Aug. 8, 2008

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Two of the University of Alabama's promising young baseball stars, Josh Rutledge and Ross Wilson, spent their summer in the prestigious wooden-bat Cape Cod League.

Rutledge played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, while Wilson played for the Bourne Braves. Bourne, winners of six straight games, closed with a 23-20-1 record and forced a one-game playoff with Falmouth to decide the fourth and final playoff spot on Friday night. The Cape Cod League playoffs begin Saturday. The Red Sox posted an 18-25-1 record and wrapped up the regular season closed on Thursday night.

Rutledge played in 41 games for the Red Sox and earned starts at shortstop (23), outfield (19), second base (6) and third base (3). He hit .294 (48 for 163) with one home run and 10 RBI. He wrapped up the summer with 13 extra-base hits, including nine doubles and three triples, and scored a team-high 26 runs while pacing the Red Sox with 48 hits.

Wilson played in 39 games for the Braves, including starts at second base (22), third base (8) and shortstop (1). He finished the season hitting .217 (32 for 147) in the wooden-bat league with one home run and 13 RBI with 13 runs scored, five doubles and one triple for the Braves.