Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Baseball In The Pros, May 6
May 06, 2015 | Cowboy Baseball
With the 2015 season just over a month old, Oklahoma State has 15 players on professional baseball rosters, including a pair on Major League Baseball active rosters.Jordy Mercer and Tyler Lyons are currently in the majors, while two ex-OSU stars are big league managers -- Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox and John Farrell with the Boston Red Sox.
Scott Baker - OSU Career: 2001-03
After making three starts with Triple A Oklahoma City and going 1-1 with a 1.06 ERA and a complete game shutout, Baker was called up to Los Angeles. In two starts with the Dodgers, he was 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA but earlier this week was designated for assignment by the club.
Baker has played parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues with Minnesota, the Chicago Cubs, Texas and the Dodgers and is 66-53 with a 4.26 ERA.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals - OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons started the year at Triple A Memphis after spending parts of the last two seasons in St. Louis, where he went 2-8 with a 4.62 ERA in 23 games.
He was recalled from Memphis this week after going 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA in four games and got the start for St. Louis against Chicago on Tuesday. He worked 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs and racked up seven strikeouts but gave up four runs on six hits and took a no-decision.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates - OSU Career: 2006-08
Mercer established himself as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop last season, playing in 149 games and hitting .255 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. In 22 games this season, his fourth in the big leagues, Mercer is hitting .190 with four RBIs.
Five former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.
Corey Brown, Durham Bulls (Rays) - OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown joined his hometown Tampa Bay organization in the offseason after spending 2014 in the Boston system. He is hitting .241 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 15 games this season and has hit safely in six-straight games, including a 3-for-4 effort last night in which he had a homer and two RBIs.
Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals and played in three games for the Red Sox last year. He's appeared in 39 games at the Major League Baseball level and is hitting .171 with two homers and four RBIs in those games.
Luis Flores, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) - OSU Career: 2008
Flores enters his eighth minor league season with a new organization as he joins Houston's farm system after spending his first seven years playing at every level of the Cubs' minor league system. He is hitting .200 with a pair of RBIs in nine games this season.
Matt Hague, Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) - OSU Career: 2008
Yet another Cowboy with a new organization in 2015, Hague inked with Toronto in the offseason. Hague has two years of MLB experience with Pittsburgh in 2012 and 2014, where he played in 32 games and hit .222 with seven RBIs.
Hague is hitting .333 with a homer, five doubles and 15 RBIs in 24 games this season for the Bisons.
Andrew Heaney, Salt Lake Bees (Angels) - OSU Career: 2010-12
Traded twice in the offseason, Heaney battled for a spot in the Angels' rotation in Spring Training but didn't quite make the cut. As a rookie with the Miami Marlins last season, he made seven appearances, including five starts, and was 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA.
In five starts with the Bees in 2015, he's 3-0 with a 4.62 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.
Andrew Oliver, Durham Bulls (Rays) - OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver signed with Tampa Bay in mid-April and was assigned to Triple A Durham. In six relief appearances with the Bulls, the southpaw has a 2.35 ERA and seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 innnings.
Oliver spent parts of two major league seasons in Detroit (2010-11), where he was 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA in seven starts, after playing the 2013 and 2014 with Pittsburgh's Triple A affiliate in Indianapolis.
At the Double A level, a trio of OSU baseball alums are looking to move up the ranks.
Tom Belza, Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) - OSU Career: 2008-10
Belza is looking to build upon a 2014 season that saw him named a Southern League Postseason All-Star. He is in his sixth minor league season and second with Mobile, where he hit .305 with 31 RBIs a year ago.
He's been on a tear of late to raise his season batting average to .299 to go along with three homers, seven doubles and seven RBIs. In his last 10 games, Belza is hitting .390 with three homers and five RBIs.
Jason Hursh, Mississippi Braves (Braves) - OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014 after going 11-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). In his second season with Mississippi, Hursh is 0-1 with an 8.50 ERA in five starts.
Mike Strong, Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers) - OSU Career: 2010-11
Strong enters his fifth minor league season, all in the Brewers organization. He has made seven relief appearances in 2015 and is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings of work.
Three members of OSU's 2014 Big 12 Conference championship team began their second pro seasons last month.
Brendan McCurry, Stockton Ports (A's) - OSU Career: 2013-14
An All-American for the Cowboys last season and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry was 2-0 with two saves and a 0.34 ERA to go along with 34 strikeouts in 26.1 innings at Class A Beloit last year.
McCurry started 2015 at the Class A Advanced level and is 1-1 with two saves and a 3.77 ERA in eight relief appearances. He's racked up 22 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings.
Zach Fish, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) - OSU Career: 2012-14
The 2014 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Fish hit .250 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 56 games in the Rookie League last year. In 14 games for Class A Kannapolis this season, he is hitting .140 with a homer and six RBIs.
Tanner Krietemeier, Rome Braves (Braves) - OSU Career: 2013-14
Krietemeier begins his second season at Class A Rome in 2015 after hitting .254 in 19 games there a year ago. Through 21 games in 2015, he is .151 with two triples and nine RBIs.
A pair of former OSU big leaguers -- Josh Fields and Luke Scott -- are also continuing their careers in the Mexican League at the Triple A level.
Josh Fields, Piratas de Campeche - OSU Career: 2002-04
Fields, a two-sport star in baseball and football at OSU who was inducted into the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, returns to professional baseball for a 12th season in 2015. He has five seasons of Major League Baseball service with the White Sox and Royals and owns a career .234 average with 34 homers and 107 RBIs.
In 25 games this season in the Mexican League, he's hitting .245 with a home run, five doubles and nine RBIs.
Luke Scott, Pericos de Puebla - OSU Career: 2000-01
Scott played nine major league seasons with Houston, Baltimore and Tampa Bay from 2005-2013 before spending last season in Japan. In 889 games and nearly a decade in the bigs, Scott hit .258 with 135 homers and 436 RBIs.
In 22 games this season in Mexico, Scott is hitting .313 with seven homers and 23 RBIs.
Scott Baker - OSU Career: 2001-03
After making three starts with Triple A Oklahoma City and going 1-1 with a 1.06 ERA and a complete game shutout, Baker was called up to Los Angeles. In two starts with the Dodgers, he was 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA but earlier this week was designated for assignment by the club.
Baker has played parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues with Minnesota, the Chicago Cubs, Texas and the Dodgers and is 66-53 with a 4.26 ERA.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals - OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons started the year at Triple A Memphis after spending parts of the last two seasons in St. Louis, where he went 2-8 with a 4.62 ERA in 23 games.
He was recalled from Memphis this week after going 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA in four games and got the start for St. Louis against Chicago on Tuesday. He worked 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs and racked up seven strikeouts but gave up four runs on six hits and took a no-decision.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates - OSU Career: 2006-08
Mercer established himself as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop last season, playing in 149 games and hitting .255 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. In 22 games this season, his fourth in the big leagues, Mercer is hitting .190 with four RBIs.
Five former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.
Corey Brown, Durham Bulls (Rays) - OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown joined his hometown Tampa Bay organization in the offseason after spending 2014 in the Boston system. He is hitting .241 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 15 games this season and has hit safely in six-straight games, including a 3-for-4 effort last night in which he had a homer and two RBIs.
Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals and played in three games for the Red Sox last year. He's appeared in 39 games at the Major League Baseball level and is hitting .171 with two homers and four RBIs in those games.
Luis Flores, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) - OSU Career: 2008
Flores enters his eighth minor league season with a new organization as he joins Houston's farm system after spending his first seven years playing at every level of the Cubs' minor league system. He is hitting .200 with a pair of RBIs in nine games this season.
Matt Hague, Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) - OSU Career: 2008
Yet another Cowboy with a new organization in 2015, Hague inked with Toronto in the offseason. Hague has two years of MLB experience with Pittsburgh in 2012 and 2014, where he played in 32 games and hit .222 with seven RBIs.
Hague is hitting .333 with a homer, five doubles and 15 RBIs in 24 games this season for the Bisons.
Andrew Heaney, Salt Lake Bees (Angels) - OSU Career: 2010-12
Traded twice in the offseason, Heaney battled for a spot in the Angels' rotation in Spring Training but didn't quite make the cut. As a rookie with the Miami Marlins last season, he made seven appearances, including five starts, and was 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA.
In five starts with the Bees in 2015, he's 3-0 with a 4.62 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.
Andrew Oliver, Durham Bulls (Rays) - OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver signed with Tampa Bay in mid-April and was assigned to Triple A Durham. In six relief appearances with the Bulls, the southpaw has a 2.35 ERA and seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 innnings.
Oliver spent parts of two major league seasons in Detroit (2010-11), where he was 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA in seven starts, after playing the 2013 and 2014 with Pittsburgh's Triple A affiliate in Indianapolis.
At the Double A level, a trio of OSU baseball alums are looking to move up the ranks.
Tom Belza, Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) - OSU Career: 2008-10
Belza is looking to build upon a 2014 season that saw him named a Southern League Postseason All-Star. He is in his sixth minor league season and second with Mobile, where he hit .305 with 31 RBIs a year ago.
He's been on a tear of late to raise his season batting average to .299 to go along with three homers, seven doubles and seven RBIs. In his last 10 games, Belza is hitting .390 with three homers and five RBIs.
Jason Hursh, Mississippi Braves (Braves) - OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014 after going 11-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). In his second season with Mississippi, Hursh is 0-1 with an 8.50 ERA in five starts.
Mike Strong, Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers) - OSU Career: 2010-11
Strong enters his fifth minor league season, all in the Brewers organization. He has made seven relief appearances in 2015 and is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings of work.
Three members of OSU's 2014 Big 12 Conference championship team began their second pro seasons last month.
Brendan McCurry, Stockton Ports (A's) - OSU Career: 2013-14
An All-American for the Cowboys last season and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry was 2-0 with two saves and a 0.34 ERA to go along with 34 strikeouts in 26.1 innings at Class A Beloit last year.
McCurry started 2015 at the Class A Advanced level and is 1-1 with two saves and a 3.77 ERA in eight relief appearances. He's racked up 22 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings.
Zach Fish, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) - OSU Career: 2012-14
The 2014 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Fish hit .250 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 56 games in the Rookie League last year. In 14 games for Class A Kannapolis this season, he is hitting .140 with a homer and six RBIs.
Tanner Krietemeier, Rome Braves (Braves) - OSU Career: 2013-14
Krietemeier begins his second season at Class A Rome in 2015 after hitting .254 in 19 games there a year ago. Through 21 games in 2015, he is .151 with two triples and nine RBIs.
A pair of former OSU big leaguers -- Josh Fields and Luke Scott -- are also continuing their careers in the Mexican League at the Triple A level.
Josh Fields, Piratas de Campeche - OSU Career: 2002-04
Fields, a two-sport star in baseball and football at OSU who was inducted into the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, returns to professional baseball for a 12th season in 2015. He has five seasons of Major League Baseball service with the White Sox and Royals and owns a career .234 average with 34 homers and 107 RBIs.
In 25 games this season in the Mexican League, he's hitting .245 with a home run, five doubles and nine RBIs.
Luke Scott, Pericos de Puebla - OSU Career: 2000-01
Scott played nine major league seasons with Houston, Baltimore and Tampa Bay from 2005-2013 before spending last season in Japan. In 889 games and nearly a decade in the bigs, Scott hit .258 with 135 homers and 436 RBIs.
In 22 games this season in Mexico, Scott is hitting .313 with seven homers and 23 RBIs.
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