All-Stars Brown, Colaianni highlight Demon summer entrants

NATCHITOCHES – The novel coronavirus pandemic wiped out almost three quarters of the 2020 college baseball season, putting an added emphasis on the 2020 summer schedule.

While several summer leagues shuttered their seasons, there remain several active leagues where Northwestern State players have used as a return to the sport they love.

Two Demons who found summer homes will play in the Sunflower Collegiate League All-Star Game in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday night. Infielder Hilton Brown and outfielder Gabe Colaianni will represent the Mulvane Patriots in the 7 p.m. exhibition at Wichita State’s Eck Stadium.

Brown, an infielder, entered Thursday’s action with a team-leading five home runs and 24 RBIs, which rank sixth in the 11-team league. Colaianni, an outfielder, ranks second on the Patriots in RBIs with 12.

“I’m happy these guys have had a chance to play this summer after their season was cut short,” head coach Bobby Barbier said. “I’m extremely proud of the work they’ve put in, for Hilton and Gabe to earn this recognition and I can’t wait to get back together with our team.”

Brown and Colaianni are two of 14 Demons who have found summer leagues to play in across the past couple of months.

A quartet of NSU players found homes with the Acadiana Canecutters of the Texas Collegiate League: catchers Marshall Skinner and Tyler Thibodeaux and pitchers Nik Millsap and Levi David.

Three Demons are playing or played in the North Dakota, pod of the Northwoods League: outfielder Jeffrey Elkins and infielder Cam Sibley were teammates on the Mandan Flickertails while outfielder Larson Fontenot is playing with the Bismarck Bull Moose.

Another trio of Demons – infielders Cameron Parikh and Peyton Davis (Arlington A’s) and right-handed pitcher Micah Berens (NTXDirtBags) – are competing in the Five Tool North Texas Collegiate League while infielder Daunte Stuart is playing for the Hunter Pence Academy entrant in the Five Tool Houston Collegiate League.

Outfielder Ryan Zimmerman rounds out the list of summer Demons, playing for the Florida Pokers in the South Florida Collegiate League.