Clarksville, Ark.-Former University of the Ozarks pitchers Curt Dixon and Kyle Hudson are making an impact in the Continental Baseball League this summer.
Dixon, who plays for the Big Bend Cowboys (Alpine, Texas), is having his best season as a pro. On June 5 against the Alexandria Aces, Dixon was two outs away from a perfect game. Ironically, the Aces won 3-2 as a late hit spoiled Dixon’s gem. He fanned nine in that game. On June 14 against the South Louisiana Pipeliners, Dixon threw a two-hit shutout to improve his record to 3-2. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander from McAlester, Okla., has allowed just three hits in his last 13 innings of work. For the year, he has struck out 20 in 20.1 innings while owning a 2.21 ERA. The Cowboys are currently 8-10 overall.
Dixon ended his first pro season last year with the McKinney Blue Thunder. Dixon played at Ozarks from 2005-2008 and owns career records in strikeouts (205), innings pitched (256.2) and wins (24).
Hudson, who is in his first professional year, is playing for the Bay Area Toros (Houston, Texas) and has posted a 2-1 record in 18.1 innings of work. He has fanned 17 and owns a 0.49 ERA. On May 16 against the Texarkana Gunslingers, Hudson was dominant in a long relief appearance. The 6-foot, 185-pound native of Clarksville, went five and one-third innings and did not give up a hit and struck out five. The Toros are currently 12-8 overall.
Hudson, who played at Ozarks from 2004-06 and in 2008, notched a school-record 14 saves and was an All-Conference player in 2005 and 2006.
Dixon and Hudson will square off this weekend when the Toros will visit the Cowboys for a four-game series June 18-21. The games can be heard on the web at www.bigbendradio.com. Dixon will likely be the Sunday starter.
The Continental League is made up of six teams across the south, including the Alexandria Aces (Alexandria, La.), the Big Bend Cowboys (Alpine, Texas), the Coastal Kingfish (Houston, Texas), the South Louisiana Pipeliners (Morgan City, La.) the Texarkana Gunslingers (Texarkana, Texas) and the Bay Area Toros (Houston, Texas).
Topics: Athletics