Deacs in the Pros: June 30
6/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeBaseball)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Following the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, there are now currently 12 Demon Deacons playing baseball in the Major and Minor League ranks. Take a look at the latest update on their 2016 seasons.
MLB
Mac Williamson - San Francisco Giants: After getting off to a slow start in the big leagues this year, Williamson has heated up recently. He's 5-for-12 (.417) over his past five games, including a long home run in a 3-for-4 effort against the Pirates. Overall, he's hitting .233 with a pair of homers in 20 MLB games, and hit .274 with nine homers and 35 RBIs in 42 games in AAA.
Tim Cooney - St. Louis Cardinals: Cooney has yet to make his 2016 debut due to a shoulder injury. He didn't allow a run in two spring training outings, and posted a 1-0 record and 3.16 ERA in the big leagues last year.
AAA
Michael Dimock - El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres): Since returning from a suspension at the start of the month, Dimock has posted a 1-1 record and 4.15 ERA in 10 outings. He has a WHIP of just 0.81, allowing 11 hits and three walks in 17.1 innings, while striking out 23. He suffered his lone loss thanks to his former teammate, Mac Williamson, who hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Dimock on June 20.
AA
Brian Holmes - Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros): Holmes was named a Texas League all-star, but will miss the game as he's currently on the disabled list with elbow tightness. In 11 games and nine starts, Holmes has a 4-2 record and 3.73 ERA, along with 51 strikeouts in 50.2 innings.
Pat Blair - Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): Blair earned a call-up to AA after starting the year in A ball. In 17 games with the Biscuits, Blair has a .161 average with four doubles and seven RBIs.
A
Connor Kaden - Augusta GreenJackets (Giants): Kaden is another Deacon who has excelled recently, holding a 2-1 record and 1.10 ERA with a save over his last 10 outings. In total this year, Kaden is 5-2 with a 3.86 ERA and three saves in 24 relief outings, to go along with a 44-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 46.2 innings.
Short-Season A
Will Craig - West Virginia Black Bears (Pirates): Craig has battled an up-and-down start to his pro career since being drafted earlier this month, hitting .147 with two doubles, six walks and six RBIs in 10 games at third base and DH. He hit a game-tying two-run double late in a win on Wednesday, coming around to score what proved to be the winning run.
Nate Mondou - Vermont Lake Monsters (Athletics): After playing one game in rookie ball, Mondou was bumped up to Vermont, where he has a .263 average, a double and three RBIs in six games. He's recorded five hits in his last 15 at bats.
Rookie Ball
Matt Pirro - GCL Nationals: After recovering from an offseason injury, Pirro is off to a strong start in 2016. He's allowed just two hits in 6.0 scoreless frames, striking out three without allowing a walk. He has a career ERA of 2.74 since being drafted in 2015.
Garrett Kelly - GCL Twins: Kelly recorded his first professional save on Thursday, tossing a perfect ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts against the Orioles' rookie league team. In three outings, he has a 3.00 ERA, allowing a run on two hits and a walk in 3.0 frames.
Aaron Fossas - AZL Reds: Fossas surrendered his first runs on Wednesday after two strong outings. He didn't allow a hit over his first 2.1 innings, but gave up a pair of runs on three hits yesterday. He has a 6.00 ERA and five strikeouts in 3.0 frames so far.
Joe Napolitano - GCL Mets: Napolitano graduated from Wake Forest in 2015 and spent a year at St. John's as a graduate transfer, where he went 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 25 relief outings after transitioning to pitching during the second half of his final season in Winston-Salem. He signed a free agent deal with the Mets and made his pro debut on Thursday, tossing a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to record a save.
