew Cash Jr. before arriving in Utica.
"It is a small world," said Gaines. "I knew him from the Shorebirds and now his Dad is my manager." "We also talked about Coach Rodriguez," said Gaines. Rodriguez is none other than Bobby Rodriguez, former Hawks skipper and Gaines' coach for two seasons at UMES. Cash knew Rodriguez from the time they spent together in the Orioles system.
Longchamps and Gaines take the field each day of the week except for Mondays, their off day. The town supports the new league as opening night saw a crowd of 2,677. Utica, `the hometown team,' if you will, plays the nightcap each evening. "It was crazy," said Longchamps. "There was so much cheering and excitement. It's a great atmosphere."
"This is absolutely great for these two individuals," said head Coach William Gardner. "Hopefully this will lead to bigger and better things for both our our guys, ultimately getting signed by an affiliated team. It is a credit to their hard work, persistence and desire to play beyond college," he added.
The two players are the first to play professionally since Ira "Dude" Smith was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1990. He spent time with the Dodgers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres organizations. He also played with several independent teams along the way. Smith played in the majors for the Padres in 1994, the infamous strike year where replacement players were used.
Former Hawk Charles Pickard signed an independent contract with the Cook Country Cheetahs in 2003 but failed to make the roster for the Frontier League team.
