Ishikawa back with Connecticut Defenders

Federal Way High School graduate Travis Ishikawa is getting pretty used to spending his summers in Connecticut.

For the third year in a row, Ishikawa is playing minor league baseball for the Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League. Connecticut is the Class AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. This is the first baseman’s seventh year in the minor leagues after being drafted in the 21st round by the Giants in 2002.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder is currently hitting .262 in 34 games played for the Defenders. He has scored 18 runs, has seven doubles, three home runs and 21 RBIs. Ishikawa has also cut down on his strikeouts this season, which have troubled him in the past. He only has 21 in 126 at bats. The last couple seasons, he has averaged well over a strikeout a game.

The 2002 Federal Way High School graduate spent spring training in the San Francisco Giants’ big-league camp.

Last year, Ishikawa split the season between Connecticut and Class A San Jose. On the season, the left-hander hit .243 in 104 games. Ishikawa scored 52 runs, had 18 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 51 RBIs. He also had 126 strikeouts.

Ishikawa is on the San Francisco’s 40-man roster and played 12 games in the Major League’s in 2006. Ishikawa spent three separate stints with the Giants. In his 12 Major League games, Ishikawa hit an impressive .292 in 24 at bats. He also scored one run, had three doubles, a triple and four RBIs.

Tony Barnette — The Thomas Jefferson grad has started the season for the Class-AA Mobile (Ala.) BayBears. The BayBears are a part of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization. Barnette was drafted in the 10th round by the Diamondbacks in 2006 after playing two years at Arizona State University.

Barnette is currently 2-5 with a 6.31 earned-run average in eight starts this season. He has thrown 41.1 innings and has 32 strikeouts.

Last year, Barnette pitched for the Single-A South Bend (Ind.) Silver Hawks and finished 8-8 with a 3.60 earned-run average. Barnette started 25 games and had 108 strikeouts in 160 innings. Barnette was selected to play in the 2007 Midwest League all-star game.

Mobile is currently 18-22 on the season.

Brady Everett — The Federal Way High School graduate signed with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Northern League in March. The catcher/first baseman had played the last three seasons in the Kansas City Royals’ organization.

The Northern League is independent minor league professional baseball league, meaning its teams aren’t affiliated with Major League organizations. Winnipeg started their season on Thursday.

Last year with Burlington, Everett played in 107 games as a catcher and first baseman. Everett hit .266 with 30 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. Burlington is the Class A affiliate of the Royals and located in Iowa.

Everett was the Royals’ 15th round selection in the 2005 draft out of Washington State. He was a first-team, All-Pac 10 catcher his senior year for the Cougars after hitting .340 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs.

Shea McFeely — The Federal Way High School grad was released in March by the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization after playing the last two years in the club’s minor league system.

McFeely, a third baseman, was drafted in the 28th round in 2006 by the Diamondbacks. Last year, McFeely hit .234 in 55 games for the Class-A South Bend Silver Hawks. He had eight doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs.

McFeely played for the national champion Oregon State Beavers in 2006.

Andrew Conklin — The Federal Way graduate signed with the Baltimore Orioles last summer after his sophomore season at South Mountain Community College in Arizona. Conklin, a right-handed pitcher, pitched on Baltimore’s rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League last year. Conklin finished 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts. He has yet to play a game this season.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com

Federal Way Mirror Sports editor Casey Olson can be reached at sports@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.

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