MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Three former area stars doing well in Midwest League (05/04)

The News-Enterprise

Three former area baseball players – Nathan Adcock of North Hardin, Stevie Delabar of Central Hardin and Jordan Newton of LaRue County – have found a new home: The Class-A Midwest League. Adcock’s Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Newton’s West Michigan Whitecaps just finished up a three-game series last week. The way the rotation fell, Adcock, the hard-throwing right-hander, didn’t face Newton and the Whitecaps. “Nathan said he and Jordan acknowledged each other before one of the games,” said John Adcock, Nathan’s father on Thursday. “Nathan’s doing real well. Jordan’s doing real well, too.” Indeed they are. In five starts this season, Adcock, who picked by Seattle in the fifth round of the 2006 draft, has logged 26 2/3 innings. He is 0-2 with a 4.39 earned run average. He has allowed 30 hits and 14 walks, while recording 24 strikeouts. The problem for Adcock has been run support. Adcock, the team’s Opening Day starter, didn’t give up an earned run in his first start and only surrendered one in his second, but Wisconsin lost both games. Adcock has been roughed up in his last two starts, giving up nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings. Newton, who was selected by Detroit in the sixth round of the 2006 draft, is batting .356, which is third-best in the league. He is tied for first with five triples and sixth in slugging percentage at .575. Newton is batting .364 with runners in scoring position. In 17 games, Newton has scored 12 times and driven in 11 runs. He has six doubles and two stolen bases. Newton has only struck out seven times in 73 at-bats. Last season, Newton played 37 games with the Whitecaps. He batted .269 with six doubles, two triples and three homers. He had 17 runs scored, 16 runs batted in and five stolen bases. Delabar, who was picked by San Diego in the 29th round of the 2003 draft, is on the seven-day disabled list, according to the Midwest League’s Web site. He has appeared in seven games, working 8 2/3 innings in relief. He has a 1-1 record with a 4.15 ERA and eight strikeouts.