Four former area baseball players are battling their way through the minors with the hopes of reaching the majors.

Former Anacortes standout Andrew LeFave has split his season between Potomac (advanced Class A) and Harrisburg (Double-A), both farm clubs for the Washington Nationals. He is batting a combined .237 with two homers and 35 runs batted in over 245 at-bats, mostly at Double-A.

Former Mount Vernon and University of Washington star Curt Rindal is hitting .246 with two homers and 36 runs batted in for the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. He also has 16 doubles and has scored 33 runs.

Given Kutz, Rindal’s one-time high school teammate, is back to starting after making his first 33 professional pitching appearances in relief. Kutz has started nine of his 14 games for the Great Lake Loons of the Class A Midwest League, a Dodgers farm club. He is 3-3 with a 4.76 earned-run average, including a stellar 43-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kutz started the year as a reliever for the Inland Empire 66ers, where he was 0-1 with a 4.43 earned run average in 10 relief appearances.

Beau Seabury, Kutz’s high school battery mate, is catching for the Asheville Tourists of the Class A South Atlantic League (the team where catcher Crash Davis of Bull Durham fame finished out his career). Seabury is hitting .168 with 10 RBI in 125 at-bats for the Tourists, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

Storrer going the independent route

Former Mount Vernon standout Travis Storrer is playing baseball as well — with the Chillicothe Paints of the independent Frontier League.

Storrer, an outfielder who finished up his college career at Clemson University, is hitting .221 with six homers (second on the team) and 18 runs batted in over 154 at-bats.

Five current major leaguers, including former Mariner and now Baltimore Oriole closer George Sherrill, have played in the Frontier League.

Appleby looking to catch on with hoops team

Former Stanwood and University of Washington basketball player Ryan Appleby has tried out for several NBA teams, and also had an impressive tryout at an exposure camp for European scouts, according to Seattle Times Husky beat writer Bob Condotta. Condotta also writes that Appleby has added muscle and weight in hopes of landing a pro job.

Appleby wrapped up his career with the University of Washington this season as the school’s all-time best 3-point shooter (227).

He was the second leading scorer on the Huskies, averaging 11.2 points per game. He was the team’s primary three-point threat, making 77 of 200 changes (38.5 percent) while attempting just 45 shots from two-point range. He broke the school’s 3-point season record as a junior with 84 3-pointers, a mark he likely would have topped as a senior had he not missed several games with an injury.

Area Raiders

Several area athletes have helped the Whatcom County Raiders football team into the championship of the semi-pro Cascade Football League.

Former Mount Vernon Bulldogs Nate Holthe and Jake Youngren are on the squad, as is Bulldogs assistant coach David Wells. La Conner alum Alex Van Hine is also on the team.

The championship game is Aug. 2 at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.

If you know of a former area athlete competing at the college, professional or international level who deserves to be in a future alumni update, contact us at