Levi Perrell of the Crosscutters catches a ball during a recent game against Trenton at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Levi Perrell is far from home.
Perrell’s contribution as the Williamsport Crosscutters’ talismanic shortstop will be crucial if Billtown’s hopes are to rise in the second half of the MLB Draft League season.
It’s a responsibility Perrell is used to when representing a baseball club, albeit in a slightly different region of the country.
Perrell hails from Lexington, North Carolina, just an eight-hour drive south of central Pennsylvania, and his Southern twain allows him to stand out in a culture-rich crosscutter lineup.
“It’s a pretty nice city,” Perrell would say before the start of Williamsport’s week-long home game. “That’s what I like. It’s a bit like the small town I grew up in. It feels like home.”
According to his Baseball Reference page, this is the first time he’s represented a baseball club outside of his state. Perrell made his first appearance in a summer league after spending the last four years at a Division Two school in Catawba College, less than a half hour from his hometown. That’s like driving from Williamsport to Hughesville to go to school.
And lately, his production at the plate has stood out, too. As a senior at Catawba, Perrell consistently posted a batting average above .300 and has posted a modest .271 batting average and .388 on-base percentage with the Cutters. The Tar Heel State native has also batted in eight runs, good for Williamsport’s third-highest output in the second half of the season.
“My approach on the record is to just try to hit something hard wherever I can.” “I try not to fall behind in the count. My stats aren’t as good when I’m behind in the count, so I try to get ahead.”
“The only difference, in my opinion, is the pitching and the depth of the pitching.” added Perrell. “We’ve been dealing with some guys almost every night. In D2, (the quality) is sometimes not as good during the week, but (the quality of) pitching is definitely the biggest adjustment.”
But Perrell’s greatest strength for the Cutters is when he gets on base. In his 15 games played, Perrell has stolen five bases without being caught stealing once. Only Porter Brown comes close to his performance when it comes to taking an extra base, with four steals. His stealing IQ was also crucial. Of the 14 athletes who stole five or more bases in the second half of the Draft League season, he is one of only five who were not caught stealing before Thursday’s games.
“I try to be as aggressive as possible on the bases,” said Perrell, whose eyes lit up when asked about his abilities as a baserunner. “In college, every time I came on the field, I tried to steal second base. That’s pretty much a double. You can have a double every time you hit the ball.”
In addition to his importance at the plate, Perrell was also the first-choice shortstop for Ryan Hanigan’s team this season. Of Williamsport’s 17 second-half games, Perrell played center field in 15 of them, including 11 as infield captain.
It’s a familiar responsibility, as Perrell has played only shortstop over the past three seasons at Catawba College, a total of 163 times. And while there were some signs of early struggles, Perrell’s confidence when talking about the position suggests the tide will turn.
“I just try to take the first step and control what I can control. I just lead the team as best I can and execute the routine plays.”
Williamsport will be hoping for a winning streak in the coming days. After six losses in a row and no away win, Billtown is in last place in the Draft League, with a number of important home games still to come this week.
“We have to change something,” Perrell concluded. “We lost a few along the way, but that’s going to come back to haunt us. That’s how baseball works.”
