Season Recap; Asheville Tourists
ASHEVILLE-- The Asheville Tourists wrapped up the 2017 season on a high note. Asheville won 11 of their last 13 games and clinched a second place finish in the South Atlantic League's southern division. The Tourists went 29-39 in the first half before turning it around after the All-Star Break.
ASHEVILLE-- The Asheville Tourists wrapped up the 2017 season on a high note. Asheville won 11 of their last 13 games and clinched a second place finish in the South Atlantic League's southern division. The Tourists went 29-39 in the first half before turning it around after the All-Star Break. Asheville's second half record was 39-31 resulting in an overall record of 68-70.
This season was filled with highlights and accolades for the Tourists. Manager Warren Schaeffer recorded his 200th career win, all with Asheville, to become just the seventh Tourists manager in history to eclipse that milestone.
Outfielder
Six Tourists players were named to the mid-season South Atlantic League All-Star team. Gomez, the southern division starting shortstop, was joined by fellow infielders
Asheville's longest winning streak of the season came right at the end of the year. The Tourists won eight straight contests from August 26-September 3. The offense finished as the South Atlantic League's best unti. As a team, Asheville led the league in batting average (.266), Home Runs (115), runs scored (660), doubles (292), and stolen bases (229). Three players won the South Atlantic League Player of the Week award at some point during the season; Welker, Manny Melendez, and
As dominant as the Tourists hitters were this season, the strength of this year's team was in the bullpen. The Tourists had 11 relievers finish the season with individual ERA's of 3.86 or below; all of which made a minimum of 16 appearances; Hammer (1.20),
The Tourists starting pitchers battled all season long.
Asheville finished with a winning record in each of the final three months of the season; July, August, and September. Their longest game of the year was a 17-inning thriller in Rome in which Asheville came out on top. The Tourists, for the second straight season, led the league in extra-inning games--they played 19 of them.
The Tourists front office extends its deepest thanks to the coaches, the Colorado Rockies, the 46 Tourists players who appeared in at least one game this season, and the fans that helped make 2017 another record-setting year.