Jordy Mercer
Photo by: Dave Arrigo/Pittsburgh Pirates
Cowboy Baseball In The Pros, May 5
May 05, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State currently has 15 former players on professional baseball rosters, including three big leaguers in Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tyler Lyons.
Two ex-OSU stars are MLB managers — Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox and John Farrell with the Boston Red Sox. Ventura's White Sox are currently atop the American League Central standings with a 19-9 mark — the third-best record in the big leagues this season — while Farrell's Red Sox lead the American League East at 16-11.
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney went on the disabled list with forearm tightness near his elbow after his first start of the season on April 5. Tests revealed no ligament damage, but the southpaw recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection that will keep him from playing catch until at least the middle of June.
Heaney is coming off a 2015 season, his first with the Angels, in which he went 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons has made eight relief appearances for St. Louis this season, sporting a 5.40 and striking out six in 10 innings of work.
For his MLB career, which spans parts of four seasons with the Cardinals, Lyons is 5-9 with a 4.34 ERA in 48 appearances, including 20 starts.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
Pittsburgh's starting shortstop, Mercer is hitting .313 with a home run, five doubles and 13 RBIs in 27 games.
Mercer is in his fifth big league season, all with Pittsburgh, and is a career .261 hitter with 25 homers, 80 doubles and 134 RBIs in 437 games.
A pair of former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.
Corey Brown, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown joined the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the offseason after spending 2015 in the Tampa Bay system. In 20 games with Oklahoma City, he is hitting .329 with two homers, five doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs.
Now in his 10th season in the minor leagues, Brown owns a .262 career average to go along with 161 homers and 521 RBIs.
Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals and played in three games for the Red Sox in 2014. He's appeared in 39 games at the Major League Baseball level and is hitting .171 with two homers and four RBIs in those games.
Andrew Oliver, Norfolk Tides (Orioles) – OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver is back at Norfolk in 2016, where he's appeared in seven games, six of those in relief, and owns a 1.65 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings.
Oliver spent parts of two major league seasons in Detroit (2010-11), where he was 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA in seven starts. He's played for five minor league teams in seven seasons and is 34-39 with a 4.00 ERA and 14 saves in 202 appearances.
At the Double A level, six OSU baseball alums are looking to move up the ranks.
Tom Belza, Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) – OSU Career: 2008-10
After spending time at both the Triple A and Double A levels in 2015, Belza is back with Mobile and hitting .162 in 15 games this season.
A 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Star, Belza is in his seventh minor league season and is a career .275 hitter in 612 games.
Michael Freeman, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2014-15
In his second pro season, Freeman has made nine relief appearances and is 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA and a save in 15 1/3 innings.
Freeman was a seventh-round draft pick of Houston in 2015 after being named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior at OSU.
Koda Glover, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) – OSU Career: 2015
Glover opened the season at Class A-Advanced Potomac but was recently promoted to the Double A level, where he's made two relief appearances and struck out five in 3.0 innings.
In his second pro season, Glover began 2016 by recording two saves in 9 2/3 innings at Potomac, where he also racked up 15 strikeouts.
Jason Hursh, Mississippi Braves (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh has recorded a 3.75 ERA in nine relief appearances for Mississippi this season.
A first-round pick in 2013 who pitched in 10 games at the Triple A level last season, Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014 after going 11-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) at Double A Mississippi.
Brendan McCurry, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
McCurry was traded from Oakland to Houston following the 2015 season, and the right-handed reliever finds himself at the Double A level once again.
In 11 appearances for the Hooks this season, McCurry is 0-1 with two saves and a 4.30 ERA. He's struck out 22 in 14 2/3 innings.
An All-American at OSU in 2014 and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry is 3-4 with 31 saves and a 1.78 ERA in three professional seasons.
Mike Strong, Chattanooga Lookouts (Twins) – OSU Career: 2010-11
A native of Minnesota, Strong signed with the Twins in January after the lefty spent his first six pro seasons in the Milwaukee organization.
In five appearances in 2016, Strong is 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.
Strong owns a career record of 13-17 to go along with a 3.82 ERA and 13 saves.
The Cowboys have several former stars playing for Class A teams, while also having a former player at the Class A-Advanced level.
Tim Arakawa, Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Due to a recent hot streak at the plate, Arakawa is hitting .303 with a homer, six doubles and 12 RBIs in 26 games for Class A-Advanced Inland this season. He is currently on an 11-game hitting streak in which he's gone 20-for-44 (.455) at the plate.
A 23rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa split time between the Rookie League and Class A level a year ago and hit .278 with four homers and 31 RBIs.
Zach Fish, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) – OSU Career: 2012-14
In 16 games this season, Fish is hitting .200 with a home run, four doubles and six RBIs.
The 2014 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Fish was a Pioneer League All-Star in 2015 and hit 10 homers for Great Falls.
Gage Green, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In the midst of a six-game hitting streak, Green owns a .200 batting average in 18 games for Great Lakes this season.
A two-time All-Big 12 First Team catcher and 35th-round pick of Los Angeles, Green played at three different levels in his first pro season in 2015 and hit .339 with four homers and 35 RBIs.
Jon Perrin, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his second professional season, Perrin has made five starts for Wisconsin and is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30.0 innings. The righty had a career day on April 26 when he racked up 14 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings against Great Lakes.
In 18 career appearances, including 14 starts, Perrin is 4-5 with a 3.28 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings.
For informative links on former Cowboys in the pros, click here.
Two ex-OSU stars are MLB managers — Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox and John Farrell with the Boston Red Sox. Ventura's White Sox are currently atop the American League Central standings with a 19-9 mark — the third-best record in the big leagues this season — while Farrell's Red Sox lead the American League East at 16-11.
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – OSU Career: 2010-12
Heaney went on the disabled list with forearm tightness near his elbow after his first start of the season on April 5. Tests revealed no ligament damage, but the southpaw recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection that will keep him from playing catch until at least the middle of June.
Heaney is coming off a 2015 season, his first with the Angels, in which he went 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts.
Tyler Lyons, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
Lyons has made eight relief appearances for St. Louis this season, sporting a 5.40 and striking out six in 10 innings of work.
For his MLB career, which spans parts of four seasons with the Cardinals, Lyons is 5-9 with a 4.34 ERA in 48 appearances, including 20 starts.
Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
Pittsburgh's starting shortstop, Mercer is hitting .313 with a home run, five doubles and 13 RBIs in 27 games.
Mercer is in his fifth big league season, all with Pittsburgh, and is a career .261 hitter with 25 homers, 80 doubles and 134 RBIs in 437 games.
A pair of former Cowboys are currently at the Triple A level.
Corey Brown, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2005-07
Brown joined the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the offseason after spending 2015 in the Tampa Bay system. In 20 games with Oklahoma City, he is hitting .329 with two homers, five doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs.
Now in his 10th season in the minor leagues, Brown owns a .262 career average to go along with 161 homers and 521 RBIs.
Brown spent parts of three seasons with the Washington Nationals and played in three games for the Red Sox in 2014. He's appeared in 39 games at the Major League Baseball level and is hitting .171 with two homers and four RBIs in those games.
Andrew Oliver, Norfolk Tides (Orioles) – OSU Career: 2007-09
Oliver is back at Norfolk in 2016, where he's appeared in seven games, six of those in relief, and owns a 1.65 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings.
Oliver spent parts of two major league seasons in Detroit (2010-11), where he was 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA in seven starts. He's played for five minor league teams in seven seasons and is 34-39 with a 4.00 ERA and 14 saves in 202 appearances.
At the Double A level, six OSU baseball alums are looking to move up the ranks.
Tom Belza, Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) – OSU Career: 2008-10
After spending time at both the Triple A and Double A levels in 2015, Belza is back with Mobile and hitting .162 in 15 games this season.
A 2014 Southern League Postseason All-Star, Belza is in his seventh minor league season and is a career .275 hitter in 612 games.
Michael Freeman, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2014-15
In his second pro season, Freeman has made nine relief appearances and is 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA and a save in 15 1/3 innings.
Freeman was a seventh-round draft pick of Houston in 2015 after being named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior at OSU.
Koda Glover, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) – OSU Career: 2015
Glover opened the season at Class A-Advanced Potomac but was recently promoted to the Double A level, where he's made two relief appearances and struck out five in 3.0 innings.
In his second pro season, Glover began 2016 by recording two saves in 9 2/3 innings at Potomac, where he also racked up 15 strikeouts.
Jason Hursh, Mississippi Braves (Braves) – OSU Career: 2011-13
Hursh has recorded a 3.75 ERA in nine relief appearances for Mississippi this season.
A first-round pick in 2013 who pitched in 10 games at the Triple A level last season, Hursh was named the Atlanta Braves organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2014 after going 11-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) at Double A Mississippi.
Brendan McCurry, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) – OSU Career: 2013-14
McCurry was traded from Oakland to Houston following the 2015 season, and the right-handed reliever finds himself at the Double A level once again.
In 11 appearances for the Hooks this season, McCurry is 0-1 with two saves and a 4.30 ERA. He's struck out 22 in 14 2/3 innings.
An All-American at OSU in 2014 and the school's all-time leader in saves, McCurry is 3-4 with 31 saves and a 1.78 ERA in three professional seasons.
Mike Strong, Chattanooga Lookouts (Twins) – OSU Career: 2010-11
A native of Minnesota, Strong signed with the Twins in January after the lefty spent his first six pro seasons in the Milwaukee organization.
In five appearances in 2016, Strong is 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.
Strong owns a career record of 13-17 to go along with a 3.82 ERA and 13 saves.
The Cowboys have several former stars playing for Class A teams, while also having a former player at the Class A-Advanced level.
Tim Arakawa, Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) – OSU Career: 2014-15
Due to a recent hot streak at the plate, Arakawa is hitting .303 with a homer, six doubles and 12 RBIs in 26 games for Class A-Advanced Inland this season. He is currently on an 11-game hitting streak in which he's gone 20-for-44 (.455) at the plate.
A 23rd-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015, Arakawa split time between the Rookie League and Class A level a year ago and hit .278 with four homers and 31 RBIs.
Zach Fish, Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) – OSU Career: 2012-14
In 16 games this season, Fish is hitting .200 with a home run, four doubles and six RBIs.
The 2014 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Fish was a Pioneer League All-Star in 2015 and hit 10 homers for Great Falls.
Gage Green, Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In the midst of a six-game hitting streak, Green owns a .200 batting average in 18 games for Great Lakes this season.
A two-time All-Big 12 First Team catcher and 35th-round pick of Los Angeles, Green played at three different levels in his first pro season in 2015 and hit .339 with four homers and 35 RBIs.
Jon Perrin, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) – OSU Career: 2012-15
In his second professional season, Perrin has made five starts for Wisconsin and is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30.0 innings. The righty had a career day on April 26 when he racked up 14 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings against Great Lakes.
In 18 career appearances, including 14 starts, Perrin is 4-5 with a 3.28 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings.
For informative links on former Cowboys in the pros, click here.
