Cowboy Baseball In The Pros, Sept. 2

Oklahoma State currently has 19 former players on professional baseball rosters, including a pair of big leaguers in Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney. Two ex-OSU stars are MLB managers — Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox and John Farrell* with the Boston Red Sox (*Farrell was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and will not serve as Boston manager the remainder of the 2015 season as he undergoes chemotherapy).

Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney was called up to the Angels on June 24 and has excelled as a member of Los Angeles' starting rotation. In 12 starts, the southpaw is 5-2 with a 3.11 ERA and has recorded 50 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 72 1/3 innings.

Heaney was named the American League Rookie of the Month for July after going 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts.

Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
Mercer spent over a month on the disabled list after suffering a leg injury in late July but returned to Pittsburgh's active roster on August 23. In seven games since his return, Mercer is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with an RBI.

In 87 games with the Pirates this season, his fourth in the big leagues, Mercer is hitting .247 with two home runs, 14 doubles and 20 RBIs. He also owns a .982 fielding percentage and has committed just seven errors on the year.

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 381 career games with Pittsburgh, Mercer is hitting .259 with 23 homers, 68 doubles and 107 RBIs.

Seven former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.

Scott Baker, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2001-03
Baker started the season with Oklahoma City and after going 1-1 with a 1.06 ERA and a complete game shutout, the right-hander was called up to Los Angeles. In two starts with the Dodgers, he was 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA before being designated for assignment by the club. He's now back in OKC, where he's 7-3 with a 3.39 ERA and two complete games in 13 starts but has been on the disabled list since early July.

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.

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 .240 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 108 games this season, with his 17 round trippers ranking seventh in the International League.

Brown is on a recent hot streak, with hits in nine of this last 10 games and a .429 batting average (15-for-35) during that span.

In nine seasons in the minor leagues, Brown owns a .260 career average to go along with 157 homers and 504 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.

Matt Hague, Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) – OSU Career: 2008
Hague was called up by Toronto on Aug. 17 but played in just one game with the Blue Jays before being optioned back to Triple A Buffalo. In his only at-bat with the Jays, Hague — who is on Toronto's 40-man roster — struck out.

Hague has worn out International League pitching this season, living up to "The Hit Collector" nickname given to him by Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. In 130 games with Buffalo, Hague leads the International League with a .345 batting average (34 points higher than the next closest), 172 hits, 88 RBIs, 239 total bases and a .422 on-base percentage. He also ranks in the top five in the league in doubles (32), slugging percentage (.479), runs (70) and walks (59).

Along with his short stint in Toronto, Hague has two previous years of MLB experience with Pittsburgh in 2012 and 2014, where he played in 32 games and hit .222 with seven RBIs.

Jason Hursh, Gwinnett Braves (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh was called up to Triple A Gwinnett on Aug. 6 after making 24 appearances at Double A Mississippi. In eight relief appearances with Gwinnett, the righty is 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA in 11 innings of work.

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) at Double A Mississippi.

Tyler Lyons, Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons has bounced between Triple A Memphis and the big league club in St. Louis this season and is currently back with the Redbirds.

A member of St. Louis' 40-man roster, Lyons has made nine appearances for the Cardinals in 2015, including six starts, and is 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings of work.

For his MLB career, which spans parts of three seasons with the Cardinals, Lyons is 4-9 with a 4.43 ERA in 32 appearances, including 18 starts.

Andrew Oliver, Norfolk Tides (Orioles) – OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver is with a new team after opting out of his minor league deal with Tampa Bay in July and signing with Baltimore.

Oliver won his debut with the Norfolk Tides after pitching two scoreless innings of relief, and the southpaw is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 14 appearances with the team. He's also racked up 31 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.

Prior to joining Norfolk, he made 21 relief appearances in Durham and was 1-1 with a save and a 3.86 ERA to go along with 32 strikeouts in 28 innings.

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; he played the 2013 and 2014 with Pittsburgh's Triple A affiliate in Indianapolis.

Mike Strong, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2010-11
Strong was called up to Colorado Springs on Aug. 1 after starring at Double A Biloxi for much of the season.

In 10 appearances with the Sky Sox, the southpaw is 1-1 with a 4.30 ERA and has struck out 12 in 14 2/3 innings of work.

Strong is in his fifth minor league season, all in the Brewers organization. In 38 relief appearances at Biloxi, he was 4-1 with five saves and a 2.54 ERA, and he recorded 49 strikeouts in 49.2 innings of work with opponents hitting just .167 against him.

At the Double A level, a pair of OSU baseball alums are looking to move up the ranks.

Tom Belza, Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) – OSU Career: 2008-10
Belza has spent time at both the Triple A and Double A levels in 2015 and is currently with Mobile, where he's hitting .221 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 106 games. At Triple A Reno earlier this season, he hit .162 in 16 games.

A 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Star, Belza is in his sixth minor league season and second with Mobile, where he hit .305 with 31 RBIs a year ago.

Brendan McCurry, Midland RockHounds (A's) – OSU Career: 2013-14
McCurry's standout season at Class A Advanced Stockton was rewarded in late July with a call up to Double A Midland, where he's continued to thrive.

In 12 appearances with the RockHounds, the right-hander is 0-1 with five saves and a 1.84 ERA. He's struck out 22 in 14 2/3 innings, and opponents are hitting just .157 against him.

In 36 appearances at Stockton, McCurry was 1-2 with 21 saves — a total that led the California League — and a 1.94 ERA; he racked up 56 strikeouts in 46.1 innings and opponents hit only .182 against him.

An All-American for the Cowboys in 2014 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.

A pair of recent Cowboy stars is currently playing at the Class A Advanced level.

Michael Freeman, Lancaster JetHawks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2014-15
The 2015 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Freeman has moved up to Class A Advanced Lancaster after going 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in eight relief outings for Class A Quad Cities.

In seven appearances at Lancaster, the southpaw is 1-0 with two saves and a 0.49 ERA. Opponents are hitting only .088 against him, and he's recorded 19 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings of work.

Freeman was a seventh-round draft pick of Houston in June.

Tanner Krietemeier, Carolina Mudcats (Braves) – OSU Career: 2013-14
Krietemeier began the year at Class A Rome and hit .243 with a homer and 23 RBIs before moving up to the Braves' Class A Advanced team at Carolina. He is hitting .218 with seven doubles and four RBIs in 24 games for the Mudcats.

A trio of Cowboys who completed their OSU careers in 2015 has moved from the Rookie League to the Class A level.

Tim Arakawa, Burlington Bees (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
A 23^rd-round draft pick of the Angels, Arakawa began his pro career at Orem in the Rookie League. After just four games there, he moved up to Class A Burlington, where he's hitting .269 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 58 games.

Koda Glover, Hagerstown Suns (Nationals) – OSU Career: 2015
Glover inked a pro contract following one season in Stillwater after Washington drafted him in the eighth round in June. He made three appearances and recorded a save for Auburn at the Class A-Short Season level before moving to Class A Hagerstown. In 15 outings for the Suns, he is 1-1 with four saves and a 2.05 ERA and has recorded 26 strikeouts in 22.0 innings.

Jon Perrin, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
After going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three appearances for the AZL Brewers in the Rookie League, Perrin is now with Class A Wisconsin. In 10 outings with the Timber Rattlers, including eight starts, the right-hander is 1-5 with a 4.31 ERA.

OSU also has three former players in the Rookie League.

Bryan Case, AZL Giants (Giants) – OSU Career: 2014-15
A 27^th-round draft pick by San Francisco, Case has played in four games for the Giants' Rookie League team and is hitting .188 with an RBI. He is currently on the disabled list.

Zach Fish, Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox) – OSU Career: 2012-14
The 2014 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Fish started the season at Class A Kannapolis where he hit .125 with a homer and 10 RBIS in 20 games. He is now playing for Great Falls of the Pioneer League and is hitting .291 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs in 48 games.

Fish spent his first professional season in 2014 in the outfield but has moved to catcher this year. He was named a Pioneer League All-Star, and he ranks fifth in the league in home runs.

Gage Green, Ogden Raptors (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
A two-time All-Big 12 First Team catcher and 35^th-round pick of Los Angeles, Green played in 14 games for the AZL Dodgers before joining the Ogden in the Pioneer League. In 34 games with the Raptors, Green is hitting .356 with four homers, 13 doubles and 32 RBIs.

Green has been red-hot at the plate of late. He is in the midst of a 15-game hitting streak and is hitting .500 (21-for-42) with three homers and 13 RBIs in his last 10 games. He was named the Pioneer League Player of the Week on Aug. 31.

For informative links on former Cowboys in the pros, click here.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Tim Arakawa

Bryan Case

Zach Fish

Michael Freeman

Koda Glover

Gage Green

Tanner Krietemeier

Brendan McCurry

Jon Perrin

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