NORMAL, Ill. - Like his teammate Eric Aguilera, Illinois State infielder Brett Kay is thriving this summer in the Northwoods League. Kay entered play Wednesday batting .296 with a .347 on-base percentage and a .401 slugging percentage for the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He carries a ten-game on-base streak into play Wednesday and is a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts this summer.
In affiliated Minor League Baseball, former Redbird Ryan Copeland continues to rehabilitate from thoracic outlet decompression surgery. He recently began throwing bullpen sessions with the Palm Beach Cardinals, who hope to see the southpaw return to game action by the end of the month. Copeland has not yet played this summer. The Des Plaines, Ill., native pitched for the Midwest League Quad Cities River Bandits last season and was a 2010 MiLB.com St. Louis Cardinals organizational all-star.
Throughout the summer, GoRedbirds.com will update the status of current and former ISU baseball players every Wednesday, with daily updates occurring on the official Illinois State Baseball Twitter account, @REDBIRDBaseball.
Illinois State Baseball Players in Collegiate Summer Leagues - Stats Updated as of Wednesday, July 11
(Batters splits are Average/On-base Percentage/Slugging Percentage)
.383/.431/.546, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 14 2B, 20 R, 3-3 SB
0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1 app. (start), 3 IP, 2 K, 6 BB - Went 3-4 with one double and one run scored Tuesday, July 3, versus Wisconsin.
- Currently has an 20-game on-base streak and leads his team in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
.216/.281/.333, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 3 2B, 11 R - Recorded two RBI Thursday, June 28, at Illinois.
- Reached base twice and scored two runs Wednesday, June 27, against Northwest Indiana.
.296/.347/.401, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 11 2B, 1 3B, 28 R, 11-11 SB - Notched three hits and one run scored Tuesday, July 10, at Waterloo.
- Went 4-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI Thursday, June 28, at Alexandria.
.321/.418/.381, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 2 2B, 22 R, 11-11 SB - Went 2-3 with one stolen base and one run scored Monday, July 9, at Dubois County.
- Has successfully stolen a team-best nine bases without being caught.
1-0, 2.53 ERA, 5 app. (all relief), 10.2 IP, 1 SV, 6 K, 3 BB
- Notched his first save of the summer, pitching one scoreless inning Tuesday, June 26, at Mystic.
- Allowed only one unearned run with two strike outs over 3.2 innings Thursday, June 28, versus Newport.
.200/.294/.400 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1-1 SB - Clubbed his first home run of the summer, Wednesday, June 6, at Southland.
- Went 2-4 with one walk, one stolen base and one run scored at Illinois Tuesday, June 5.
.373/.421/.529, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 2B, 7 R, 1-2 SB - Went 3-5 with three doubles Tuesday, June 26, at Wildwood.
- Launched a three-run home run to cap a three-hit game Monday, June 25, against Kirkwood.
.309/.419/.381, 17 RBI, 3 2B, 2 3B, 15 R - Went 2-3 with three RBI Tuesday, July 10, versus Elmira.
- Reached base three times and scored one run Saturday, July 7, against Newark.
0-0, 2.95 ERA, 12 app. (all relief), 2 SV, 21.1 IP, 29 K, 6 BB - Recorded four strike outs and allowed only one run over three relief innings Saturday, July 7, versus Newark.
1-0, 4.05 ERA, 5 app. (all relief), 6.2 IP, 3 K, 4 BB - Pitched two scoreless innings Sunday, July 8, at Homestead.
- Has not allowed a run over his last 4.2 innings.
0-1, 0.81 ERA, 4 app. (three in relief), 11 IP, 14 K, 2 BB - Allowed one run over five innings, with eight strikeouts and only one walk Friday, July 6, at Illinois.
- Pitched one perfect inning, with one strike out, Sunday, July 1, versus Westmont.
Former Illinois State Baseball Players in the Pros - Stats Updated Wednesday, July 11
Jeremy Accardo | Cleveland Indians | American League - Major League Baseball | Link to Cleveland Bio
0-0, 3.47 ERA, 18 app. (all relief), 23.1 IP, 21 K, 11 BB - Did not allow a run over two relief innings Friday, July 6, at Tampa Bay.
- Has not allowed a run over his last 4.2 innings.
Neal Cotts | Round Rock Express - Texas Rangers | Triple-A Pacific Coast League | Link to Round Rock Bio
0-0, 6.17 ERA, 10 app. (all relief), 11.2 IP, 2 SV, 12 K, 5 BB - Worked one scoreless inning Thursday, July 5, at Albuquerque.
- Allowed one run on three hits over two innings, with three strike outs, Monday, July 2, versus New Orleans.
Has not pitched (60-day disabled list) - Last year went 4-4, 4.94 ERA, 19 app. (11 starts), 82 IP, 82K, 15 BB for the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League A-affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Has begun throwing bullpen sessions and is slated to return from the disabled list later this month.
.256/.308/.333, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 10 2B, 1 3B, 31 R, 2-2 SB - Went 2-5 with one RBI and one run scored Monday, July 9, versus Fort Wayne.
- Currently has an eight-game hitting streak and is hitting .366/.409/.463 over his last ten games.
0-0, 2.45 ERA, 9 app. (all relief), 7.1 IP, 13 K, 4 BB - Fanned two over 1.1 scoreless innings Friday, July 7, versus Aberdeen.
- Has worked 6.1 scoreless innings, with 12 strike outs, since his professional debut, June 19.
.250/.362/.325, 5 RBI, 5 2B, 8 R, 5-7 SB - Reached base twice, scored one run and had one RBI Saturday, July 7, at Joliet.
- Went 2-3 with one RBI and one sacrifice bunt Wednesday, July 4, at Traverse City.
- Went 3-4 with one double and one run scored Tuesday, July 3, versus Wisconsin.
- Recorded two RBI Thursday, June 28, at Illinois.
- Notched three hits and one run scored Tuesday, July 10, at Waterloo.
- Went 2-3 with one stolen base and one run scored Monday, July 9, at Dubois County. 
-0, 2.53 ERA, 5 app. (all relief), 10.2 IP, 1 SV, 6 K, 3 BB
- Clubbed his first home run of the summer, Wednesday, June 6, at Southland.
- Went 3-5 with three doubles Tuesday, June 26, at Wildwood. 
- Went 2-3 with three RBI Tuesday, July 10, versus Elmira.
- Pitched two scoreless innings Sunday, July 8, at Homestead.
- Did not allow a run over two relief innings Friday, July 6, at Tampa Bay.
- Worked one scoreless inning Thursday, July 5, at Albuquerque.
- Last year went 4-4, 4.94 ERA, 19 app. (11 starts), 82 IP, 82K, 15 BB for the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League A-affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Went 2-5 with one RBI and one run scored Monday, July 9, versus Fort Wayne.
- Fanned two over 1.1 scoreless innings Friday, July 7, versus Aberdeen.
- Went 2-4 with two RBI Friday, July 6, versus Normal. 
- Reached base twice, scored one run and had one RBI Saturday, July 7, at Joliet.
