Deacons in the Pros Update - July 8
7/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 8, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The professional baseball season is nearing the halfway mark. Here's a look at how former Wake Forest baseball players are faring in the pros.
Dave Bush (1999-2002) is a starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and has posted a 3-4 record with a 5.67 ERA in 15 games, including 14 starts. Bush was recently placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career after suffering a micro-tear at the base of his right tricep. It marked the first time in his career, dating back to Little League, that Bush had missed a scheduled start.
Mike MacDougal (1997-99) has continued to pitch well in the closer's role for the Washington Nationals. Appearing in 17 games in 2009, MacDougal has recorded five saves and has a 1.15 ERA. In 15 2/3 innings, he has allowed five runs, only two of them earned, on 12 hits. He has allowed just one earned run in his last nine outings.
Jamie D'Antona (2001-03) is in his first season with the Tokyo Swallows of Japan's Central League. D'Antona has played in 59 games and has a .256 batting average with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. He ranks second on the team in both homers and RBIs.
Matt Antonelli (2004-06) has played in 42 games for the Portland Beavers, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Peabody, Mass., native is hitting .186 with three home runs and 19 RBIs. Antonelli drove in two runs and scored once in a victory at Tacoma on July 3.
Cory Sullivan (2000-01) is an outfielder for the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. Sullivan has played in 76 games for the Bisons, hitting .296 with two homers and 23 RBIs. He is hitting .368 over his last 10 games, including a 4-for-5 game against Charlotte on June 29.
Josh Ellis (2004-07) is a relief pitcher for the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ellis has a 3-1 record with a 2.18 ERA in 12 relief appearances for the Bay Bears. He threw three perfect innings against Birmingham on June 30, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced.
Eric Niesen (2005-07) is a starting pitcher for the Binghamton Mets, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets. Niesen has compiled an 0-4 record with a 6.35 ERA in five starts with Binghamton. In his most recent start against Erie on July 5, Niesen received a no decision, throwing five innings and allowing one run on five hits, while striking out nine.
Allan Dykstra (2006-08) is in his first full professional season with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Dykstra has played in 73 games with the TinCaps and is hitting .212 with five homers and 30 RBIs. Dykstra currently sports a .401 on-base percentage with 65 walks on the year. He went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three runs scored against Dayton on July 1.
Andy Goff (2004-08) is an infielder with the Asheville Tourists, the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Goff has played in 10 games with Asheville and is hitting .167 with two RBIs. Goff went 2-for-3 with an RBI in a victory over Charleston on July 5.
Garrett Bullock (2006-09) recently signed a free agent contract with the Houston Astros and is playing with the Greeneville Astros, Houston's rookie league team. Bullock has made two relief appearances since joining Greeneville and has allowed one unearned run on three hits in 1 2/3 innings. He made his professional debut on July 2 against Elizabethton, throwing a scoreless inning.
Phil Negus (2007-09) has started his professional career with the Bristol White Sox, the rookie league team of the Chicago White Sox. Negus has pitched in three games, including two starts, and has no record with a 1.74 ERA. In 10 1/3 innings, Negus has allowed four runs, two of them earned, on nine hits, while striking out 13 batters. He last pitched on July 2 against Johnson City, giving up two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts in five innings.
Eric Williams (2006-08) is playing with the Big Bend Cowboys in the Continental Professional Baseball League. Williams, who was selected for the Continental Baseball League's All-Star Game, is currently leading the league with a .380 batting average and a .516 on-base percentage. He is also third in hits with 38. Williams has also hit a home run and driven in 13 runs.
