Kansas State Baseball In The Pros: June 18
By Jameson
Throughout the hottest months of the year, JOS will be tracking K-State’s own professional “boys of summer.” As they attempt to earn a promotion to the major leagues. we will the progress of each toward their ultimate goal of making it to the major leagues. Hit the jump for the latest installment.
We will begin this column with the newest Cats to start their journeys as professional baseball players. They are Kayvon Bahramzadeh, Jake Brown, Wade Hinkle and Dan Klein. All four were taken in the 2012 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft earlier this month.
Bahramzadeh, initially drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of high school, was drafted this year by the Oakland Athletics. The fourth Wildcat in history to be selected by Oakland, it’s not known to what minor leagueteam Bahramzadeh will be assigned as of press time.
DanKlein, drafted in 28th round by the Toronto Blue Jays, was the only one draftee assigned to a level higher than Rookie Ball. He was assigned to the Blue Jays’ Short Season Class A club, the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League. He began his professional career with the proverbial “bang”, going 2-4 with a home run, as the Canadians pounded Spokane 8-1 to open their season.
Both Jake Brown and Wade Hinkle were assigned to rookie league ball for their respective organizations. Hinkle was drafted in 27th round by the Los Angeles Angels. He has been assigned to play for the club’s Orem Owls of the Rookie Pioneer League. The Owls make their season debut tonight. Brown, meanwhile, was selected in the 30th round by the Chicago White Sox. His first minor league assignment will be with Bristol White Sox, who play in the Rookie Appalachian League. Bristol will play their season opener on Tuesday.
Below are capsules for the twelve men already playing playing professional baseball, either at the minor league or major league level.
"James Allen (Low A: Dayton/Cincinnati): Allen, a seventh-round pick by Cincinnati last year, picked up a pair of wins in relief last week for the Dayton Dragons of the Low A Midwest League… The right-hander tossed two no-hit innings at Great Lakes on Wednesday and Lake County on Sunday, while he struck out three Great Lakes batters… Allen holds a 4-2 record and a 3.95 ERA in 20 games, allowing 19 earned runs on 39 hits in 43.1 innings to go along with 17 walks and 37 strikeouts… The Dragons finished the first half eighth in the eastern division at 30-40.Justin Bloxom (High A: Potomac/Washington): A 2009 draft pick by Washington, Bloxom tallied three hits in four games last week for the Potomac Nationals of the High A Carolina League… The third baseman doubled and drove in a run on Tuesday at Winston Salem, while he hit a solo homer against the Dash on Wednesday… Bloxom is hitting .259 with 13 doubles, 12 home runs and 34 RBI in 65 games… His 12 homers are tied for first in the Carolina League, while he is seventh in slugging percentage (.478), tied for eighth in total bases (107) and tied for 10th in RBI… The Nationals are second in the northern division first-half standings at 31-39.Jared Goedert (Triple A: Columbus/Cleveland): Goedert, a ninth-round pick by Cleveland in 2006, tallied three hits in six games last week for the Columbus Clippers of the International League… He singled against Charlotte on Tuesday and against Gwinnett on both Thursday and Sunday with a RBI to finish out the week… In 28 games this season for Triple A Columbus, Goedert is hitting .243 (25-for-103) with three doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBI… Goedert began his year playing for Double A Akron as he hit .395 (49-for-124) with 10 doubles, one triple, five homers and 17 RBI in 35 games… Columbus, which has won consecutive Triple A National Championships, is second in the International League West Division at 33-37.Kyle Hunter (Low A: Clinton/Seattle): A 31st-round draft pick last year by Seattle, Hunter pitched twice last week for the Clinton LumberKings of the Low A Midwest League… The left-hander suffered the loss on Tuesday against Wisconsin when he allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in one inning… Two days later, Hunter allowed a run in two innings… Hunter has pitched in 17 games this year as he holds a 0-5 record and a 3.21 ERA… He has allowed just 12 earned runs in 33.2 innings with only four walks and 27 strikeouts… The LumberKings finished eighth in the western division first-half standings with a 23-45 record.Carter Jurica (High A: San Jose/San Francisco): Jurica, a third-round selection by San Francisco in 2010, has not played since going on the disabled list on June 7… A member of the San Jose Giants of the High A California League, Jurica is hitting .262 with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 22 RBI in 51 games… San Jose finished second in the first half of the north division at 38-32.Jason King (Low A: West Michigan/Detroit): A fourth-round draft pick by Detroit last year, King went 7-for-28 in seven games last week for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Low A Midwest League… The third baseman recorded a pair of two-hit games to bookend his week against Great Lakes on Monday and South Bend on Sunday, which included a double and a solo home run… He also doubled against Bowling Green on Tuesday and drove in a run against South Bend on Friday… King is hitting .201 with eight doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI in 40 games… West Michigan finished third in the first half of the eastern division at 36-34.Evan Marshall (Double A: Mobile/Arizona): Marshall, a fourth-round selection by Arizona in 2011, recorded two scoreless outings for the Mobile BayBears of the Double A Southern League… The right-hander took the win on Monday against Huntsville when he worked a scoreless inning with two strikeouts… He then earned the save on Thursday at Pensacola with another scoreless inning and one strikeout… A 2012 Southern League All-Star, Marshall holds a 3-1 record and a 1.85 ERA with a league-leading 14 saves… The right-hander has surrendered only five earned runs on 24 hits in 24.1 innings… He will participate in the 2012 Southern League All-Star Game on Tuesday in Kodak, Tenn… Mobile won the first-half south division title with a 40-30 record, finishing three games ahead of Montgomery.Nick Martini (Low A: Quad Cities/St. Louis): A seventh-round selection of St. Louis last year, Martini continues to swing a hot bat as he registered seven hits in six games last week for the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Low A Midwest League… Martini began the week at Burlington going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two walks and four runs scored… Following a 1-for-2 mark with three walks and two runs scored on Tuesday against Kane County, he tallied another three-hit game on Wednesday… Martini is hitting .263 with nine doubles, one triple, two home runs and 31 RBI in 67 games… The Crystal Lake, Ill., product leads the Midwest League with 53 runs scored and 44 walks, while his .381 on-base percentage is tied for 10th… The River Bandits tied for third in the first half of the western division at 35-34.A.J. Morris (High A: Daytona/Chicago NL): A fourth-round draft choice of Washington in 2009, Morris pitched twice last week for the Daytona Cubs of the High A Florida State League… On Monday, the right-hander tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts at Tampa, while he allowed one run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout on Wednesday at Brevard County… In 17 appearances, Morris holds a 1-1 record and a 2.25 ERA, allowing five earned runs on 14 hits in 20 innings of work to go along with five walks and 16 strikeouts… The Cubs finished fourth in the first half of the north division with a 29-36 mark.Nate Tenbrink (Extended Spring Training/Seattle): Tenbrink, a seventh-round draft pick by Seattle in 2008, continues to recover from off-season surgery… He played his entire 2011 season with Double A Jackson.Carlos Torres (Triple A: Colorado Springs/Colorado): A 15th-round pick of the White Sox in 2004, Torres bounced back from a disappointing start two weeks ago to pick up the win on Thursday for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Pacific Coast League… The right-hander tossed five innings, allowing one run on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts at Las Vegas… In 10 starts for the Sky Sox, Torres holds a 3-3 record and a 3.11 ERA, surrendering 16 earned runs on 44 hits with 18 walks and 45 strikeouts in 46.1 innings… The right-hander has also pitched in four games this year for the Colorado Rockies, allowing three runs on five hits with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings… The Sky Sox are third in the Pacific Northern division at 33-37."
Stay tuned next week for further updates about the progress of our K-State alumni in the professional baseball ranks.