Infielder Colton Shaver Promoted to Double-A

One day shy of finishing out the first half at Segra Stadium, Fayetteville Woodpeckers third baseman Colton Shaver has instead received his first promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi on Sunday. Colton is the third position player to earn a full-time promotion to the Hooks, following fellow Carolina League All-Star Seth Beer, along with Bryan De La Cruz. In 58 games with the Woodpeckers, Shaver batted .270 with Fayetteville, while knocking six home runs, collecting 33 RBI, and hitting a Carolina League-leading 23 doubles.

The 39th round draft pick out of Bingham Young University in his home state of Utah, Shaver made his mark on the Carolina League at a very consistent pace. Over the first month of the season, Shaver only went without a hit in consecutive games twice over those first 21 contests in April. The everyday third baseman for the Woodpeckers found himself a nice spot in the heart of the lineup for Fayetteville, usually going in tandem with fellow slugger Jake Adams. When batting either cleanup or fifth in the lineup, Shaver batted over .300 on the year, and hitting half of his home runs in those slots.
Eventually adding on a little bit of time behind home plate, where he dabbled some in college, Shaver nabbed five potential base stealers on the year over 20 total attempts. After taking in the new view behind home plate, Shaver terrorized Carolina League pitchers over the final week of April and the start of May. Shaver collected hits in seven consecutive games, tying a career high hit-streak. Riding a mild roller coaster, Shaver only went 1-for-24 to follow that streak, and he quickly rebounded from the slump by setting a new career mark, collecting hits in eight consecutive games.
Shaver wrapped his time in Fayetteville with a stellar month of June, as the third baseman collected a base hit in 9-of-11 contests, while hitting three more doubles, another home run, and driving in seven more runs. While he may miss the Carolina League All-Star Classic, it only comes due to something bigger.
To replace Shaver, the Astros have promoted catcher Ruben Castro from the Single-A Quad Cities River Bandits, who will make his second appearance at the High-A level, after having a cup of coffee with the Lancaster Jethawks in 2015.
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are the Advanced Single-A affiliate of the 2017 World Champion Houston Astros and play in their Inaugural Season at beautiful Segra Stadium in downtown Fayetteville. Segra Stadium, a $40 million state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, features space for over 5,200 fans, natural grass, a 25x70 LED video scoreboard, six luxury suites, four field boxes, the premium AEVEX Veterans Club level, Healy's Bar and outdoor party deck, a kid's zone, and more. With a rich history of baseball in the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, the Woodpeckers are thrilled to write a new chapter with their inaugural campaign on Hay Street. Fans are encouraged to visit FayettevilleWoodpeckers.com to purchase tickets, learn more about the team, and find out about upcoming events and promotions at the ballpark. Fans may also reach the Woodpeckers by visiting the BB&T Box Office in front of Segra Stadium, calling (910) 339-1989, or emailing [email protected].