Cowboy Baseball In The Pros, June 7

Oklahoma State currently has 20 former players on professional baseball rosters, including four active big leaguers in Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer, Washington pitcher Koda Glover, St. Louis pitcher Tyler Lyons and Atlanta pitcher Jason Hursh.

Another former OSU star, John Farrell, is in his fifth season as the manager of the Boston Red Sox. Farrell has guided Boston to a 32-25 record this season, and the Red Sox are in second place in the American League East standings, just one game back of first. Farrell led Boston to a 2013 World Series title and has managed a pair of AL East champions.

Koda Glover, Washington Nationals – OSU Career: 2015
In his third professional season, Glover has emerged as the Nationals closer in 2017. In 22 games this season, he has recorded eight saves and 17 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings of work.

Glover made his MLB debut in 2016 and went 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings in 19 appearances.

Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery last July, and the southpaw remains on the disabled list as he continues to rehab.

In his first season with the Angels in 2015, Heaney went 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts. He has pitched in 26 games, 24 of them as a starter, over his three MLB seasons.

Jason Hursh, Atlanta Braves – OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh is in his fifth season in the Braves organization and was recalled by Atlanta on Tuesday; he worked the final inning of Atlanta's game against Philadelphia and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless frame.

The 2017 season marks Hursh's second stint with the Braves; he pitched in a pair of games in 2016. Prior to his call up this week, he pitched at both the Double A and Triple A levels this season and went 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA, five saves and 30 strikeouts in 32 innings.

A first-round pick in 2013, Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014.

Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons is in his fifth season with St. Louis and has made seven relief appearances in 2017. A year ago, the southpaw took the mound in 30 games and was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 48.0 innings.

For his MLB career, Lyons is 7-9 with a 4.07 ERA in 77 appearances, including 20 starts.

Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
In his sixth year in the big leagues, Mercer is entrenched as the Pirates' starting shortstop. In 56 games this season, he is hitting .269 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. He also owns a .987 fielding percentage, having committed just three errors on the year.

Mercer is on an offensive tear of late as he is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak and has hits in 12 of his last 14 games, a stretch during which he's raised his batting average 66 points by going 25-for-59 (.424) at the plate.

In six seasons with Pittsburgh, Mercer is a career .258 hitter with 40 homers, 106 doubles and 199 RBIs in 615 games.

Three former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.

Matt Hague, Rochester Red Wings (Twins) – OSU Career: 2008
Hague signed a minor league deal with Minnesota last December after spending 2016 playing in Japan. In 51 games with Rochester, he is hitting .273 with four homers and 19 RBIs.

During his nine-year minor league career, Hague has been a part of three organizations — Pittsburgh, Toronto and Minnesota — and has played in 988 games, compiling a .300 career batting average to go along with 83 homers, 227 doubles and 553 RBIs.

Hague has had cups of coffee with Pittsburgh, where he played in 30 games with the Pirates in 2012 and in three games in 2014, and Toronto, where in 2015 he appeared in 10 games.

Brendan McCurry, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
After serving a 50-game suspension to open 2017, McCurry made his season debut on May 29 and has made four relief appearances, turning in a 3.86 ERA and recording eight strikeouts in seven innings.

McCurry is coming off a 2016 season in which he was named to the Texas League Post-Season and Mid-Season All-Star teams 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 6-8 with 45 saves and a 2.24 ERA in four professional seasons.

Andrew Oliver, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver signed with Milwaukee last December and has appeared in 12 games for Colorado Springs this season, all but one in relief. The southpaw has recorded 16 strikeouts in 16 innings of work.

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 six minor league teams in eight seasons and is 37-41 with a 4.10 ERA and 14 saves in 235 appearances.

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

Tim Arakawa, Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Arakawa opened the season on the disabled list but has returned to play in 11 games, hitting .278 with three stolen bases.

Arakawa spent the majority of 2016 at Class A Advanced Inland Empire, where he was a California League Mid-Season All-Star and hit .254 with two homers, 13 doubles, three triples and 25 RBIs in 83 games. He also turned in a 21-game hitting streak, the longest by an Inland Empire player since 2012.

A 23^rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa has played at every level of the minor leagues, including 16 games at Triple A, and is a .247 hitter in 205 games.

Jon Perrin, Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his third professional season, Perrin has made the move to Double A in 2017. He's currently on the disabled list but is 2-0 with a 3.93 ERA in nine games this season and has racked up 41 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.

Perrin has made 48 career appearances, 34 of those starts, and is 8-15 with a 3.31 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 236 1/3 innings.

The Cowboys have eight former stars on Class A rosters, including two at the Class A-Advanced level.

Kevin Bradley, Lake County Captains (Indians) – OSU Career: 2015
Bradley spent one season in Stillwater, hitting .281 with three homers and 23 RBIs in 49 games, and signed a professional contract despite going undrafted. He was assigned to Lake County earlier this week.

In eight games with the AZL Indians in rookie ball in 2016, Bradley had 15 at-bats and recorded an RBI triple.

J.R. Davis, Peoria Chiefs (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 15^th round by St. Louis.

In 31 games for Peoria this season, Davis is hitting .273 with two homers, five doubles and 13 RBIs.

Davis' first pro season in 2016 saw him named an Appalachian League Post-Season All-Star after hitting .333 with 11 stolen bases for the Rookie League Johnson City Cardinals.

Thomas Hatch, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) – OSU Career: 2014-16
A third-round pick by the Chicago Cubs after an All-American season at OSU in 2016, Hatch made his professional debut this season. In 11 starts for Myrtle Beach, he is 1-5 with a 4.53 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings.

Hatch's last two outings have been his best as a pro. On May 28, he racked up 13 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, and his last start, on June 3, saw him toss 6 1/3 scoreless innings en route to earning his first professional win.

Hatch was the 2016 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 9-3 with a 2.14 ERA and tossing four complete games in 19 starts. He collected 112 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings of work.

Michael Mertz, Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
Following two seasons in an OSU uniform, Mertz signed with Miami after being drafted in the 14^th round. In 2016, he made 13 appearances between the Rookie League and Class A Short-Season levels.

Mertz is thriving as a reliever this season, coming out of the bullpen in 17 games for Greensboro and going 2-1 with two saves and a 2.66 ERA to go along with 30 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings.

Remey Reed, Batavia Muckdogs (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
A sixth-round pick of the Marlins in 2016, Reed made four relief appearances in his first pro season and went 1-0 at the Rookie League and Class A Short Season levels. He is listed on the 2017 Batavia roster but has yet to pitch for the Muckdogs this season.

Reed made 47 appearances in two seasons with the Cowboys and went 7-3 with a save and a 2.53 ERA.

Collin Theroux, Beloit Snappers (Athletics) – OSU Career: 2016
A 32^nd-round draft pick, Theroux signed with Oakland after his lone season in an OSU uniform in 2016 and played in 18 games at the Rookie League and Class A levels.

Theroux has returned to Class A Beloit in 2017 and is hitting .219 in 36 games. He is tied for fourth in the Midwest League with nine home runs

Donnie Walton, Modesto Nuts (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2013-16
A fifth-round pick of Seattle after an All-American senior season at OSU in 2016, Walton earned Northwest League Mid-Season All-Star honors in his first pro season at Class A Short Season Everett.

In 2017, Walton is playing at Class A-Advanced Modesto, where he's hitting .235 with two homers, seven doubles and 14 RBIs in 43 games for the Nuts.

Garrett Williams, Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) – OSU Career: 2014-16
Williams signed with San Francisco after being selected in the seventh round in 2016 and went 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA in 10 games in his first pro season.

Now with Class A Augusta, Williams is 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA in four outings (three starts) this season, and the southpaw has recorded 21 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

In 48 career appearances at OSU, Williams was 7-1 with two saves and a 5.42 ERA.

One former Cowboy is listed on a Rookie League roster.

Conor Costello, Ogden Raptors (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2013-2016
Costello spent time with two different Rookie League teams in 2016 after signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization following his senior season at OSU. He is listed on the Ogden Raptors 2017 Rookie League roster but has not yet played for the team this season

After being used as an outfielder, DH and pitcher in Stillwater, Costello has made the full-time move to the mound in pro ball and was 2-1 with a 6.23 ERA in 12 relief outings last season.

One former Cowboy is spending 2017 in the Mexican League at its Triple A level.

Corey Brown, Toros de Tijuana – OSU Career: 2005-07
After spending 2016 with the Triple A Oklahoma City Dodgers, Brown traveled to Mexico and is having an impressive season for the Toros. The outfielder is hitting .312 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs in 57 games and has recorded a .618 slugging percentage.

Now in his 11^th professional season, Brown owns a .262 career average to go along with 196 homers and 638 RBIs.

Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals (2011-13) 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.

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

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Conor Costello

J.R. Davis

Thomas Hatch

Michael Mertz

Remey Reed

Collin Theroux

Donnie Walton

Garrett Williams

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