16 Kats Making Their Mark In Pros This Summer
7/16/2015 5:30:00 PM | Baseball
With six NCAA Regional appearances, three Southland Conference regular season championships and three league post-season tournament titles since 2007, the success of the Sam Houston baseball program in NCAA play is well-documented.
But Bearkat baseball players now also are making their mark in professional baseball.
With the program-tying five Sam Houston players tabbed in the Major League draft in June and their subsequent signings, a whopping 16 Bearkats are active professionally.
“It speaks for the level of baseball we play at Sam Houston,” Bearkat head baseball coach Matt Deggs said. “There are a lot of really good schools around the country that don't have 16 guys actively playing. It's a great spot. We've got everything it takes to win on a high level when you talk about support, facilities and location.”
Each of the five newest Bearkat additions to pro baseball rosters have made their debuts.
Pitcher Logan Boyd's relief appearance on July 4 for the Boston Red Sox' Single-A Lowell Spinners while the Kats' top 2015 draft selection, Andrew Godail (Single-A Williamsport Crosscutters), Ryan Brinley (Single-A Auburn Doubledays), Collin Yelich (Gulf Coast League Braves) and Alex Bisacca (Gulf Coast League Yankees) have also seen action with their new clubs.
“There's a lot of excitement and the first thing you've got to do is temper some of that excitement,” Deggs said. “There's a little bit of surreal feeling going into your first game or two and then you look around and realize it is just baseball. It's the same game you've been playing in the backyard with your dad your whole life. They'll settle in and do a really good job.”
Yelich, the Braves' 29th round pick and lone position player from the class, has recorded hits in four of his first six games and is 5-for-16 (.313) at the plate. The backstop has also drawn four walks to boast a .450 on base percentage.
Meanwhile, Brinley, the Washington Nationals' 27th rounder, made two appearances with the Gulf Coast League Nationals before being promoted to Single-A Auburn. The righty has tossed a combined five innings, allowing four hits and just one run while striking out two.
Godail has logged 4 1-3 innings pitched, allowing three hits and two earned runs with Williamsport since being selected in the 26th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. The left-hander has held opponents to a .200 average since making his debut on June 22.
Bisacca, the Yankees' 35th rounder, earned his pro debut on Thursday, logging 2-3 innings, allowing one hit and a walk while fanning another. Like the righty, Boyd saw mixed results in his opener, allowing three hits and two earned runs in his lone relief outing.
Other Bearkats are performing at a high level in pro baseball as well including Toronto Blue Jays' relief pitcher Ryan Tepera.
Tepera posted two appearances, holding the Detroit Tigers scoreless in 2 1-3 innings while striking out two and walking another. In 15 1-3 innings with the Blue Jays this season, the righty boasts a 2.35 ERA highlighted by 12 strikeouts.
A pair of Bearkats struck out seven in recent starts including Trenton Thunder (Yankees Double-A) pitcher Caleb Smith (6-4) over six innings in a win and Great Lakes Loons' (Dodgers Single-A) Matt Shelton (1-0) over eight innings of work, allowing two hits and one run July 5. The same day, Cody Dickson of the Pirates' Single-A Bradenton Marauders fanned four in five innings of work, allowing five hits.
Smith tossed five innings the next week, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out five and walking three. In his last 10 outings, Smith has posted a 6-1 record and 3.04 ERA in 56 1-3 innings.
Elsewhere on the mound, Dallas Gallant has notched a pair of scoreless outings in relief for the Fort Myers Miracle (Twins Single-A). In six appearances with the Miracle, where he has been rehabbing with a finger injury, the righty has allowed just one run and struck out an impressive 14 hitters in 8 1-3 innings.
Nolan Riggs, a 2014 member of the SHSU club, has dominated with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants Class-A), tossing 21 2-3 innings, allowing just 11 hits and one earned run while striking out 19 and walking six.
Ryan O'Hearn had a hot streak with the Royals' Single-A Lexington Legends with hits in 11 consecutive games. He owns a league-leading total of 19 home runs and ranks second in the South Atlantic with 54 RBIs.
Bearkat Corey Toups has been equally as impressive of late for the Legends, posting a three-hit performance while boosting his average to .425 (17-for-40) over the past 10 games. Toups has recorded four three-hit outings in his last seven games.
Tyler Eppler drew the Sunday start July 12 for the Single-A Bradenton Marauders, tossing six innings of two-hit ball while allowing just one earned run for his third straight outing. The righty fanned four and walked two, lowering his season-ERA to 3.90 in 27 2-3 innings.
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Tepera has shined, boasting a 2.60 ERA in 17 1-3 innings while striking out 13. With a scoreless inning on Thursday against the White Sox, Tepera had gone nine consecutive innings without allowing a run.
Dallas Gallant continued his rehab with the Gulf Coast League's Fort Myers Miracle, notching a pair of scoreless innings. The righty has allowed just one run and a walk while striking out 11 in 5 1-3 innings of work with Fort Myers.
Carter Burgess, playing with the Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods, moved his hit streak to five games in a 1-for-4 outing.
Since landing with the Tigres de Quintana Roo, a Major League Baseball triple-A affiliate, Dustin Martin has hit his stride, batting .288 overall including .325 (13-for-40) over the last 10 games.
In just the past two years alone, 12 Sam Houston baseball players have signed professional contracts.
“That's a major feat for this program,” Deggs said. “It goes to show you that a program like Sam Houston can compete on the national level.”
The tradition of Bearkat success in professional baseball began when Sam Houston diamond legend Ray Benge signed with the Indians in 1923 and the 16 current athletes who have worn the Orange and White look to continue the quality performances.
