STANDISH, Maine – The Joplin Blasters of the American Association purchased the contract of former Saint Joseph's College catcher Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) last week.
Coyne, a four-time First Team All-Conference honoree and 2015 GNAC Player of the Year, began the summer playing for the Old Orchard Beach Surge, an Independent team which plays in the newly-formed North Country Baseball League (NCBL). In 32 games with the Surge, Coyne hit .365 (46-126) with 22 runs, 10 doubles, two home runs and 26 RBI and ranked among the team leaders in each of the aforementioned statistical categories.
The American Association is widely considered to be one of the top Independent baseball leagues in the country. Comprised of teams from the now-defunct Northern and Central Leagues, the American Association has franchises in 13 different cities throughout the Midwest. Teams are located in Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota as well as Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The American Association fields numerous former Major League Baseball players every season and has helped develop a number of current big leaguers, including All-Star pitcher Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta.
In three games with the Blasters, Coyne is hitting .273 (3-11) with three runs and an RBI. In his debut on August 6th, he went 1-3 with a run scored in a 6-2 victory over the Kansas City T-Bones.
In four years as a starter for the Monks, Coyne hit .350 (219-626) with 114 runs, 52 doubles, nine homers and 121 RBI over 178 career contests.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
