July 10, 2007

FORT WORTH, Texas - UAB junior right-handed pitcher James Oliver was one of 10 pitchers to combine for a three-hit shutout in the Fourth Annual Texas Collegiate League All-Star game Monday night at Lupton Stadium on the campus of TCU. Oliver's Rogers Hornsby Division club used a three-run homer in the sixth to earn a 3-0 victory.

The Vestavia Hills, Ala. native is playing in the summer league with the Mineral Wells Steam and will return to UAB for his junior season at the conclusion of the Texas Collegiate League season.

"It was an honor to be selected to play in the game," Oliver said. "It was one of my goals this summer because I wanted to represent UAB really well down here in Texas."

Oliver pitched the fourth inning, making two quality defensive plays to keep the game scoreless. After fielding a sharply hit ball up the middle for an out, Oliver picked off Speaker Division leadoff hitter Wayne Hrozek at third to end the inning.

"The game was awesome," Oliver said. "It was a great atmosphere and the stadium was really nice. It was cool being around really good baseball players like that - so many of the guys at the game were so confident and play the game so well."

Fellow Mineral Wells Steam ace Wade Mackey earned the win in the game after he followed Oliver by pitching a perfect fifth inning before Derek Wiley came to the plate in the bottom half of the inning and delivered a three-run blast to score the game's only runs

Oliver is currently 2-1 with 17 strikeouts and a 4.71 ERA in 21.0 innings pitched with Mineral Wells this season. His Steam club will begin the second half of the summer season at home on Wednesday against the Coppell Copperheads.