June 23, 2009

Jayhawks in the Pros #1

June 23, 2009

Jayhawks In the Pros – June 23, 2009

Throughout the 2009 season, kuathletics.com will check in on the 15 former student-athletes who are currently involved in professional baseball. After having four players drafted in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, a few former Jayhawks have made their professional debuts in the last week. For a complete list of all former Kansas players involved in pro ball, please click here.

Jayhawks in AAA:

Tom Gorzelanny has split time between Indianapolis (AAA) and with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. The 6-foot-2 lefty, who played at KU from 2001-02, earned a win Monday evening by pitching five innings of two-hit ball at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Gorzelanny is 2-1 this season in nine starts with Indianapolis with a 3.62 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings.
Travis Metcalf was traded from the Texas Rangers’ to the Kansas City Royals’ organization during spring training, and has been in Omaha (AAA) since the beginning of the regular season. Metcalf, who played at KU from 2002-04, is batting .245 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 67 games with the Royals this season. He has hit .302 during day games this season.

Jayhawks in AA:

Sam Freeman was called up to Springfield (AA) at the beginning of the month after spending the first part of the year in Palm Beach – The A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Freeman, who played at KU in 2008, pitched a pair of hitless innings last night against Arkansas. He has made five relief appearances for the Cardinals this season, going 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. In Palm Beach, he was 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 26 games, before getting the promotion.
Gus Milner has spent the entire 2009 season with Reading (AA), an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization. Milner, who played at KU from 2005-06, is batting .263 this season, with three homers and 18 RBIs. In a recent home game against Harrisburg, Milner went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer. He has nine doubles and a pair of triples this season as well.
Mike Zagurski is also with the Reading (AA) Phillies and has been a left-handed ace out of the bullpen. Zagurski, who played at KU from 2004-05, is 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA and three saves this season. He picked up his third save Saturday, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings against Harrisburg in a 6-2 win.

Jayhawks in A:

John Allman was recently sent to Mahoning Valley (A), an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Allman, who played at KU from 2004-08, has wasted little time making an impression with his new team. He has hit safely in all four of his games with the Scrappers, including a 3-for-4 night with two doubles and three RBIs against Jamestown in his June 19 debut. Allman also spent time with the Kinston Indians (A) this year, where he batted .273 in 19 games with four doubles and seven RBIs.
Nick Czyz made his first appearance of the season Sunday for Everett (A), an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Czyz, who pitched at KU from 2006-08, suffered a tough-luck loss, allowing one earned run on four hits over six innings in a game against Vancouver. Last season, Czyz pitched in the Rookie League with Pulaski, going 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA.
Erik Morrison was recently named to the South Atlantic League All-Star Team, representing Hickory (A), a Texas Rangers’ affiliate. Morrison, who played at KU from 2005-08, is currently on a 10-game hitting streak, and is second on the team with a .325 batting average. The infielder also has 19 doubles, two triples and six homers to go along with 36 RBIs in 45 games.
Paul Smyth made his professional debut on Monday night, pitching a scoreless inning of relief for Vancouver (A), an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Smyth, who played at KU from 2006-09, allowed a base hit, but struck out the side in Vancouver’s 7-1 triumph. Smyth was drafted by the A’s in the 35^th round of this year’s amateur draft.

Other former Jayhawks in minor league systems include: Buck Afenir (New York Yankees/Rookie), Zach Ashwood (Chicago Cubs/A), Andres Esquibel (Seattle/Rookie), Shaeffer Hall (New York Yankees/A), David Narodowski (Arizona/A), Ryne Price (San Francisco/Rookie), Brock Simpson (Cleveland/A).