Special from The Bolivar Commercial

CLEVELAND - Former Delta State University outfielder and current Brockton Rox outfielder Jud Thigpen recently completed a solid week in the Can-Am League. 

Last week, Thigpen went 7-for-21 (.333) with three home runs, five RBI and five runs scored. His performance earned him hitter of the week honors in the Can-Am League. For the season, Thigpen is tied for second in the league with six home runs and is currently tied for fourth in RBI at 17. He is hitting .237 with 22 hits and 14 runs scored in 25 games. He also has a slugging percentage of .473 and hasn't committed an error in the outfield this season. 

Thigpen played at Delta State from 2000-04. He is also a former Bayou Academy standout. 

In Major League action, former Delta State University pitcher and current Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brent Leach continues to shut down the opposition. 

Leach hasn't given up a hit in his last seven appearances and hasn't been scored upon in his last nine outings. Leach's ERA has dropped to 3.38 in 22 games this season. He has a 2-0 record and has given up just eight hits with 14 strikeouts and six walks in 13.1 innings of work. Opponents are hitting just .170 against him. 

Leach pitched for Delta State in 2005. 

Former Delta State University catcher and current San Francisco Giants catcher Eli Whiteside had a tough game against the Texas Rangers Sunday evening. He went 0-for-4 and struckout twice, dropping his average to .259. In 10 games this season, Whiteside has seven hits with four runs scored and two RBI. 

Whiteside played at Delta State from 1999-2001. 

Former Delta State infielder and current Houston Astros infielder Edwin Maysonet played in a game for the first time since June 16 Wednesday night against Kansas City, but didn't get a chance to hit. Maysonet is still hitting .315 with a home run and seven RBI in 19 games this season. Maysonet has been solid in the field by committing just two errors with a fielding percentage of .973 at second base and third base. 

Maysonet played at Delta State in 2002 and 03. 

In triple A-action, former Delta State pitcher and current Omaha Royals pitcher Dusty Hughes had a tough time against the Albuquerque Isotopes Saturday evening by giving up a run and two hits in an inning of work. The outing raised Hughes' ERA to 4.78. In 17 appearances this year, Hughes has 0-1 record and has given up 40 hits with 14 walks and 22 strikeouts in 32 innings of work. Opponents are hitting .303 against him. 

Omaha is an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals organization. Hughes pitched at Delta State from 2001-03. 

In single-A action, former Delta State University pitcher and current Kane County Cougars pitcher Kenny Smalley struggled against Wisconsin last week. 

Smalley suffered the loss as he gave up four hits and three earned runs with five walks and four strikeouts in four innings of work last Thursday. 

Despite the outing, Smalley has had a good year for Kane Country by posting a 6-3 record with a 2.26 ERA. In 16 games (8 starts), he has 63 strikeouts with 24 walks in 59.2 innings of work. He has given up just 43 hits with opponents hitting just .201 against him. 

Kane County is an affiliate of the Oakland A's organization. Smalley pitched at Delta State in 2008.

Andy Collier is the sports editor at the Bolivar Commercial. He can be reached at (662)-843-4241 or by e-mail at andy.collier@bolivarcommercial.com.