Oklahoma State University Athletics
Tyler Lyons
Photo by: St. Louis Cardinals Archive
Cowboy Baseball In The Pros, July 11
July 11, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State currently has 18 former players on professional baseball rosters, including a pair of active big leaguers in Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tyler Lyons.
Two ex-OSU stars are MLB managers — Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox and John Farrell with the Boston Red Sox. In the first half of the season, Farrell guided Boston to a 49-38 record, and the Red Sox are in second place in the American League East standings, two games back of Baltimore. Under Ventura, the White Sox own a 46-43 mark and sit in third place in the American League Central.
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on July 1. The southpaw had been on the disabled list since his first start of the season on April 5.
Heaney is coming off a 2015 season, his first with the Angels, in which he went 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons has made 26 relief appearances for St. Louis this season and is 2-0 with a 3.35 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings.
For his MLB career, which spans parts of four seasons with the Cardinals, Lyons is 7-9 with a 4.07 ERA in 66 appearances, including 20 starts.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
In his fifth year in the big leagues, Mercer is enjoying one of his best seasons. The Pirates' starting shortstop, Mercer is hitting .270 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 31 RBIs in 86 games. He also owns a .989 fielding percentage, having committed just four errors on the year.
In five seasons with Pittsburgh, Mercer is a career .259 hitter with 30 homers, 87 doubles and 152 RBIs in 496 games.
Four former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.
Corey Brown, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown joined the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the offseason after spending 2015 in the Tampa Bay system. In 77 games with Oklahoma City, he is hitting .250 with 11 homers, 14 doubles, seven triples and 42 RBIs.
Now in his 10th season in the minor leagues, Brown owns a .260 career average to go along with 170 homers and 553 RBIs.
Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals and played in three games for the Red Sox in 2014. He's appeared in 39 games at the Major League Baseball level and hit .171 with two homers and four RBIs in those games.
Koda Glover, Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals) – OSU Career: 2015
Glover has been on the fast track through the Washington farm system in 2016. After opening the season at the Class A-Advanced level, he moved to Double A Harrisburg where he went 2-0 with four saves in 17 appearances.
Now at Triple A Syracuse, the hard-throwing right-hander is 1-0 in seven outings and has not allowed an earned run in 10 1/3 innings of work.
In his second pro season, Glover is 4-1 with 11 saves and a 1.74 ERA in 50 appearances and has 87 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings.
Brendan McCurry, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
Another Cowboy reliever on the cusp of the big leagues is Brendan McCurry, who made 28 appearances at Double A this season before moving up to Fresno on June 20. In eight appearances with the Grizzlies, the righty is 1-0 with a save and a 0.71 ERA.
McCurry was named a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star for his performance at Double A Corpus Christi as he went 2-4 with 13 saves and a 2.27 ERA for the Hooks.
An All-American at OSU in 2014 and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry is 6-7 with 43 saves and a 1.56 ERA in three professional seasons.
Andrew Oliver, Norfolk Tides (Orioles) – OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver is 0-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 18 appearances for Norfolk, which includes eight starts. In 50 1/3 innings for the Tides, the southpaw has recorded 46 strikeouts.
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's played for five minor league teams in seven seasons and is 34-40 with a 3.95 ERA and 14 saves in 213 appearances.
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
In his third season with Mobile, Belza has played in 40 games and is hitting .232 with seven doubles and four RBIs.
A 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Star, Belza is in his seventh minor league season and is a career .275 hitter in 637 games.
Michael Freeman, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2014-15
In his second pro season, Freeman has made 25 relief appearances and is 3-3 with a 4.96 ERA and two saves in 45 1/3 innings.
Freeman was a seventh-round draft pick by Houston in 2015 after being named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior at OSU.
Jason Hursh, Mississippi Braves (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh has recorded a 3-2 record and a save to go along with a 2.40 ERA in 30 relief appearances for Mississippi this season.
A first-round pick in 2013 who pitched in 10 games at the Triple A level last season, 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 Mississippi.
The Cowboys have three former stars playing for Class A teams, with two of those at the Class A-Advanced level.
Tim Arakawa, Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Arakawa was named a California League Mid-Season All-Star and is hitting .253 with two homers, 12 doubles and 22 RBIs in 78 games for Inland Empire this season.
Earlier this season, Arakawa turned in a 21-game hitting streak, the longest by an Inland Empire player since current Angels' slugger CJ Cron in 2012. Arakawa batted .393 during the streak.
Arakawa also spent a week-long stint at Triple A Salt Lake in mid-June and was 3-for-13 (.231) at the plate in five games.
A 23rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa split time between the Rookie League and Class A level a year ago and hit .278 with four homers and 31 RBIs.
Gage Green, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his second minor league season, Green has played in 69 games for Great Lakes and is hitting .202 with six homers, six doubles and 19 RBIs.
A two-time All-Big 12 First Team catcher and 35th-round pick of Los Angeles, Green played at three different levels in his first pro season in 2015 and hit .339 with four homers and 35 RBIs.
Jon Perrin, Brevard County Manatees (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his second professional season, Perrin moved up to the Class A-Advanced level in early May and has made 10 starts for Brevard County, going 1-6 with a 3.16 ERA and striking out 51 in 62 2/3 innings.
In two pro seasons, Perrin has made 30 career appearances, 25 of those starts, and is 5-12 with a 3.16 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 148 1/3 innings.
OSU had a program-record 11 players selected in last month's MLB Draft, and eight of those have inked pro contracts. Four of those have taken the field for their new teams, while Conor Costello, Thomas Hatch, Collin Theroux and Garrett Williams have yet to make their professional debuts.
J.R. Davis, Johnson City Cardinals (Cardinals) – OSU Career: 2016
Following his lone season with the Cowboys in 2016 in which he led OSU in hitting and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection, Davis signed a pro contract after being drafted in the 15th round by St. Louis.
In six games at the Rookie League level, Davis is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with five stolen bases.
Michael Mertz, GCL Marlins (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
Following two seasons in an OSU uniform, Mertz signed with Miami after being drafted in the 14th round. He made his pro debut and worked a perfect inning in relief on July 7.
Remey Reed, GCL Marlins (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
A sixth-round pick of the Marlins, Reed debuted with Miami's Rookie League team on July 7 and allowed one run on two hits in an inning of relief.
Reed made 47 appearances in two seasons with the Cowboys and went 7-3 with a save and a 2.53 ERA.
Donnie Walton, Everett AquaSox (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2013-16
A fifth-round pick of Seattle, Walton has played in three games for Everett and is 3-for-10 at the plate. In his second professional game, he smacked his first career homer.
An All-American and three-time All-Big 12 First Team performer in his four seasons with the Cowboys, Walton ended his career in the top 10 on OSU's all-time lists in a number of categories, including hits and games played.
For informative links on former Cowboys in the pros, click here.
Two ex-OSU stars are MLB managers — Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox and John Farrell with the Boston Red Sox. In the first half of the season, Farrell guided Boston to a 49-38 record, and the Red Sox are in second place in the American League East standings, two games back of Baltimore. Under Ventura, the White Sox own a 46-43 mark and sit in third place in the American League Central.
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on July 1. The southpaw had been on the disabled list since his first start of the season on April 5.
Heaney is coming off a 2015 season, his first with the Angels, in which he went 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons has made 26 relief appearances for St. Louis this season and is 2-0 with a 3.35 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings.
For his MLB career, which spans parts of four seasons with the Cardinals, Lyons is 7-9 with a 4.07 ERA in 66 appearances, including 20 starts.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
In his fifth year in the big leagues, Mercer is enjoying one of his best seasons. The Pirates' starting shortstop, Mercer is hitting .270 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 31 RBIs in 86 games. He also owns a .989 fielding percentage, having committed just four errors on the year.
In five seasons with Pittsburgh, Mercer is a career .259 hitter with 30 homers, 87 doubles and 152 RBIs in 496 games.
Four former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.
Corey Brown, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown joined the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the offseason after spending 2015 in the Tampa Bay system. In 77 games with Oklahoma City, he is hitting .250 with 11 homers, 14 doubles, seven triples and 42 RBIs.
Now in his 10th season in the minor leagues, Brown owns a .260 career average to go along with 170 homers and 553 RBIs.
Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals and played in three games for the Red Sox in 2014. He's appeared in 39 games at the Major League Baseball level and hit .171 with two homers and four RBIs in those games.
Koda Glover, Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals) – OSU Career: 2015
Glover has been on the fast track through the Washington farm system in 2016. After opening the season at the Class A-Advanced level, he moved to Double A Harrisburg where he went 2-0 with four saves in 17 appearances.
Now at Triple A Syracuse, the hard-throwing right-hander is 1-0 in seven outings and has not allowed an earned run in 10 1/3 innings of work.
In his second pro season, Glover is 4-1 with 11 saves and a 1.74 ERA in 50 appearances and has 87 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings.
Brendan McCurry, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
Another Cowboy reliever on the cusp of the big leagues is Brendan McCurry, who made 28 appearances at Double A this season before moving up to Fresno on June 20. In eight appearances with the Grizzlies, the righty is 1-0 with a save and a 0.71 ERA.
McCurry was named a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star for his performance at Double A Corpus Christi as he went 2-4 with 13 saves and a 2.27 ERA for the Hooks.
An All-American at OSU in 2014 and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry is 6-7 with 43 saves and a 1.56 ERA in three professional seasons.
Andrew Oliver, Norfolk Tides (Orioles) – OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver is 0-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 18 appearances for Norfolk, which includes eight starts. In 50 1/3 innings for the Tides, the southpaw has recorded 46 strikeouts.
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's played for five minor league teams in seven seasons and is 34-40 with a 3.95 ERA and 14 saves in 213 appearances.
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
In his third season with Mobile, Belza has played in 40 games and is hitting .232 with seven doubles and four RBIs.
A 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Star, Belza is in his seventh minor league season and is a career .275 hitter in 637 games.
Michael Freeman, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2014-15
In his second pro season, Freeman has made 25 relief appearances and is 3-3 with a 4.96 ERA and two saves in 45 1/3 innings.
Freeman was a seventh-round draft pick by Houston in 2015 after being named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior at OSU.
Jason Hursh, Mississippi Braves (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh has recorded a 3-2 record and a save to go along with a 2.40 ERA in 30 relief appearances for Mississippi this season.
A first-round pick in 2013 who pitched in 10 games at the Triple A level last season, 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 Mississippi.
The Cowboys have three former stars playing for Class A teams, with two of those at the Class A-Advanced level.
Tim Arakawa, Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Arakawa was named a California League Mid-Season All-Star and is hitting .253 with two homers, 12 doubles and 22 RBIs in 78 games for Inland Empire this season.
Earlier this season, Arakawa turned in a 21-game hitting streak, the longest by an Inland Empire player since current Angels' slugger CJ Cron in 2012. Arakawa batted .393 during the streak.
Arakawa also spent a week-long stint at Triple A Salt Lake in mid-June and was 3-for-13 (.231) at the plate in five games.
A 23rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa split time between the Rookie League and Class A level a year ago and hit .278 with four homers and 31 RBIs.
Gage Green, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his second minor league season, Green has played in 69 games for Great Lakes and is hitting .202 with six homers, six doubles and 19 RBIs.
A two-time All-Big 12 First Team catcher and 35th-round pick of Los Angeles, Green played at three different levels in his first pro season in 2015 and hit .339 with four homers and 35 RBIs.
Jon Perrin, Brevard County Manatees (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his second professional season, Perrin moved up to the Class A-Advanced level in early May and has made 10 starts for Brevard County, going 1-6 with a 3.16 ERA and striking out 51 in 62 2/3 innings.
In two pro seasons, Perrin has made 30 career appearances, 25 of those starts, and is 5-12 with a 3.16 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 148 1/3 innings.
OSU had a program-record 11 players selected in last month's MLB Draft, and eight of those have inked pro contracts. Four of those have taken the field for their new teams, while Conor Costello, Thomas Hatch, Collin Theroux and Garrett Williams have yet to make their professional debuts.
J.R. Davis, Johnson City Cardinals (Cardinals) – OSU Career: 2016
Following his lone season with the Cowboys in 2016 in which he led OSU in hitting and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection, Davis signed a pro contract after being drafted in the 15th round by St. Louis.
In six games at the Rookie League level, Davis is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with five stolen bases.
Michael Mertz, GCL Marlins (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
Following two seasons in an OSU uniform, Mertz signed with Miami after being drafted in the 14th round. He made his pro debut and worked a perfect inning in relief on July 7.
Remey Reed, GCL Marlins (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
A sixth-round pick of the Marlins, Reed debuted with Miami's Rookie League team on July 7 and allowed one run on two hits in an inning of relief.
Reed made 47 appearances in two seasons with the Cowboys and went 7-3 with a save and a 2.53 ERA.
Donnie Walton, Everett AquaSox (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2013-16
A fifth-round pick of Seattle, Walton has played in three games for Everett and is 3-for-10 at the plate. In his second professional game, he smacked his first career homer.
An All-American and three-time All-Big 12 First Team performer in his four seasons with the Cowboys, Walton ended his career in the top 10 on OSU's all-time lists in a number of categories, including hits and games played.
For informative links on former Cowboys in the pros, click here.
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