Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Photo by: Steve Manuel/State College Spikes
Update on Latest Baseball Owls to the Pros
7/8/2019 12:33:00 PM | Baseball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The six members of the most recent class of Florida Atlantic University baseball players to begin their professional careers have all been assigned and have begun their burgeoning careers across a couple of different levels.
Â
Three seniors and three drafted juniors are now members of six different minor league affiliates for five MLB parent clubs. First up is the sixth round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals, catcher Pedro Pages, plying his trade for the team's Class A Short Season team, the State College Spikes (in the New York-Penn League). He had a single and two runs batted in in his very first game, and followed that up with a 4-for-4 showing the next night. In 10 games, he has been on base in eight (with four multi-hit efforts), holding a .353 batting average (12-for-34) with five doubles, seven RBI, six runs scored and a .477 on-base percentage.
Â
Pitcher Mike Ruff was one of the last Owls to come to terms and be assigned by his new employers, the Colorado Rockies. The 11th round draft pick was sent to Rookie Advanced, to the Grand Junction Rockies (in the Pioneer League). He made his debut on June 28, and drew the start, giving up one run and striking out two in a limited outing of 1 2/3 innings and 34 pitches. Since, he started another game, on July 3, and added two more punchouts in 1 1/3, upping his pitch count to 46.
Â
The team's third draft-eligible junior to be selected and sign was outfielder Eric Rivera, who has hit the ground running for the Toronto Blue Jays' Rookie Advanced team in Bluefield, in the Appalachian League. He picked up his first hit in his first game – a double with an RBI – on June 18, and in each of the first 14 games of his 15-game career, successfully reached base, including at least a basehit in 11 of them. He is at .273 currently (15-for-55) with two doubles, one triple, six RBI and 13 runs scored. He has also drawn 12 walks and been hit by a pitch, for an OBP of .406, and has continued to show off his strike-zone discipline with just six strikeouts.
Â
Pitcher Vince Coletti has been the only Owl thus far to climb the proverbial minor league ladder, from one affiliate to another within the Oakland Athletics organization. The team's 17th round choice started out with the AZL Athletics Gold of the Arizona League, making two appearances, including a scoreless two-inning debut on June 20. He has since moved up to the A's Class A Short Season squad, the Vermont Lake Monsters (joining Pages in the New York-Penn League). His first outing there, he pitched another no-run frame, with two strikeouts, and added a two-run scoreless stint last time out on July 4, with another two K's. All told in five games, has struck out seven in eight innings pitched for his two teams.
Â
Like Rivera, also a member of the Toronto organization is pitcher Blake Sanderson, after the Jays picked him in the 31st round. For the GCL Blue Jays, in the Gulf Coast League and across the Sunshine State in Dunedin, Sanderson has pitched in two games thus far. He made his debut on June 28, appearing in relief and notching his first two pro strikeouts, and had a dynamite (and perfect) second bullpen outing on July 2, finishing out the game by retiring all seven batters he faced, five by punchout. Literally, according to the box score, all 18 pitches that he delivered were for strikes.
Â
Last but not least, closing out this update and closing out games for the GCL Red Sox, is Zach Schneider. Boston signed Schneider to a free agent deal soon after the draft and immediately put him to work in the back end of the bullpen in Fort Myers for their Gulf Coast League team. His very first outing, on June 24, he struck out the side and allowed only a single for his first professional save. Four days later, he was called on in the 10th, and after a flyout-throw out double play got him out of the top half of the inning, the team scored twice in the bottom to give Schneider the win. He's pitched two more scoreless outings since, the last on July 6, an inning with two strikeouts, for a spotless 0.00 ERA thus far with a 0.55 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) and a .154 batting average against.
Â
Click on these links to follow along with the half-dozen newest pro Owls:
Â
Three seniors and three drafted juniors are now members of six different minor league affiliates for five MLB parent clubs. First up is the sixth round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals, catcher Pedro Pages, plying his trade for the team's Class A Short Season team, the State College Spikes (in the New York-Penn League). He had a single and two runs batted in in his very first game, and followed that up with a 4-for-4 showing the next night. In 10 games, he has been on base in eight (with four multi-hit efforts), holding a .353 batting average (12-for-34) with five doubles, seven RBI, six runs scored and a .477 on-base percentage.
Â
Pitcher Mike Ruff was one of the last Owls to come to terms and be assigned by his new employers, the Colorado Rockies. The 11th round draft pick was sent to Rookie Advanced, to the Grand Junction Rockies (in the Pioneer League). He made his debut on June 28, and drew the start, giving up one run and striking out two in a limited outing of 1 2/3 innings and 34 pitches. Since, he started another game, on July 3, and added two more punchouts in 1 1/3, upping his pitch count to 46.
Â
The team's third draft-eligible junior to be selected and sign was outfielder Eric Rivera, who has hit the ground running for the Toronto Blue Jays' Rookie Advanced team in Bluefield, in the Appalachian League. He picked up his first hit in his first game – a double with an RBI – on June 18, and in each of the first 14 games of his 15-game career, successfully reached base, including at least a basehit in 11 of them. He is at .273 currently (15-for-55) with two doubles, one triple, six RBI and 13 runs scored. He has also drawn 12 walks and been hit by a pitch, for an OBP of .406, and has continued to show off his strike-zone discipline with just six strikeouts.
Â
Pitcher Vince Coletti has been the only Owl thus far to climb the proverbial minor league ladder, from one affiliate to another within the Oakland Athletics organization. The team's 17th round choice started out with the AZL Athletics Gold of the Arizona League, making two appearances, including a scoreless two-inning debut on June 20. He has since moved up to the A's Class A Short Season squad, the Vermont Lake Monsters (joining Pages in the New York-Penn League). His first outing there, he pitched another no-run frame, with two strikeouts, and added a two-run scoreless stint last time out on July 4, with another two K's. All told in five games, has struck out seven in eight innings pitched for his two teams.
Â
Like Rivera, also a member of the Toronto organization is pitcher Blake Sanderson, after the Jays picked him in the 31st round. For the GCL Blue Jays, in the Gulf Coast League and across the Sunshine State in Dunedin, Sanderson has pitched in two games thus far. He made his debut on June 28, appearing in relief and notching his first two pro strikeouts, and had a dynamite (and perfect) second bullpen outing on July 2, finishing out the game by retiring all seven batters he faced, five by punchout. Literally, according to the box score, all 18 pitches that he delivered were for strikes.
Â
Last but not least, closing out this update and closing out games for the GCL Red Sox, is Zach Schneider. Boston signed Schneider to a free agent deal soon after the draft and immediately put him to work in the back end of the bullpen in Fort Myers for their Gulf Coast League team. His very first outing, on June 24, he struck out the side and allowed only a single for his first professional save. Four days later, he was called on in the 10th, and after a flyout-throw out double play got him out of the top half of the inning, the team scored twice in the bottom to give Schneider the win. He's pitched two more scoreless outings since, the last on July 6, an inning with two strikeouts, for a spotless 0.00 ERA thus far with a 0.55 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) and a .154 batting average against.
Â
Click on these links to follow along with the half-dozen newest pro Owls:
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF/INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballMonday, June 15
Tuesday, May 12
Tuesday, May 05
Monday, April 27