Former Sea Gulls sign pro baseball contracts
SALISBURY, Md. - Former Salisbury University baseball players Cory Willey and Greg Lemon each signed professional contracts recently.

Willey, a left-handed pitcher, signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies Single-A affiliate in Clearwater, Fla. as he was one of four players to be signed out of 74 who participated in a two-day tryout for players from independent baseball leagues. Willey has made four appearances thus far this season for the Thrashers where he is 1-0 in four games.

Willey played two seasons for Salisbury where he became the all-time saves leader with 11 and third all-time in strikeouts (179). The Cambridge, Md. native ended his two-year career at SU with a 12-5 record with five complete games, 2.39 ERA and 179 strikeouts (third all-time in school history) in 169 innings.

Willey signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox upon gradation in 2004. He played two games in the Gulf Coast League before moving up to Augusta (Single-A) where he played 20 games in the South Atlantic League. Willey played last season with the New Haven County Cutters, an independent team, where he sported a 5-3 record, 2.55 ERA, 41 appearances and 44 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.

Lemon, a former Sea Gull teammate of Willey, just signed with the Cutters on April 11, 2007. The Wilmington, Del. native is SU’s all-time leader in runs (193), doubles (50), walks (95) and second in at bats (646), hits (240), triples (10) and total bases (343). In his senior season Lemon batted .410 with 17 doubles and 45 RBIs.

Lemon is expected to complete for the New Haven staring second baseman job or utility spot. The Cutter’s season begins on May 25 on the road against Brockton Rox.