BLACKSBURG – With the completion of the 2014 Major League Baseball regular season on Sunday, September 28, it closed the books on all but one former Virginia Tech baseball player for the 2014 calendar year (see more on that later this week).
Below is how 21 Hokies spent their summer in the professional leagues. The list is by level – the highest the player reached – and includes those who played independent ball.
Also, check out the "2014 Hokies in the Pros" Infographic
MAJOR LEAGUE
Jesse Hahn (San Diego Padres) – Made MLB debut on June 3 versus Pittsburgh … Made 12 starts for the Padres and appeared in 14 games total … Had a 7-4 record and a 3.07 ERA in 73.1 innings pitched with 70 strikeouts … Also, pitched in 13 games for the San Antonio Missions in the Texas League … Went 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 42.1 innings and 38 strikeouts.
Ben Rowen (Texas Rangers) – Made MLB debut on June 15 at Seattle … Pitched in eight games for the Rangers and posted a 4.15 ERA in 8.2 innings and struck out seven batters … Pitched in 34 games for the Round Rock Express in the Pacific Coast League … Had a 3-0 record and a 3.45 ERA in 47 innings and fanned 31 batters.
Joe Saunders (Baltimore Orioles) – Just completed his 10th regular season as a MLB pitcher, seeing time with three organizations … Spent time with both the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles at the major league level, tossing 43 innings in 14 games, striking at 23 and posting an 0-5 record and a 6.70 ERA … In the minors, played for four different clubs, and combined for a 1-5 record, a 4.33 ERA in 18 games, threw 52 innings and struck out 28.
TRIPLE-A
Tim Smalling (Colorado Rockies) – Played in 61 games for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in the Pacific Coast League … Batted .265 with 57 hits – including 15 doubles, three triples and four home runs … Scored 33 runs and had 22 RBIs … Played in 16 games for the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League … Batted .260 with 13 hits – including five doubles … Scored seven runs and had six RBIs … Combined, batted .264 with 70 hits in 77 games, scoring 40 runs and knocking in 28.
Austin Wates (Miami Marlins) – Played for two different teams in the Triple-A Pacific League after a July 31 trade from Houston to Miami … In his last 27 games for the New Orleans Zephyrs, batted .252 with 28 hits – including seven doubles and a triple … Scored 18 runs and stole six bases … Played in 74 games for the Oklahoma City RedHawks and batted .299 with 84 hits – including 11 doubles, three triples, and two home runs … Scored 44 runs and had 30 RBIs while swiping 31 bases … Combined to hit .299 with 112 hits in 101 games, scored 62 runs and stole 37 bases.
Justin Wright (St. Louis Cardinals) – Saw action in both Double-A and Triple-A for the Cardinals organization … Pitched in 16 games for the Memphis Redbirds in the Pacific Coast League … Posted a 4-0 record with a 6.65 ERA in 21.2 innings and 17 strikeouts … Pitched in 31 games for the Springfield Cardinals in the Texas League … Had a 1.50 ERA in 36 innings with a 2-1 record and 35 strikeouts … Combined went 6-1 with a 3.53 ERA in 47 games with 52 strikeouts in 57.2 innings.
DOUBLE-A
Tyler Horan (San Francisco Giants) – Combined to play for three different teams this summer in the Giants organization rising all the way to the Richmond Flying Squirrels (AA) during the Eastern League playoffs … Finished the regular season playing in 28 games for the San Jose Giants in the California League … Batted .321 with 34 hits – including five doubles and 10 home runs … Scored 17 runs and had 27 RBIs … Played in 102 games for the Augusta GreenJackets in the South Atlantic League and was named a Mid-Season All-Star … Batted .273 with 101 hits – including 22 doubles, five triples and 15 home runs … Scored 59 runs and had 54 RBIs … Combined to bat .284 with 135 hits in 130 games … Had 249 total bases, including 27 doubles and 25 home runs … Scored 76 runs, had 81 RBIs and stole 15 bases.
Joe Mantiply (Detroit Tigers) – Finished the season with the Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League, appearing in eight games … Tossed 10.2 innings with 10 strikeouts, had a 3.38 ERA and earned a save … Pitched in 38 games for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League and was named a Mid-Season All-Star … Was 6-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 71.1 innings and fanned 76 batters … Combined for a 2.52 ERA in 82 innings with 86 strikeouts while posting a 6-3 record with nine saves in 46 games.
Ronnie Shaban (St. Louis Cardinals) – Pitched for the Springfield Cardinals in the Texas League … Went 0-2 with two saves in 24 games … Had a 7.66 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched and 19 strikeouts … Pitched in 15 games for the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League and was 0-1 with three saves. Had a 5.40 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings.
SINGLE-A ADVANCED
Devin Burke (Colorado Rockers) – Saw most of his time pitching for the Modesto Nuts in the California League … Went 6-12 for them in 23 starts with a 5.94 ERA … Tossed 119.2 innings and struck out 103 hitters … Started the season with the Asheville Tourists in the South Atlantic League … Pitched in three games, tossed 11.2 innings and struck out eight.
Chad Pinder (Oakland Athletics) – Played in 94 games for the Stockton Ports in the California League … Batted .288 with 116 hits – including 32 doubles, five triples and 13 home runs … Scored 61 runs and had 55 RBIs and stole 12 bases.
Patrick Scoggin (Atlanta Braves) – Pitched in seven games for the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Carolina League … Posted a 0-2 record in 11.1 innings, an 8.74 ERA and struck out eight … Did not complete the season with the organization.
SINGLE-A
Eddie Campbell (Seattle Mariners) – Started 27 games for the Clinton LumberKings of the Midwest League … Posted a 9-9 record with a 5.15 ERA in 134.2 innings and struck out 105 batters.
Mark Zagunis (Chicago Cubs) – Combined to play for three different teams this summer in the Cubs organization rising all the way to the Kane County Cougars (A) of the Midwest League … Played in 14 games for the Cougars, batting .280 with 14 hits – including six doubles and a triple … Scored 11 runs and had four RBIs … Also, helped them to the postseason championship … Played in 41 games for the Boise Hawks of the Northwest League and was named a Mid-Season All-Star … Batted .299 with 46 hits – including nine doubles, two triples, and two home runs … Scored 32 runs and had 27 RBIs … Also played in two games for the AZL Cubs in the Arizona League … Combined to bat .288 in 57 games with 61 hits – 16 doubles, three triples, two home runs … Scored 44 runs, knocked in 32, drew 42 walks and stole 16 bases.
SINGLE-A SHORT SEASON
Jake Joyce (Washington Nationals) – Pitched in four games for the Auburn Doubledays in the New York-Penn League … Had a 1-0 record and no ERA in 3.1 innings with four strikeouts … Did not complete the season with the organization.
Brad Markey (Chicago Cubs) – Pitched in 13 games for the Boise Hawks in the Northwest League … Had a 1-1 record with two saves … Posted a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings pitched with 27 strikeouts … Also threw two games for the AZL Cubs – two innings and two strikeouts.
INDEPENDENT
Andrew Aizenstadt – Pitched in 26 games for the Gateway Grizzlies in the Frontier League … Posted a 3-4 record with one save and had a 6.64 ERA in 65 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts.
Steve Bumbry – Played in eight games for the York Revolution in the Atlantic League ... Batted .231 with six hits – including one double and two triples … Scored five runs and had two RBIs … … Did not complete the season with the organization
Clark Labitan – Pitched in 41 games for Schaumburg Boomers in the Frontier League … Had a 3-3 record with three saves … Posted a 2.19 ERA in 41 innings with 43 strikeouts.
Johnny Morales – Played in 82 games for the River City Rascals in the Frontier League … Batted .302 with 93 hits – including 14 doubles, two triples and two home runs … Scored 62 runs, had 39 RBIs and drew 34 walks.
Buddy Sosnoskie – Played in 53 games for the Florence Freedom in the Frontier League … Batted .236 with 48 hits – including 12 doubles, a triple and five home runs … Scored 31 runs, had 24 RBIs and stole 10 bases.
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