One of the pieces missing during the University of Louisville baseball team’s run to the NCAA Super Regional this season was the slugging prowess of Stewart Ijames. The hard hitting outfielder was forced to miss the season with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, affecting his batting and throwing arm.
As a freshman, Ijames batted .351 with eight homers and 39 RBIs. He also recorded 11 doubles, two triples and 98 total bases. His .583 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage speaks loudly about his value to the team.
He was named third team All-Big East and was picked as a freshman All-American by Ping Baseball.
The really good news for coach Dan McDonnell is that Ijames is back on the field this summer, playing in the Coast Plain League for the Thomasville, NC team. He leads the league in home runs with nine in 40 games.
The Owensboro native, who was selected to play in the league’s all-star game, recently pounded out a double and a home run while driving in five runs to lead his team to a 12-6 win over Gastonia.
The best thing about being in Thomasville is you are only 12 miles from Lexington Bar-B-Que. Next to the pool hall in Hickory that’s the best BBQ in the state.