APSU Baseball Players Finish Minor League Campaigns

Clarksville, TN – The 2013 Minor League Baseball campaign has come to a close and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team saw 14 former student-athletes playing professional baseball.

The Govs continue to have three players active in Major League Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, New York Yankees relief pitcher Shawn Kelley and Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Reynolds. Each of the three has a month left in their seasons and, in the case of A.J. Ellis and Shawn Kelley, possibly more with October postseason runs.

In the minors, Jack Snodgrass completed a full season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. He was named to the Eastern League Season-Ending All-Star Team after finishing as one of three pitchers with a league-best 12 victories, second in WHIP (1.17) and 10th in earned-run average (3.70). Snodgrass finished the campaign with a 12-4 record in 25 starts, recording 81 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched. He also was selected to the Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star Team.

Ryne Harper will be playing in the postseason as the Mississippi Braves, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, qualified for the Southern League playoffs which begins Thursday. Harper has pieced together an impressive campaign with a 6-3 record and 11 saves in 41 relief appearances. He has compiled a 1.79 ERA while striking out 54 in 55.1 innings pitched.

Jeremy Dobbs finished his third professional season with the High Desert Mavericks, the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. He finished the season with a 5-2 record in 35 relief appearances, striking out 49 in 49.2 innings. Dobbs suffered through a rough patch in his final seven outings as his ERA ballooned to 5.62.

Lee Ridenhour kept moving up during his first season as a professional, starting the season at the Rookie League level, moving up to Class A before finishing the season with the Clearwater Threshers, a Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished the season with a 1-0 record and three saves in 21 appearances spread throughout the three levels. Ridenhour struck out 28 and walked only five in 36 innings, while recording a 3.25 ERA.

Tyler Rogers also will see postseason action as the Salem-Kaiser Volcanoes, the Class A Short Season affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, reached the postseason which begins Tuesday. Rogers has made 14 relief appearances at Salem-Kaiser after starting the season at the Rookie League level. He has compiled a 1-1 record and 3.10 ERA while striking out 16 in 20.1 innings.

Jordan Hankins will see Rogers in the postseason as his Boise Hawks squad will face Salem-Kaiser in the Northwest League’s opening round, Tuesday. Hankins has appeared in 42 games for the Chicago Cubs Class-A Short Season affiliate, compiling a .234 batting average with five doubles and eight RBI.

Craig Massoni won yet another title as the AZL Giants, the Rookie Level affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, won the Arizona League title. He had a hit and RBI in the Giants Round 2 victory that sent them to the championship game. It capped a season that saw Massoni bat .272 with two home runs and 22 RBI in 37 games.

Reed Harper wrapped his first professional campaign with the GCL Braves, a Rookie Level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He appeared in 54 games and finished with a .296 batting average, 13 doubles and 16 RBI, earning 22 walks against only 18 strikeouts.

In Independent League action, Greg Bachman batted .273 with 37 RBI in 69 games with the United League’s Fort Worth Cats. Cody Hudson posted a .314 batting average with 14 RBI for the United League’s San Angelo Colts. With one series remaining, Casey Delgado has a 1-6 record that belies a respectable 3.68 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 58.2 innings for the Frontier League’s Frontier Greys.