Oklahoma State University Athletics
Andrew Heaney
Photo by: Angels Baseball LP
Pokes In The Pros, April 27
April 27, 2018 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State currently has 22 former players in the professional baseball ranks, including three active on big league rosters in Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer, St. Louis pitcher Tyler Lyons and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney.
Koda Glover, Washington Nationals – OSU Career: 2015
In early 2017, his third professional season, Glover emerged as the Nationals closer, but back and shoulder injuries kept him on the disabled list from mid June through the remainder of the season. He is on the National's 40-man roster in 2018 but is currently on the 60-day DL with shoulder inflammation.
In 23 games last season, Glover recorded eight saves and 17 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings of work.
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney is back in Anaheim's starting rotation in 2018, and the southpaw has made a pair of starts, going 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA and posting 13 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings.
Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2016 and returned to the mound for the Angels last August, going 1-2 in five starts.
In his fifth major league season, four of those with the Angels, Heaney owns a career 7-11 record and 4.76 ERA and has 145 strikeouts in 172.0 innings of work.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons is in his sixth year with St. Louis and is coming off his best big league season as one of the Cardinals' top arms out of the bullpen. In 12 appearances this season, Lyons owns a 6.48 ERA and has 10 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.
The southpaw made a career-high 50 relief appearances in 2017 and was 4-1 with three saves and a 2.83 ERA while recording 68 strikeouts in 54.0 innings of work.
For his MLB career, Lyons is 11-9 with three saves and a 3.88 ERA in 132 appearances, and he has racked up 263 strikeouts in 260.0 innings.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
In his seventh year in the big leagues, Mercer is entrenched as the Pirates' starting shortstop. In 23 games this season, he's hitting .247 with seven doubles and five RBIs and has not committed an error.
Mercer is coming off a 2017 season in which he hit .255 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. The 14 homers marked a career high, as did his five triples, and he was one RBI shy of his career high.
In seven seasons with Pittsburgh, Mercer is a career .256 hitter with 49 homers, 128 doubles and 243 RBIs in 727 games.
Several former Cowboys are at the Triple A level to begin 2018.
Tim Arakawa, Salt Lake Bees (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Arakawa spent most of last season at Double A Mobile but finished the year in Salt Lake and is a candidate to return there again in 2018.
In 76 games with Mobile in 2017, Arakawa hit .245 with four homers, 15 RBIs and eight stolen bases.
A 23rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa has played at every level of the minor leagues and is a .246 career hitter in 271 games.
Matt Hague, Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2008
Hague is spending his 10thprofessional season in the Mariners' organization and is hitting .226 with 13 RBIs in 17 games for Tacoma in 2018.
Last season at Rochester, Hague hit .297 with 10 homers, 30 doubles and 65 RBIs; he ranked third in the International League in batting average and ninth in doubles.
During his 10-year minor league career, Hague has been a part of four organizations — Pittsburgh, Toronto, Minnesota and Seattle — and has played in 1,090 games, compiling a .300 career batting average to go along with 89 homers, 252 doubles and 612 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. He is a career .226 hitter in the big leagues.
Jason Hursh, Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Part of Atlanta's 40-man roster, Hursh is in his sixth season in the Braves' organization in 2018 and is 0-1 with a save and a 4.63 ERA in nine appearances for Gwinnett this season; he's also struck out 15 in 11 2/3 innings.
A year ago, the righty spent time bouncing between the big leagues and Triple A. He made nine relief appearances for Atlanta in 2017 and went 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA; he earned his first-career big league win on June 22 against San Francisco.
A first-round pick in 2013, Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014.
Brendan McCurry, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
In his fifth professional season and third in Fresno, McCurry has made nine relief appearances and is 0-1 with four saves and a 5.11 ERA this season while striking out 15 in 12 1/3 innings.
An All-American at OSU in 2014 and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry is 10-11 with 55 saves and a 2.77 ERA in 167 career games.
Jon Perrin, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
After a stint at extended spring training, Perrin made his first appearance for Colorado Springs on April 26 and worked 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowed one run on one hit while striking out two.
Perrin is in his fourth professional season and has made 63 career appearances, 44 of those starts, and is 11-18 with a 3.10 ERA and 279 strikeouts in 307 2/3 innings.
A pair of former OSU hurlers are at the Double A level in 2018.
Thomas Hatch, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) – OSU Career: 2014-16
In his second pro season, Hatch has made four starts and is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA while recording 17 strikeouts in 20.0 innings of work. After a pair of no-decisions in his first two outings, the righty has won his last two starts.
A third-round pick by the Chicago Cubs after an All-American season at OSU in 2016, Hatch made 26 starts for Class A-Advanced Myrtle Beach in 2017 and was 5-11 with a 4.04 ERA. He ranked seventh in the Carolina League with 126 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings.
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.
Garrett Williams, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) – OSU Career: 2014-16
A seventh-round pick in 2016, Williams is in his third professional season and is 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in three starts while posting 11 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings.
In 31 career appearances in the minor leagues, Williams is 9-7 with a 3.20 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 140 2/3 innings.
The Cowboys have 10 former stars on various levels of Class A rosters in 2018, including three in Class A-Advanced leagues.
Blake Battenfield, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) – OSU Career: 2014-2017
Battenfield is in his second pro season and is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts for Class A Kannapolis; he's recorded 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings for the Intimidators.
In his first season of pro ball, Battenfield made 21 relief appearances at the Rookie League level and went 1-4 with a 4.88 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings.
Garrett Benge, Greenville Drive (Red Sox) – OSU Career: 2016-17
Benge opened the 2018 season on the disabled list and has yet to appear in a game for Class A Greenville.
A 13th-round draft pick of Boston in 2017, Benge played in 52 games at the Rookie League level and hit .230 with nine doubles, two triples, 25 walks and 21 RBIs while being named a New York-Penn League All-Star.
Tyler Buffett, Dayton Dragons (Reds) – OSU Career: 2014-2017
Buffett has made seven relief appearances for Class A Dayton In 2018 and has recorded 14 strikeouts in 16.0 innings to go along with a 4.50 ERA.
In his first pro season in 2017, Buffett made 22 relief appearances in the Rookie League and posted a 4-2 record, three saves and a 3.86 ERA in 44 1/3 innings of work.
Buffett's four seasons in an OSU uniform saw him record 20 wins, nine saves and 226 strikeouts, and he ranks in the top 10 on the Cowboys' all-time lists in appearances (87) and innings pitched (275 2/3).
Trey Cobb, Columbia Fireflies (Mets) – OSU Career: 2015
Following four seasons in an OSU uniform, Cobb was an eighth-round pick of the New York Mets last June. In 2018, he has made seven relief appearances for Class A Columbia and posted three saves and a 1.29 ERA to go along with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
In his first pro season, Cobb made 20 relief appearances and went 1-2 with a save and a 2.63 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings of work.
Cobb ended his OSU career as the program's all-time leader in appearances with 92, and he ranks sixth all-time on the Cowboys with 11 saves.
J.R. Davis, Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals) – OSU Career: 2016
Davis has yet to appear in a game in 2018.
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 two seasons, Davis is a career .276 hitter with seven homers, 28 doubles, four triples and 45 RBIs.
Garrett McCain, West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) – OSU Career: 2015-17
A 10th-round draft pick of Detroit following an All-American junior season at OSU in 2017, McCain is hitting .132 with three RBIs in 14 games for Class A West Michigan this season.
In his first pro season, McCain played in 53 games and hit .259 with six doubles, three homers and 22 RBIs, and he was named a New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star.
Michael Mertz, Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
Mertz is 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA in six relief appearances for Class A-Advanced Jupiter this season.
In 2017, Mertz thrived at Class A Greensboro, coming out of the bullpen in 39 of his 40 games for the Grasshoppers and going 9-1 with four saves and a 1.80 ERA to go along with 78 strikeouts in 75.0 innings.
In three pro seasons, Mertz is 11-3 with four saves and a 2.70 ERA in 59 appearances.
Remey Reed, Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
In his third pro season, Reed has made two relief appearances and is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and seven strikeouts in five innings of work at Class A Greensboro.
Reed has made 21 appearances at the pro level, 11 of those as a starter, and is 5-4 with a 4.23 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings.
Collin Theroux, Stockton Ports (Athletics) – OSU Career: 2016
In his third pro season, Theroux has played in eight games for Class A-Advanced Stockton and is hitting .083 with a home run and two RBIs.
Theroux is a career .134 hitter and has 14 homers and 36 RBIs as a professional.
Donnie Walton, Modesto Nuts (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2013-16
Walton is back for his second stint with Class A-Advanced Modesto in 2018, and he's hitting .289 with a pair of homers, three doubles and five RBIs in 20 games this season.
A fifth-round pick of Seattle after an All-American senior season at OSU, Walton hit .269 with two homers, 16 doubles and 24 RBIs for the Nuts a year ago.
In 135 career games at the pro level, Walton owns a .277 batting average to go along with 11 homers, 27 doubles and 57 RBIs.
One former Cowboy has returned to the Mexican League at its Triple A level in 2018.
Corey Brown, Toros de Tijuana – OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown is back with Tijuana in 2018 after an All-Star season a year ago in which he helped lead the Toros to a Mexican League Championship. In 28 games this season, he's hitting .306 with nine homers and 28 RBIs.
The 2018 season is Brown's 12th as a professional, and he owns a .263 career batting average to go along with 215 homers and 694 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.
Koda Glover, Washington Nationals – OSU Career: 2015
In early 2017, his third professional season, Glover emerged as the Nationals closer, but back and shoulder injuries kept him on the disabled list from mid June through the remainder of the season. He is on the National's 40-man roster in 2018 but is currently on the 60-day DL with shoulder inflammation.
In 23 games last season, Glover recorded eight saves and 17 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings of work.
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney is back in Anaheim's starting rotation in 2018, and the southpaw has made a pair of starts, going 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA and posting 13 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings.
Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2016 and returned to the mound for the Angels last August, going 1-2 in five starts.
In his fifth major league season, four of those with the Angels, Heaney owns a career 7-11 record and 4.76 ERA and has 145 strikeouts in 172.0 innings of work.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons is in his sixth year with St. Louis and is coming off his best big league season as one of the Cardinals' top arms out of the bullpen. In 12 appearances this season, Lyons owns a 6.48 ERA and has 10 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.
The southpaw made a career-high 50 relief appearances in 2017 and was 4-1 with three saves and a 2.83 ERA while recording 68 strikeouts in 54.0 innings of work.
For his MLB career, Lyons is 11-9 with three saves and a 3.88 ERA in 132 appearances, and he has racked up 263 strikeouts in 260.0 innings.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
In his seventh year in the big leagues, Mercer is entrenched as the Pirates' starting shortstop. In 23 games this season, he's hitting .247 with seven doubles and five RBIs and has not committed an error.
Mercer is coming off a 2017 season in which he hit .255 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. The 14 homers marked a career high, as did his five triples, and he was one RBI shy of his career high.
In seven seasons with Pittsburgh, Mercer is a career .256 hitter with 49 homers, 128 doubles and 243 RBIs in 727 games.
Several former Cowboys are at the Triple A level to begin 2018.
Tim Arakawa, Salt Lake Bees (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Arakawa spent most of last season at Double A Mobile but finished the year in Salt Lake and is a candidate to return there again in 2018.
In 76 games with Mobile in 2017, Arakawa hit .245 with four homers, 15 RBIs and eight stolen bases.
A 23rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa has played at every level of the minor leagues and is a .246 career hitter in 271 games.
Matt Hague, Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2008
Hague is spending his 10thprofessional season in the Mariners' organization and is hitting .226 with 13 RBIs in 17 games for Tacoma in 2018.
Last season at Rochester, Hague hit .297 with 10 homers, 30 doubles and 65 RBIs; he ranked third in the International League in batting average and ninth in doubles.
During his 10-year minor league career, Hague has been a part of four organizations — Pittsburgh, Toronto, Minnesota and Seattle — and has played in 1,090 games, compiling a .300 career batting average to go along with 89 homers, 252 doubles and 612 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. He is a career .226 hitter in the big leagues.
Jason Hursh, Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Part of Atlanta's 40-man roster, Hursh is in his sixth season in the Braves' organization in 2018 and is 0-1 with a save and a 4.63 ERA in nine appearances for Gwinnett this season; he's also struck out 15 in 11 2/3 innings.
A year ago, the righty spent time bouncing between the big leagues and Triple A. He made nine relief appearances for Atlanta in 2017 and went 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA; he earned his first-career big league win on June 22 against San Francisco.
A first-round pick in 2013, Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014.
Brendan McCurry, Fresno Grizzlies (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
In his fifth professional season and third in Fresno, McCurry has made nine relief appearances and is 0-1 with four saves and a 5.11 ERA this season while striking out 15 in 12 1/3 innings.
An All-American at OSU in 2014 and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry is 10-11 with 55 saves and a 2.77 ERA in 167 career games.
Jon Perrin, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
After a stint at extended spring training, Perrin made his first appearance for Colorado Springs on April 26 and worked 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowed one run on one hit while striking out two.
Perrin is in his fourth professional season and has made 63 career appearances, 44 of those starts, and is 11-18 with a 3.10 ERA and 279 strikeouts in 307 2/3 innings.
A pair of former OSU hurlers are at the Double A level in 2018.
Thomas Hatch, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) – OSU Career: 2014-16
In his second pro season, Hatch has made four starts and is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA while recording 17 strikeouts in 20.0 innings of work. After a pair of no-decisions in his first two outings, the righty has won his last two starts.
A third-round pick by the Chicago Cubs after an All-American season at OSU in 2016, Hatch made 26 starts for Class A-Advanced Myrtle Beach in 2017 and was 5-11 with a 4.04 ERA. He ranked seventh in the Carolina League with 126 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings.
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.
Garrett Williams, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) – OSU Career: 2014-16
A seventh-round pick in 2016, Williams is in his third professional season and is 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in three starts while posting 11 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings.
In 31 career appearances in the minor leagues, Williams is 9-7 with a 3.20 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 140 2/3 innings.
The Cowboys have 10 former stars on various levels of Class A rosters in 2018, including three in Class A-Advanced leagues.
Blake Battenfield, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) – OSU Career: 2014-2017
Battenfield is in his second pro season and is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts for Class A Kannapolis; he's recorded 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings for the Intimidators.
In his first season of pro ball, Battenfield made 21 relief appearances at the Rookie League level and went 1-4 with a 4.88 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings.
Garrett Benge, Greenville Drive (Red Sox) – OSU Career: 2016-17
Benge opened the 2018 season on the disabled list and has yet to appear in a game for Class A Greenville.
A 13th-round draft pick of Boston in 2017, Benge played in 52 games at the Rookie League level and hit .230 with nine doubles, two triples, 25 walks and 21 RBIs while being named a New York-Penn League All-Star.
Tyler Buffett, Dayton Dragons (Reds) – OSU Career: 2014-2017
Buffett has made seven relief appearances for Class A Dayton In 2018 and has recorded 14 strikeouts in 16.0 innings to go along with a 4.50 ERA.
In his first pro season in 2017, Buffett made 22 relief appearances in the Rookie League and posted a 4-2 record, three saves and a 3.86 ERA in 44 1/3 innings of work.
Buffett's four seasons in an OSU uniform saw him record 20 wins, nine saves and 226 strikeouts, and he ranks in the top 10 on the Cowboys' all-time lists in appearances (87) and innings pitched (275 2/3).
Trey Cobb, Columbia Fireflies (Mets) – OSU Career: 2015
Following four seasons in an OSU uniform, Cobb was an eighth-round pick of the New York Mets last June. In 2018, he has made seven relief appearances for Class A Columbia and posted three saves and a 1.29 ERA to go along with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
In his first pro season, Cobb made 20 relief appearances and went 1-2 with a save and a 2.63 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings of work.
Cobb ended his OSU career as the program's all-time leader in appearances with 92, and he ranks sixth all-time on the Cowboys with 11 saves.
J.R. Davis, Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals) – OSU Career: 2016
Davis has yet to appear in a game in 2018.
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 two seasons, Davis is a career .276 hitter with seven homers, 28 doubles, four triples and 45 RBIs.
Garrett McCain, West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) – OSU Career: 2015-17
A 10th-round draft pick of Detroit following an All-American junior season at OSU in 2017, McCain is hitting .132 with three RBIs in 14 games for Class A West Michigan this season.
In his first pro season, McCain played in 53 games and hit .259 with six doubles, three homers and 22 RBIs, and he was named a New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star.
Michael Mertz, Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
Mertz is 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA in six relief appearances for Class A-Advanced Jupiter this season.
In 2017, Mertz thrived at Class A Greensboro, coming out of the bullpen in 39 of his 40 games for the Grasshoppers and going 9-1 with four saves and a 1.80 ERA to go along with 78 strikeouts in 75.0 innings.
In three pro seasons, Mertz is 11-3 with four saves and a 2.70 ERA in 59 appearances.
Remey Reed, Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) – OSU Career: 2015-16
In his third pro season, Reed has made two relief appearances and is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and seven strikeouts in five innings of work at Class A Greensboro.
Reed has made 21 appearances at the pro level, 11 of those as a starter, and is 5-4 with a 4.23 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings.
Collin Theroux, Stockton Ports (Athletics) – OSU Career: 2016
In his third pro season, Theroux has played in eight games for Class A-Advanced Stockton and is hitting .083 with a home run and two RBIs.
Theroux is a career .134 hitter and has 14 homers and 36 RBIs as a professional.
Donnie Walton, Modesto Nuts (Mariners) – OSU Career: 2013-16
Walton is back for his second stint with Class A-Advanced Modesto in 2018, and he's hitting .289 with a pair of homers, three doubles and five RBIs in 20 games this season.
A fifth-round pick of Seattle after an All-American senior season at OSU, Walton hit .269 with two homers, 16 doubles and 24 RBIs for the Nuts a year ago.
In 135 career games at the pro level, Walton owns a .277 batting average to go along with 11 homers, 27 doubles and 57 RBIs.
One former Cowboy has returned to the Mexican League at its Triple A level in 2018.
Corey Brown, Toros de Tijuana – OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown is back with Tijuana in 2018 after an All-Star season a year ago in which he helped lead the Toros to a Mexican League Championship. In 28 games this season, he's hitting .306 with nine homers and 28 RBIs.
The 2018 season is Brown's 12th as a professional, and he owns a .263 career batting average to go along with 215 homers and 694 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.
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