ShareIt was a quiet week for former Florida State players in the NBA and in Major League Baseball, so the Professio”Nole” Athlete of the Week for the week of April 21st through the 27th goes to minor league catcher Rafael Lopez.
For the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League (AA), Lopez has hit in five straight games and went 5-for-15 this week for a .333 average to go along with three RBIs. Lopez’s .278 average for the season currently ranks third among Southern League catchers. Lopez ranks sixth in the entire Southern League with a .426 on-base percentage.
While it was a solid week for Lopez, he isn’t the only Seminole making noise at the minor league level. Former Florida State outfielder James Ramsey is tied for the Texas League (AA) lead in home runs with five. Former FSU closer Robert Benincasa is tied for the Carolina League (A) lead with five saves.
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About Mike Ferguson
Mike Ferguson is a Bloguin contributor, the editor of Noled Out and a lifetime Florida State sports enthusiast. Mike vividly remembers watching Warrick Dunn run down the sideline in Gainesville in 1993, the "Choke at Doak" in 1994 and Monte Cummings' driving layup to beat #1 Duke in 2002. Mike has worked as a sports reporter in both print and online. For isportsweb in 2013, Mike gave press coverage of Florida State football's run to the 2013 national championship. Mike has been featured on SI.com, FoxSports.com and Yahoo Sports while interviewing major sports stars such as 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen. Mike graduated from Florida State University in 2009 with a major in Religion and a minor in Communications. Mike currently resides in Haines City, Florida with his wife Jennifer and daughters Trinity and Greenly. Mike is a full-time reporter at Polk County's newspaper, The Ledger, in Lakeland, Florida. Mike can be followed on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.
