#13 Derek Blacksher - Pitcher
Career Highlights: Fifth season of professional baseball and second overall with the Wingnuts…re-acquired by Wichita from Fort Worth on 7/10 in exchange for Ryan Patterson…26-19 career record with 11 saves and a 4.37 ERA…has worked 352.0 career innings, with 290 strikeouts, 124 walks, and 347 hits allowed…78 career appearances, 49 of them as a starting pitcher…33rd Round draft pick of the Marlins in 2007…originally acquired by the Wingnuts from the Frontier League’s Gateway Grizzlies in exchange for a player to be named later on 3/5/09…played at McNeese State University, including a 7-3 record with a 3.01 ERA as a junior in 2006, and then 4-6 in 2007 as a senior before getting drafted…majored in Exercise Science…also played at Panola Junior College…has bounced back from Tommy John surgery in 2005…works as a personal trainer during the off-season…earned Best Professional Debut honors from Baseball America in 2007…earned Pitcher of the Year honors in 2008 from the Gateway Grizzlies, and again in 2009 with the Wingnuts…played at Bridge City High School in Bridge City, TX…also played football and basketball…married to Lindsay...enjoys hutning, fishing, and reading
2011
Fort Worth (American Association/Ind.): 3-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 starts and one relief appearance for the Cats…allowed three or fewer earned runs in eight of his 11 starts…threw a complete game, two-hitter vs. Amarillo on 6/3, striking out 12 and allowing two runs, one earned…allowed one earned run on four hits in 8.0 innings on 6/13 vs. Grand Prairie, striking out 10…struck out six and allowed two earned runs on eight hits in 7.2 innings on 6/30 vs. Amarillo while earning the win
2010
Newark (Atlantic/Ind.): 2-6 with a 7.03 ERA in 17 games, eight as a starter for the Bears…worked 65.1 IP, allowing 78 hits, 24 walks, and striking out 48…allowed 11 home runs…struck out three and allowed one earned run in 3.0 relief innings on 7/28 at Lancaster…pitched three scoreless relief innings and earned the win on 8/7 vs. Somerset, striking out four…earned complete game victory on 9/13 at Lancaster, allowing five earned runs in 9.0 IP with four strikeouts…struck out seven in 6.0 innings in a loss at Camden on 9/19, allowing four earned runs
2009
Newark (Atlantic/Ind.): Made two appearances for the Bears, going 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts…worked 8.0 IP, allowing eight hits and one walk…struck out six batters…allowed one earned run on four hits in 5.0 IP on 9/15 at Southern Maryland while taking the loss
2009
Wichita (American Association/Ind.): 2009 American Association Right-Handed Pitcher of the Year…went 11-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 20 games, all starts…led the American Association in wins…won 11th game before any other pitcher had won 10…ranked seventh in the league in ERA, tied for second in starts, and fifth in strikeouts with 93…worked 125.0 innings, allowing 122 hits and 41 walks…did not allow a home run over first 111.1 innings and only two total for the year…won five consecutive starts from 7/29-8/19 and final six overall decisions…also won nine of final 10 decisions…worked six or more innings in 17 of 20 starts, and pitched five or more in 19 of them…had 11 games of five or more strikeouts, including 10 in 6.0 innings on 5/22 at Sioux City in a no-decision…3.39 ERA at home in 61.0 IP, 3.38 ERA on the road in 64.0 IP…earned first win of the season on 5/28 vs. St. Paul, allowing two earned runs in 6.0 IP with three strikeouts…did not allow an earned run on 6/8 at Sioux Falls in 6.0 innings while picking up the win and striking out three…struck out eight in 7.0 IP while allowing three earned runs in a no-decision at St. Paul on 6/19…worked six shutout innings and earned the win on 7/5 at Lincoln, striking out five…pitched seven shutout innings on 7/29 vs. Pensacola, striking out five and allowing just three hits in a win…allowed two earned runs and struck out seven in 7.2 innings on 8/4 at St. Paul…earned victory at Fort Worth on 8/14, allowing one earned run in 7.0 IP…pitched 7.2 scoreless innings in Game Three of the North Division Series on 9/4 vs. Lincoln, earning the win and giving the Wingnuts a 2-1 lead in the series…earned the win in the All-Star Game at Grand Prairie…named the Wingnuts’ Pitcher of the Year at the end of the regular season
2008
Gateway (Frontier/Ind.): Became a full-time starting pitcher, appearing in 19 games, all starts…went 10-8 with a 4.57 ERA for the Grizzlies…10 wins ranked 10th in the Frontier League…won five consecutive decisions from 6/5-6/25…went 6-3 with a 3.68 ERA in 66.0 IP at home, 4-5, 5.52 ERA in 62.0 IP on the road…struck out 110 hitters while walking 49…worked into the seventh inning in 13 of 19 starts…struck out five or more hitters in 13 of 19 starts…fanned a career-high 14 hitters in 8.0 IP in a win at Kalamazoo on 8/8…built arm strength as the year wore on, pitching at least seven full innings in five of his final six starts…named Grizzlies’ Pitcher of the Year
2007
Jamestown (New York-Penn/A-): Earned promotion to Jamestown after success at the Rookie level…posted a 4.91 ERA in five appearances, notching two more saves…struck out four hitters in 2.1 IP on 7/2 vs. Williamsport…did not allow a run in first three appearances
Marlins (Gulf Coast/R): Made professional debut on 6/19, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings in a start at the Mets Gulf Coast affiliate…appeared in 15 games, 14 out of the bullpen…3-1 with a 0.49 ERA, while racking nine saves…picked up first professional win on 7/8 in a scoreless inning of work at the Nationals Gulf Coast affiliate…picked up first professional save the following night at the Mets Gulf Coast affiliate…allowed just one earned run in 18.1 IP while striking out 25…did not allow an earned run in first six professional appearances, spanning 9.0 IP…nine saved ranked third in the Gulf Coast League
Kevin Hooper on Derek: I am excited to have Derek Blacksher back in a Wingnuts uniform. He was a key part to our success in 2009, and hopefully can help us make a run to the postseason to finish out this year.
