Orange's Pat McKenna was the subject of this week's minor league notes in the print edition of the Register. He continued his hot hitting Saturday night with two hits, including his first Florida State League home run. McKenna is hitting .429 for advanced Class A Lakeland, and is a combined .350 between the GCL and FSL this summer.

Michael Moras, like McKenna an Orange resident and Amity grad, is also playing in the FSL as a catcher with the St. Lucie Mets. Moras has done his share of moving this summer, with previous stops in Savannah of the South Atlantic League, Binghamton of the Double-A Eastern League.

Max Russell, drafted in June by the Angels and now with Orem (Utah) of the short-season Class A Northwest League, won his third game earlier this week with 5.2 innings of shutout ball. He is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA in six appearances (five starts).

Former Salisbury School star Chris Dwyer, in just his first full professional season, is on the fast track to the major leagues. A native of Swampscott, Mass., Dwyer had just 19 career starts before getting promoted by the Kansas City Royals to Double-A earlier this month.

Despite his inexperience, he continues to dominate hitters.

Dwyer won his first two starts for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, including five shutout innings in is debut after driving 20 hours from Wilmington, Del. to Springdale, Ark. after his promotion from advanced Class A.

H earned a no-decision in start No. 3 despite surrendering just two hits and striking out seven in six innings. He has a 1.06 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 innings, and is holding Texas League hitters to a .150 average against him.

Between Wilmington and NW Arkansas this summer, Dwyer, a LHP, is 8-3 with a 2.66 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 102 innings.

A quick look around the minors and how some Connecticut prospects are faring...

• Rocky Hill's Pat Egan was sensational at Double-A Bowie, going 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA in 22 games out of the bullpen. But he's still getting adjusted to Triple-A hitting. The 6-foot-8 former Quinnipiac RHP has allowed 15 hits in 9.2 innings over eight games with a 6.52 ERA at Norfolk (Va.).

• Orange resident Max Russell, recently signed by the Angels after they drafted him in the sixth round, had his first rough outing for Orem (Utah) of the rookie Northwest League. He gave up six runs on five hits in 4.1 innings at Missoula, but is still 2-0 with a 4.29 ERA in five games.

• Killingworth's Cory Riordan struck out nine in 6.2 innings of a no-decision Monday for Double-A Tulsa, giving him 90 strikeouts in 103 innings this year. The Fordham product and Rockies prospect is 4-4 with a 3.92 ERA this year, and hasn't lost a game since May 24.

• Ex-Yale pitcher Brandon Josselyn is among the Midwest League leaders with 12 saves. Josselyn, a 25th-round pick of Seattle in 2009, is 2-2 with a 2.92 ERA for Clinton (Iowa).

• Ex-Yale catcher Ryan Lavarnway's recent promotion by the Red Sox to Double-A Portland (Maine) hasn't slowed down his offensive production. He drive in five runs Tuesday at New Hampshire, and is hitting .389 (7-for-18) with two doubles and nine RBIs in his first five games. Lavarnway, the Bulldogs' career home run leader and a former NCAA batting champ, was hitting .289 with 18 doubles, 14 homers and 63 RBIs at advanced Class A Potomac.

New Haven's Josh Zeid began the season as the closer at Lakewood (N.J.), the Phillies South Atlantic League affiliate. He made the midseason all-star team, despite losing the job before the break. Now, he's cracked the Blue Claws' rotation. He's made three straight starts, allowing two hits and one run over five innings on Wednesday. For the season, Zeid is 5-3 with a 3.08 ERA and nearly a strikeout and inning.

Orange's Patrick McKenna is hitting .358 between the Tigers' instructional Gulf Coast League and advanced Class A teams, both based in Lakeland, Fla. The middle infielder is hitting .326 with four doubles, a triple and two homers in the Gulf Coast League, and was 4-for-7 (.571) in three games with Lakeland.

Branford's Mike Olt is heating up for Spokane (Wash.) of the rookie Northwest League. He has 12 hits in his last 10 games, lifting his average to .278 with solid power numbers of 10 doubles, a triple, three homers and 19 RBIs. He's also stolen three bases.

Wolcott's Pierre LePage was sent to the Cubs instructional league team in Arizona, where he went 7-for-10 (.700) in two games. Guess he proved he was ready. He was immediately sent to Boise of the Northwest League, and is hitting .350 (28-for-80) with a homer and 18 RBIs in 20 games.

McKenna played at Bryant University; Olt and LePage at UConn.

Eric Smith of Milford, a second-round pick of Arizona last June after a strong junior season at the University of Rhode Island, was promoted to advanced Class A Visalia of the California League.

Smith had been with South Bend (Ind.) of the low Class A Midwest League, and was 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 16 starts. His debut with Visalia wasn't memorable. He took the loss against Stockton, allowing nine runs and four walks in 4.2 innings, though he did strike out five.

The California League is a reknowned hitter's league. The dry desert air, smaller parks and a handful of parks that double as wind tunnels make things difficult on pitchers.

Smith missed matching up against Dallas Braden by a day. Braden, rehabbing from elbow stiffness, made the start for Stockton against Visalia a night after Smith pitched.

Jim Fuller -- no, not the longtime Register women's basketball writer -- continues to baffle minor league hitters. Now in his third pro season after one magical year at Southern Connecticut State, Fuller is 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 15 starts for the Savannah Sand Gnats, the Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets.


Fuller has 83 strikeouts in 89 innings, and was named to the SALLY all-star team.


The Register's Jim Fuller, though not an all-star pitcher, can still rain home hook shots from 3-point range.