Placer grad, Lincoln Potters pitcher Stumbo earns weekly award in CCL North

Placer High School graduate and Nevada product Peyton Stumbo was named the Pitcher of the Week in the California Collegiate League North Division after two dominant performances for the Lincoln Potters. Stumbo started with a nine-strikeout performance against the Sonoma Stompers in 5⅓ innings, allowing one earned run. He followed with his best outing of the summer, as he tossed seven shutout innings while striking out six against the Solano Mudcats. Stumbo's effort earned him the win against the Mudcats on June 16, as Lincoln coasted to an 8-3 victory. Against the Stompers, he went down as a no decision as the Potters escaped with a 12-9 victory in 15 innings. "We were kind of expecting it out of him coming into the season, especially because he pitched in the CCL last summer for the Saints," Potters pitching coach Brock Ragatz said of Stumbo. "He's a veteran guy on the mound and in the dugout, and he shows it." Ragatz said Stumbo has developed his fastball to be one of the best in the CCL. "His command and his trust of his fastball sets up his other pitches," Ragatz said. "But you know, he trusts the way he throws. Even when he gets down early in a count, he gets back ahead and attacks guys and just keeps attacking." Stumbo has been a force through his first two CCL starts with 15 strikeouts and a 0.75 ERA. As much of a leader as he is on the field, he is an equally important piece of the Potter clubhouse. "He's not afraid to get on a player if he has to, but he's also a guy that builds culture and the guys here really seem to like him," Ragatz said. "I pitch the way I do because of my teammates around me. If I had teammates that didn't care about me, it'd be a different story. In this case, I have teammates and coaches that would take bullets for me," Stumbo said. "That's why I work my butt off for them. Part of that success goes to my defense, though. I got my infielders grounders and my outfielders pop-ups. I trust my guys behind me and they trust me." Stumbo is on an innings cap for the summer and was scheduled to make his final start Friday against the West Coast Kings in Lincoln. The MLB Draft hopeful is looking to have his name called this summer but will return to school if he is not selected.