Brusa and Fulmer highlight NWL ASG
KEIZER, Oregon - Minor league baseball is a unique system, there is nothing quite like it in the world of professional sports, but one thing is for sure minor league baseball is fun to watch. Gio Brusa and Ashford Fulmer have ensured that baseball is fun to watch in Salem-Keizer and they have each done it in their own unique way. However, they have each used smaller collegiate programs to pursue their ultimate goal, the major leagues.
One way minor league players can get similar experience to a major league atmosphere is to participate in All-Star games. Four Volcanoes were given opportunities to do that this year, Brusa, Fulmer, John Riley and Kevin Rivera. Brusa and Fulmer left their mark on the Northwest League All-Star Game in unique way, Brusa by winning the home run derby and hitting a two-run home run in the game, and Fulmer by getting on base three times and going 2-for-5 with a double.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 220 pounds, Brusa is a 2016 sixth round draft pick for the San Francisco Giants coming out of the University of the Pacific. The outfielder is ranked 30th on the San Francisco Giants Future Prospects list. University of the Pacific plays in the West Coast Conference, among the likes of Saint Mary's College and Gonzaga University. The West Coast Conference quietly produces talent, Brian Matuzs (Baltimore - current) and Randy Winn (multiple-teams - retired), and continuously sends multiple teams to the NCAA Baseball Tournament, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's most recently in 2016. Brusa recently represented the Volcanoes in the NWL All-Star Game in Ogden, Utah.
Fulmer, also an outfielder, is a 2015 28th round draft pick by the Giants organization out of the University of Houston. At 6-foot-1, the 175 pound outfielder leads all returning Volcanoes players in batting average this year to date. Fulmer competed in a newer athletic conference, The American Athletic Conference, formerly the Big East before the Big East dropped football from the conference. The American Conference consists of baseball powerhouses Houston, Connecticut, and East Carolina - all conference champions over the last three years in baseball.
Brusa and Fulmer left their mark on their respective school before getting drafted out of college. Brusa and Fulmer now are apart of the Volcanoes' squad and most recently their first professional All-Star team.
Together, Brusa and Fulmer left their mark on the NWL v.s. Pioneer League (PBL) ASG, with Brusa winning the home run derby and homering in the ASG and Fulmer going 2-for-5 with a double and two stolen bases.
"It was a blessing for the opportunity," Brusa said. "I love batting practice so it was a lot of fun."
In a unique home run derby format, NWL and PBL contestants competed in a three minute round, Brusa then a competed in a 30-second tie-breaker round against Eugene Emeralds outfielder Chris Pieters, with the winner advancing to the seven-out final round against Pioneer League batter Idandel Isabel.
Brusa jumped out to an early lead in the first round of the contest, smacking ten home runs in the first round.
.@SKVolcanoes outfielder Gio Brusa takes an early lead in the derby with 10 HR in the first round. #NWLvsPBL pic.twitter.com/6sIvhmQUeo
— Spokane Indians (@spokaneindians) August 2, 2016
With six outs and only one remaining, Brusa launched two home runs on two swings to win the final round of the Home Run Derby and ultimately win the 2016 Home Run Derby. His NWL teammates mobbed him in jubilation as the fun was just beginning for the All-Stars from the Northwest League.
Gio Brusa won the 2016 All-Star HR Derby for the Northwest League with a walk-off shot! @SKVolcanoes #NWLvsPBL pic.twitter.com/BlM5PqxbzM
— Spokane Indians (@spokaneindians) August 3, 2016
"[My teammates] were really supportive and they are the ones that made it most special," Brusa said.
.@SKVolcanoes outfielder Gio Brusa takes an early lead in the derby with 10 HR in the first round. #NWLvsPBL pic.twitter.com/6sIvhmQUeo
— Spokane Indians (@spokaneindians) August 2, 2016
Brusa said he relished the moment he had in the home run derby. "Sometimes you have to take time to smell the roses and enjoy the moment."
After a short break, the main event began and Brusa did what he had done earlier: he hit a home run. The two-run home run from Brusa brought the score to 10-4 in favor of the NWL All-Stars in the fourth inning, a deficit from which the PBL All-Stars could not recover. Brusa said he was grateful for the opportunity and said "I enjoyed playing with a good group of guys where we all look up to each other during the season."
Fulmer entered the All-Star game with knowledge of MVP awards and attempted to leave his mark on the ball game with a stellar performance in hopes of winning an award. Fulmer produced a stellar performance, going 2-for-5 with a double and back-to-back stolen bases, but did not win the MVP award. Fellow NWL player Xavier Turner won the award after a 3-for-3 night, including a home run.
Utilizing his ability as a leadoff man, Fulmer was able to get on base three times in six plate appearances. Fulmer said, "I was trying to attack early [in the at-bat], run and have fun like I was playing Little League." As a leadoff man, Fulmer faced a different pitcher every at-bat.
Now, Fulmer has to get back to his game approach. The Volcanoes are playing the Spokane Indians in a five-game series and Fulmer said he will look to bring the All-Star aggressiveness to the plate while staying relaxed the rest of the series and season.
You can follow all of the action on Volcanoes Live by going to volcanoesbaseball.com or get tickets to a game by going to volcanoestickets.com.