Former Spartan Bradley Blanks Signed by Milwaukee Brewers
6/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Former USC Upstate pitcher Bradley Blanks has signed a professional contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and is currently a member of the Brevard County Manatees, the Brewers' Class-A Advanced Affiliate of the Florida State League. Blanks signed with the Brewers on June 18th and was designated for assignment a day later.
Blanks signed a professional contract last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and played with the Williamsport Crosscutters, the Phillies Class-A Short Season Affiliate. He made 16 appearances for Williamsport in 2010 and finished with a 4-1 record. In 33 innings on the hill, Blanks owned a 2.73 ERA and struck out 25 batters.
Prior to arriving in Williamsport, Blanks began the 2010 season with the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league. He appeared in 19 games for the Thunderbolts, finishing with a 1-2 record and one save. In 26.1 innings of work, Blanks had an ERA of 2.73 and he struck out 28 batters.
In 2008, Blanks played with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. In 30 appearances, he owned 2.18 ERA and a 4-1 record. In 41.1 innings of work, Blanks struck out 28 batters. He took a break from baseball during the 2009 season.
A member of the Spartan baseball team during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Blanks was 5-6 overall and tallied 13 career saves in 47 appearances for Upstate. His 13 career saves ranks second all-time in school history. In 2006, he led the Spartans with a single-season school-record 12 saves. His record-setting 10th save came in the Spartans 6-3 victory against No. 5 Columbus State on April 9, 2006, as he threw the final 2.2 innings of the contest. He also tied a school-record for appearances in a season with 29 outings as a junior.
During Blanks' career, the Spartans won a total of 67 games and made back-to-back Peach Belt Conference Tournament appearances in Upstate's final two seasons of Division II play.
