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Mountaineers in the Pros Update – July 28
July 28, 2016 04:10 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Led by Jedd Gyorko of the St. Louis Cardinals, there are 17 former West Virginia University baseball players currently playing professional baseball.
Along with Gyorko, who is one of the hottest players in the Major Leagues the last two weeks, the list includes four members of the 2016 WVU squad – Chad Donato, Ray Guerrini, Blake Smith and Ross Vance. Eight of the 17 former Mountaineers have been promoted to a higher league throughout the 2016 season.
Jedd Gyorko – St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
One of the hottest players in the Major Leagues over the past two weeks, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Jedd Gyorko has a .302 average with 13 RBIs and seven home runs in his last 15 games. He hit a home run in each game of a double header against the New York Mets on July 26, a feat that he accomplished just a week earlier against his former team, the San Diego Padres. Gyorko became the first Cardinal to hit a home run in both games of a double header twice since Stan Musial in 1946.
Gyorko has appeared in 70 games this season and is batting .254 with 50 hits. He is tied for third on the Cardinals with 14 home runs.
Harrison Musgrave – Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A, Colorado Rockies)
In the Colorado Rockies system, Harrison Musgrave was promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes from the Hartford Yard Goats (Double-A) on May 20. With the Yard Goats, Musgrave made six starts and recorded a 5-1 record. He struck out 30 batters in 40.1 innings pitched and posted a 1.79 ERA. In 12 starts with the Isotopes, Musgrave has a 6-5 record, with an ERA of 4.83. In 72.2 innings pitched with the Isotopes, he has struck out 47 batters.
Billy Fleming – Trenton Thunder (Double-A, New York Yankees)
Billy Fleming started the 2016 season with the Tampa Yankees (Advanced-A) of the Florida State League before getting assigned to the Yankees’ Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League on May 23. Fleming recorded two hits, including a double, and scored two runs on June 11 against the Erie Seawolves.
Ryan McBroom – New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A, Toronto Blue Jays)
Ryan McBroom was assigned to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats from the Dunedin Blue Jays (Advanced-A) on July 21. In Dunedin, he had a .262 batting average with 54 RBIs and 46 runs scored. In five games with the Fisher Cats, McBroom has one hit, one run scored and an RBI.
John Means – Bowie Baysox (Double-A, Baltimore Orioles)
John Means moved up to the Bowie Baysox from the Frederick Keys (Advanced-A) on May 26. With the Keys, Means pitched his way to a 5-0 record in nine starts. He recorded 52 strikeouts, maintained an ERA of 1.80 and had a complete-game shutout on May 23. In 10 starts with the Baysox, Means has a record of 3-3 with an ERA of 4.53 in 51.2 innings pitched.
Corey Walter – Midland RockHounds (Double-A, Oakland Athletics)
Corey Walter has appeared in 23 games for the RockHounds with 14 starts. He has pitched his way to a 2-2 record with a 2.28 ERA. On July 27, Walter got the start and allowed only one hit in 4.0 innings and earned a no-decision.
Bobby Boyd – Lancaster JetHawks (Advanced-A, Houston Astros)
Bobby Boyd has played in 73 games for the Lancaster JetHawks. He recorded a season-high four hits, scored three runs, and drove in a career-high nine runs on May 26. Boyd ranks third in the California League with 31 stolen bases. He leads the team in triples (6) and is second in stolen bases (31) and runs scored (62).
Sean Carley – Charleston RiverDogs (Single-A, New York Yankees)
Sean Carley has pitched in seven games for the Charleston RiverDogs. He struck out a career-high four batters in 2.0 innings on July 8. Carley maintains a 1.62 earned run average and has struck out 12 batters in 16.2 innings in the 2016 campaign.
Garrett Hope – Great Lakes Loons (Single-A, Los Angeles Dodgers)
On June 16, Garrett Hope was assigned to the Great Lakes Loons from the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League (Rookie). In 14 games with the Loons, Hope has a .175 batting average with three runs scored on the year. On July 24, Hope recorded two hits in four plate appearances and scored one run.
John Polonius – Augusta GreenJackets (Single-A, San Francisco Giants)
After a brief rehab assignment with the AZL Giants (Rookie League), Polonius was assigned to the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets, where he has played in seven games. He is batting .167 with four hits and two runs scored.
Blake Smith – Burlington Bees (Single-A, Los Angeles Angels)
Blake Smith was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 29th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was promoted to the Single-A Burlington Bees on July 17 after originally being assigned to the Orem Owlz (Rookie League). In three games with the Bees, Smith has pitched 6.1 innings and has maintained a 1.42 ERA. On July 27, he picked up the win, pitching 2.0 innings and striking out two.
Chad Donato – GCL Astros (Rookie League, Houston Astros)
Chad Donato was the second member of the 2016 Mountaineers to be drafted this year, selected in the 11th round by the Houston Astros, his hometown team. He was assigned to the Astros’ Gulf Coast League squad shortly after signing and was placed on the 60-day disabled list after having surgery.
Ray Guerrini – Arizona League Mariners (Rookie League, Seattle Mariners)
Catcher Ray Guerrini signed a free-agent contract with the Seattle Mariners in early June after his junior season with the Mountaineers. He was assigned to the Arizona Mariners of the Arizona Rookie League on July 20. In four games with Arizona, Guerrini has a .286 batting average. On July 21, he went 1-2 at the plate with a triple and an RBI.
Cam O’Brien – Bluefield Blue Jays (Rookie League, Toronto Blue Jays)
In 11 games with the Blue Jays, O’Brien has a batting average of .345, a pair of RBI’s and one home run. On July 11, O’Brien had two hits, including a double and a run scored.
Ross Vance – Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie League, St. Louis Cardinals)
Ross Vance, another member of the 2016 Mountaineers, signed a free-agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals after completing his senior season at WVU. Vance, who is playing for the Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie League), has appeared in eight games. He has pitched 11.0 innings with 17 strikeouts and has an earned run average of 3.27. In his longest outing of the season on July 20, Vance pitched 3.0 innings and struck out two batters. Vance began the season in the United Shore Professional Baseball League, and became the first player in the league’s history to sign with a Major League team.
Dustin Nippert – Doosan Bears (Korean Baseball Organization)
Dustin Nippert has continued his career with the Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization. He has started 18 games in 2016 and owns a 13-3 record with a 3.19 ERA. He tossed 6.0 innings and struck out four on July 22. In 322.0 innings this season, he has 98 strikeouts and has allowed 99 hits and 38 earned runs. Nippert leads the Korean Baseball Organization in ERA and wins.
Justin Fox – Washington Wild Things (Independent)
Justin Fox is currently playing for the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League. In 18 games for the Wild Things, Fox has a .125 batting average with six runs scored and two RBIs.
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