The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that right-handed pitcher Brett Scarpetta will return for his third season. Scarpetta is 16-7 with a 3.84 ERA in two seasons with Southern Illinois.
Scarpetta ranks second on the three-year-old team’s all-time list behind Ryan Bird in wins (16), innings pitched (183) and starts (31). After missing spring training and the first three weeks of the 2009 season for personal reasons, the righty posted a 7-4 record with a 3.86 ERA in 95.2 innings of work and finished the season on a four-game winning streak.
In each of his first two seasons, Scarpetta has had one of the best ERAs in the Frontier League. His 3.81 tied him for 13th best in the league in 2008, and last year his 3.86 ERA was 12th best in the league.
“I’m really excited to come back and play,” Scarpetta said. “Our coaches have worked hard to put a very solid team and staff together. There’s nowhere better to play than Southern Illinois in front of 5,000 great fans every night. May can’t come soon enough.”
Scarpetta originally signed with Southern Illinois in mid-June of 2008 following his college career at Bellevue (Neb.) University. As a rookie, he put together a nine-game winning streak, the second longest such streak in team history. He is 8-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 17 starts at Rent One Park. Despite his experience, he will not turn 24 until May 16.