Former Georgia Baseball Players Advance Through the Minor Leagues
The Georgia baseball season is over, but college baseball fans still enjoy the unique pastime by following the careers of former players as they toil in the minor leagues.
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A unique pleasure taken from following college baseball is tracking the favorite team’s players first through summer collegiate leagues as underclassmen and then as they advance through the minor leagues. Georgia baseball sports 16 former Bulldogs playing minor league baseball. Seven of the Diamond Dawg alumni will or have made their professional debut this month.
Avid Georgia baseball fans will check box scores online this summer and predict that first call up to The Show. And, like recollections of that first Pony League homerun, the truth will be stretched about the accuracy of the prognostications.
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It’s all part of the fun of collegiate baseball.
Rookie Zack Bowers made his profession debut last Wednesday, June 25 with the Arizona League Giants in the San Francisco organization as a catcher. He went 0-4 at the plate
Jarrett Brown is a relief pitcher for the Clinton Lumber Kings of the Seattle organization/ playing in the Midwest League, he is 1-3 with a 5.70 ERA and a save. He pitched 42.2 has innings pitched with 21 walks and 33 strikeouts and had one start.
Jared Cheek has signed with the Cubs after being selected in the 21st round of the 2015 MLB draft. He has reported to Mesa, Arizona and will be assigned to one of the Cubs affiliates later this month.
Hunter Cole is playing the outfield for the San Jose Giants of the California League. He is batting .319 with 11 doubles, five triples, six home runs and 37 RBI in 53 games for the San Francisco class A affiliate following promotion from Augusta in the South Atlantic League.
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Zach Cone, also an outfielder, is batting 294 with 14 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 48 RBI in 66 games for the High Desert Mavericks of the Texas organization in the California League. Cone smacked five home runs in a four-game stretch earlier in June.
Kyle Farmer is catching and playing third base for the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League. He is one of two catchers on the U.S. Team roster for the All-Star Futures Game set for July 12 at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. Farmer is batting .327 with six doubles in 17 games following a promotion in the Dodger organization from the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the California League where he batted .337 with 14 doubles and six triples in 44 games.
Right-hander Taylor Hicks is pitching for the West Michigan Whitecaps of Detroit organization. He earned a promotion to the Whitecaps from the Tigers Rookie Ball team after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in his debut
Levi Hyams is playing infield in the AA Southern League for the Mississippi Braces of the Atlanta organization. He was promoted from the Carolina Mudcats and is batting .297 with two doubles and two RBI for the Braves.
Ryan Lawlor made professional debut in a start on June 25, pitching one scoreless inning with two walks and two strikeouts for Atlanta’s Rookie team in the Appalachian League.
Right-hander Sean McLaughlin is pitching for the Atlanta affiliate Danville Braves. His debut in the Appalachian League he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings with three walks and one strikeout in on June 23.
Curt Powell and Infielder for the Double-A/ /): AA Erie Sea Wolves of the Eastern League. He appeared in 20 games and batted .277 with one double, one triple and two RBI before being injured. HE began the with Detroit affiliate Lakeland in the Florida State League where he batted .342 in 33 games.
Right-handed pitcher David Sosebee has been assigned to the Pulaski Yankees, the Appalachian League New York affiliate.
Cecil Tanner is pitching in the Northwest League for the San Diego rookie team. The right-handed pitcher signed a free agent contract earlier this month and is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three relief appearances. Tanner began in the Oakland organization and has been out of baseball from 2011 until this month.
Jared Walsh is a first baseman for on the Angels rooki team in the Arizona League. Walsh is batting .333 with one double, one triple and two RBI.
Jeff Walters is on rehab Assignment for the Mets in the Gulf Coast League. The right-handed pitcher returned to action with one scoreless inning of relief on June 22 He participated in Major League Spring Training camp in 2014 and spent the first part of 2014 in Triple-A with the Las Vegas 51s before injury.
Nelson Ward is playing infielder for the Bakersfield Blaze and is batting .301 with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 8 RBI in 19 games following promotion from Class A Midland in the Midwest League where he appeared in 46 games and batted .270 with seven doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 16 RBI.
Former Bulldog Mitchell Boggs, a relief pitcher for the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves, was released earlier this month. Boggs had signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in April after going through Spring Training with Boston.