The summer isn’t over, and we’ve got two new players on our roster! We didn’t want to miss out on getting to know them better, so let’s learn about Bryce Hulett and Chandler Pethel!
Bryce Hulett
Bryce Hulett is a 6-foot-2-inch, 200lb Infielder from The University of Pittsburgh and Lake Wales, FL. He is a Computer Forensics major going into his Junior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Atlanta Braves
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Cody Bellinger
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Gum
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Cookies
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING: Evening
TALKING or LISTENING: Talking
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Benchwarmers
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Light Blue
RANDOM OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I can do a split
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Being funny
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Get Drafted
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Skydiving
You can follow Bryce on Twitter and Instagram @Bryce_Hulett
Chandler Pethel
Chandler Pethel is a 5-foot-10-inch, 175lb Infielder from Daytona State and Colbert, GA. He is a Business Major going into his Sophomore year.
Keiji Parkhurst is a 6-foot-2-inch, 210-lb Catcher from Gardner Webb University and Granger, IN. He is a Business Administration Major going into his Junior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Chicago Cubs
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Kyle Cunningham
BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Bubblegum
COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Both
CATS OR DOGS: Dogs
MORNING OR EVENING: Morning
TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening
NETFLIX OR YOUTUBE: Youtube
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: The Rookie, Friends
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Rain
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I’m Japanese
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Semi-pro Football player
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Graduate from Law School
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Catch a shark deep sea fishing.
You can follow Keiji on Twitter @KeijiParkhurst to learn more!
As the season has progressed, our roster has lost a few names and added a few new ones! Today we’ll get to know Nic Nolan and Kelyn Fox!
Nicolas Nolan
Nic Nolan is a 6-foot, 180-lb infielder from Florida Gulf Coast University and Niceville, FL. He is a Health Science major going into his Sophomore year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: New York Yankees
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Trey Turner
BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: seeds
COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Ice Cream
CATS OR DOGS: Dogs
MORNING OR EVENING: Evening
TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening
NETFLIX OR YOUTUBE: Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Step Brothers and Shooter
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I won the state spelling bee in 5th grade.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Fishing
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Play in MLB
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel the world.
You can find Nic on Twitter @nic_nolan7 and on Instagram @nicnolan7!
Kelyn Fox
Kelyn Fox is a 6-foot-1-inch, 160-lb Lefty pitcher from Florida A & M University and Bartow, FL. He is an undeclared major going into his Junior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM:Rays
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: David Price
BUBBLEGUM OR SEEDS: Bubblegum
COOKIES OR ICE CREAM: Cookies
CATS OR DOGS: Dogs
MORNING OR EVENING: Evening
TALKING OR LISTENING: Listening
NETFLIX OR YOUTUBE: Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Any Marvel movie and New Girl
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Red (fruit punch)
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I do everything left handed except shoot guns.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Ping Pong Champ
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Buy my Mom a house
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Visit every MLB park.
You can learn more about Kelyn by following him on Twitter @KelynFox04 and on Insta @Kelyn_Fox04.
While I have been a casual record keeper and historian of modern era Rebels baseball, and I enjoy keeping tabs on what our alumni are doing, I am first and foremost a fan of these college athletes. I would not be involved in Rebels baseball if it weren’t for the magic on the field and the relationships built off the field. It is for this reason that it is always so exciting to me when my favorite players get the chance to continue their careers professionally. I hope other fans feel the same joy and excitement for these career updates that I feel!
This month we had a record breaking 7 Rebel alumni hear their names called in the MLB First Year Players Draft. Those players were Nate Pawelczyk (2016-17), Brandon Parker (2018), Jake Washer (2017), Reeves Martin (2018), Oraj Anu (2018), Keven Pimentel (2018), and Justin Crump (2016). Let me give you a quick update on where these players are at right now.
Nate Pawelczyk
Nate Pawelczyk pitched for the Rebels in 2016-17, coming to us from Winthrop University. He was drafted in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox. He has since signed with the White Sox and is currently pitching for the Great Falls Voyagers, which is an Advanced Rookie League team in Great Falls, Montana. He has appeared in relief in 4 games so far for the Voyagers and has posted a 5.4 ERA.
Brandon Parker
Brandon Parker was an outfielder with the Rebels for the beginning of our 2018 season, coming from Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th round of the draft. He signed with the team on June 17th and is currently playing for the Danville Braves in Danville, VA. So far he’s accumulated 5 hits in 7 games for the Braves and holds a .192 batting average.
Reeves Martin
Reeves Martin pitched for our 2018 Rebels coming from the University of New Orleans. He was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 21st round of the draft. He signed quickly and was sent to Everett, Washington to play for the Class A Short Season Everett Aquasox. He has so far pitched in 4 games and holds a 6.23 ERA.
Oraj Anu
Oraj Anu was a hard-hitting outfielder on our Championship 2018 team, and was drafted for the second time this year in the 16th round by the Boston Red Sox. Oraj has not signed with the Red Sox, and is currently playing for the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League. Most reports indicate that Oraj will not sign with Boston, but will keep his commitment to playing for the University of Kentucky this fall. If this is how things turn out, we won’t be surprised to see Oraj drafted yet again in 2020 and/0r 2021.
Keven Pimentel
Keven Pimentel was an All-Star pitcher for the Rebels in 2017. He played for the 2019 Championship-winning University of Tampa this year. He was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 28th round of the draft. He has since signed with the team and is currently pitching with the Class A Short Season Boise Hawks in Boise, Id. He currently has a 5.4 ERA after appearing in just 2 games for the Hawks.
Jake Washer
Jake Washer was a catcher for the 2017 Rebels coming from Eastern Carolina University. He was picked by the Chicago Cubs in the 29th round of the draft. He just signed the contract with the Cubs this past week and has not yet been assigned to a minor league team. We look forward to seeing where he ends up!
Justin Crump
Justin Crump pitched for the Rebels in 2016, coming from UNC Wilmington. He was selected by the San Francicsco Giants in the 30th round of the draft. He signed his contract on June 16th and was assigned to the Arizona League Rookie Giants. This league has not yet begun play, but their season starts tomorrow on July 1st.
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While it was truly a joy to see seven Rebel names called during the draft, there were a few names this Rebel fan was disappointed not to hear. Happily, in the time since the draft, we have had some of these players sign contracts with Independent League teams. The opportunity to play in the Independent Leagues is the opportunity to continue living the baseball dream, and maybe even regain the notice of MLB affiliated organizations, so we’re truly happy to have our alumni sign with these teams! The players we’ve noted so far in the transaction listings are Luke Johnson (2017), Nick Cottone (2017-2018), John Cable (2016), and Chase Sudduth (2017-18).
Luke Johnson
Luke Johnson was a catcher for the Rebels in 2017. He played for Hartford Community College, Lander University and ended his college career at Wilmington University in DE. This month he signed a contract with the Eastside Diamond Hoppers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League in Suburban Detroit, Michigan. Luke is having a good season so far batting .324 in 34 at bats with two home runs!
John Cable
John Cable was a catcher/infielder for the 2016 Rebels. He played for the University of Georgia as well as the University of New Orleans. He recently signed a contract with the Lake Erie Crushers in the Frontier League. He has so far appeared in 9 games for the Crushers and holds a .229 batting average.
Nick Cottone
Nick Cottone is a pitcher from Elmira College who played for us in both 2017 and 2018. He recently signed a contract with the Plattsburg Thunderbolts in the Empire League, and has since been traded to the New Hampshire Wild in the same league. He has not yet appeared in a game, but we’re really excited to see his career continue!
Chase Sudduth
Chase Sudduth is an infielder from the University of North Georgia who again played for us in both 2017 and 2018. On June 21st, Chase signed a professional contract with the Washington Wild Things of Washington, PA in the Frontier League. So far Chase has had just one hit for the Wild Things, but he has only appeared in three games, so we fully expect to see that change in the near future!
We’ve met most of our players for summer 2019, but there are always roster transactions and late comers throughout the season, so we’ll continue to introduce our newer players as they come in! Today we get to know Blake Ebo!
Blake Ebo
Blake Ebo is a 6-foot-4-inch, 205-lb Outfielder from The University of Kansas and Lumberton, NJ. He is a Marketing major going into his Junior year in school.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: LA Dodgers
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Yasiel Puig
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Bubblegum
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Both together
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Listening
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Youtube
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Fast and Furious
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Powerade Blue
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I can rap pretty well.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Being friendly.
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Make it to the Big Leagues
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go to Lake Como and to Santorini, Greece.
You can follow Blake on social media on Twitter @eboknowz and on Instagram @eboknows!
Wilhelm Allen is a 6-foot, 195-lb right-handed pitcher from Marrero, LA and Southern University. He is a Political Science major going into his Senior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Yankees
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Marcus Stroman
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Bubble gum
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Cookies on top of ice cream.
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Listening
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Youtube
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Friday Night Lights
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Melon
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: Me and Jon Snow have something in common.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Large legs. (teammates call me juicy)
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Mayor of New Orleans
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Hang with John Mayer.
You can find Wil on social media on Twitter @15wilallen15 and on Instagram @wilhelm_15.
Pedro Castellano is a 5-foot-11-inch, 184-lb infielder from The University of Central Florida and Davenport, FL. He is an Interdisciplinary Studies Major going into his Senior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Houston Astros
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Jose Altuve
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Seeds
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Ice Cream
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Listening
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Youtube
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Friends
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Orange
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: n/a
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): n/a
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Have a lot of money and make it to the MLB
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Get married, have kids, make it to the MLB.
Today let’s get to know Jeremiah McCollum and Cade Hungate!
Jeremiah McCollum
Jeremiah McCollum is a 6-foot-1-inch 180-lb Right-handed pitcher from Florida A & M and Fulshear, TX. He is a Broadcast/Journalism major going into his Junior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Houston Astros
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Josh James
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Seeds
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Cookies
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Listening
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE:Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Family Guy
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Orange
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I love to sing but can’t actually sing.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Big Booty
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Work for ESPN or Fox Sports
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Hang out with Drake.
You can follow Jeremiah on Twitter @JAMcCollum09 and on Instagram @hjam_28.
Cade Hungate
Cade Hungate is a 6-foot-2-inch, 190lb Infielder from Florida State University and Abingdon, VA. He is a Business major going into his Sophomore year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Red Sox
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Mike Trout
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Gum
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Ice Cream
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Talking
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: The Benchwarmers
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I don’t know.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Being a nice guy.
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Make it to the big leagues.
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel the world.
You can find out more about Cade by following him on Twitter @cadehungate7 and on Instagram @cade_hungate7.
Apologies for a taking a few days off from player introductions, but let get back to it with the few remaining boys we haven’t met yet! Today lets get to know Kyle Decker and Sam Prince!
Kyle Decker
Kyle Decker is a 6-foot 180-lb Outfielder from Appalachian State University and Fletcher, NC. He is an Exercise Science major going into his Sophomore year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: New York Mets
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Kevin Pillar
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Yes
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Ice cream
CATS (boo) or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Yes
TALKING or LISTENING? Both
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: The Office
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Blue Cherry
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I have two different colored eyes.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Basketball, my jokes and my extreme golf skills
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Physical Therapy, family with 2 boys.
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Own as many dogs as possible!
You can find Kyle on Instagram @Kyledecker_16.
Sam Prince
Sam Prince is a 6-foot 180-lb Right-handed Pitcher from Pasco Hernando Community College and Palm Beach Gardens, FL. He is a Communications major with a minor in Psychology going into his Junior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Miami Marlins
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Robinson Cano
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Seeds
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Fruit
CATS or DOGS: DOGS
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Listening
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Netflix
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Remember the Titans/ How I Met Your Mother
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Cool Blue
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I can talk to any species of animal. However, I am unsure of whether or not they understand me.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): My pre-pubescent singing career.
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Become President of the United States
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Eat dinner with Ellen, Oprah, and Coach Schaeffer all at the same time.
You can get to know Sam even better on Twitter @The_Prince_2 and on Instagram @SamPrince.13
Today let’s get to know Giovany Lorenzo and David Smith!
Giovany Lorenzo is a 5-foot-10-inch, 190lb Catcher from Stetson University and Fort Myers, FL. He is a Health and Exercise Science major going into his Junior year.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Dodgers and Red Sox
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Yadier Molina
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: bubblegum
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Ice Cream
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? Talking
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Youtube
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: The Blacklist or MLB Network
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Green Apple
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: I tap my helmet 3 times before each at bat when walking to the plate.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): I will beat anyone at MLB the Show.
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: I want to play in the MLB or become a Physician’s Assistant.
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: I want to travel to St. Tropez in France.
You can learn even more about Gio by following him on Twitter @g_lorenzo4 or on Instagram @gLorenzo4.
David Smith
David Smith is a 6-foot-2-inch, 195lb Catcher from Georgia Highlands College and Acworth, GA. He is a red-shirted Freshman with a Sports Management major.
FAVORITE MLB TEAM: Atlanta Braves
FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: Yadier Molina
BUBBLEGUM or SEEDS: Seeds
COOKIES or ICE CREAM: Cookies
CATS or DOGS: Dogs
MORNING or EVENING? Evening
TALKING or LISTENING? listening
NETFLIX or YOUTUBE: Youtube
FAVORITE MOVIE & TV SHOW: Final Season
FAVORITE GATORADE FLAVOR (COLOR): Yellow
WEIRD OR HILARIOUS FACT ABOUT YOU: Left hand dominate but throw right-handed.
SOMETHING YOU’RE KNOWN FOR (OTHER THAN BASEBALL): Fishing and hunting
NAME ONE LIFE/CAREER GOAL: Be a pro baseball player
NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Go on an elk hunt.
You can follow along with David this season on Twitter @DavidBrandon33 and on Instagram @David.Smith33.
New Market Rebels 