Baseball Bears In the Pros: Summer 2021 Update
August 13, 2021 | Baseball
SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State currently has 16 former baseball players who signed professional contracts out of the school playing in various leagues and levels throughout the country. Below is a list of those individuals with links to their profiles. Summaries are accurate as of August 12, 2021.
Jake Burger (2015-17) - MLB Profile | MiLB Profile - Burger became the 21st Bear to play in the Major Leagues on July 2, going 2-for-4 in his Chicago White Sox debut. A three-time All-American at MSU, Burger hit .263 with five extra-base hits in 15 games with the White Sox. At Triple-A Charlotte, Burger is hitting .319 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 46 games, and was selected to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game shortly before his big league call-up.
Dylan Coleman (2016-18) - MiLB Profile - Coleman, who ranks second in Missouri State history in career strikeouts, is 3-1 with four saves, a 3.83 earned run average and 64 strikeouts in 40 innings this summer. The Kansas City Royals prospect was promoted to Triple-A Omaha in July, where he has 27 punch-outs in 15.1 innings over 14 appearances. Coleman posted a 2.92 ERA in 18 appearances at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, fanning 37 hitters in 24.2 innings pitched.
Ross Detwiler (2005-07) - MLB Profile - The sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Detwiler is pitching for the Miami Marlins in 2021, his eighth MLB team in his 13th big league season. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 5.63 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 40 innings, appearing in 40 total games for Miami with five starts.
Jeremy Eierman (2016-18) - MiLB Profile - Eierman has spent the entire 2021 season at Double-A Midland in the Oakland A's organization. A first-team All-American for Missouri State in 2017, the shortstop is batting .247 ith 10 home runs, 30 RBI and nine stolen bases for the RockHounds.
Jon Harris (2013-15) - MiLB Profile - The 29th overall pick in the 2015 draft by Toronto, Harris has spent most of 2021 with the Blue Jays' Double-A Affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He moved to Triple-A Buffalo for appearances on July 30 and August 5. Harris owns a 3.72 ERA with two saves, 29 strikeouts and 36.1 innings pitched in 25 total appearances.
Matt Hall (2013-15) - MLB Profile | MiLB Profile - The NCAA strikeout leader in 2015, Hall has made 27 relief appearances for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox this season, Boston's Triple-A affiliate. He is 2-2 with a save, fanning 36 hitters in 35.2 innings. Hall spent time in the majors in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Mike Kickham (2010) - MLB Profile | MiLB Profile - Kickham made it to the majors for a fourth season in 2021, appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers one time. He has spent the remainder of the year at L.A.'s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, evenly splitting 16 appearances between starting and relieving, and compiling a 5.31 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 42.1 innings. Kickham also has MLB service time with Boston in 2020 and San Francisco in 2013 and 2014.
Pierce Johnson (2010-12) - MLB Profile - Johnson has found a home in San Diego after pitching for both the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, as well as spending a season in Japan, in just the last four years. A first-round pick of the Cubs in 2012, Johnson is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 44 relief appearances with the Padres in 2021, striking out 53 batters in 39 innings.
Hayden Juenger (2019-21) - MiLB Profile - A sixth-round pick of Toronto in last month's draft, Juenger made his pro debut with a scoreless inning on August 5 for the High-A Vancouver Canadians. Juenger's team is playing its home games in Hillsboro, Ore., this summer.
Tate Matheny (2013-15) - MiLB Profile - Matheny reunited with Matt Hall as part of Boston's Triple-A Worcester Red Sox when he was promoted from Double-A Portland in late June. Since then, Matheny has been Worcester's regular centerfielder and is hitting .242 with nine home runs, 32 RBI and seven steals across both minor league levels this season.
Drew Millas (2017-19) - MiLB Profile - An All-American for the Bears in 2018, Millas was recently traded to the Washington Nationals organization after being drafted by Oakland in the seventh round in 2019. In 59 games with the High-A Lansing (Mich.) Lugnuts and now five appearances for the High-A Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks, Millas is hitting .262 with three home runs, 30 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 38 runs scored.
Matt Russell (2018-21) - MiLB Profile - Russell signed a free-agent contract with Philadelphia last month and was assigned to the Clearwater Threshers, the Phillies' Low-A affiliate, to begin his pro career.
Davis Schwab (2018-19) - MiLB Profile - Schwab has pitched in 22 games for the Rome Braves this season, Atlanta's High-A affiliate. The 2019 37th-round pick is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 innings.
Trey Turner (2017) - MiLB Profile - A 10th-round pick of the Nationals in 2017, Turner has made 11 appearances this summer for Low-A Fredericksburg in Virginia, striking out 20 batters in 17 innings.
Luke Voit (2010-13) - MLB Profile - A year after leading the majors in home runs, Voit is in his fifth MLB season overall and fourth with the New York Yankees. This summer, the slugger has played in 34 games, hitting .227 with four homers and 15 RBI.
Logan Wiley (2017-21) - Frontier League Profile - Wiley has pitched for two independent teams this summer, first for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Canaries before moving to the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League. With the Crestwood, Ill., based team, Wiley is 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA, starting in seven of his nine appearances and tossing 57.1 innings with 34 strikeouts and 50 hits allowed.
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Jake Burger (2015-17) - MLB Profile | MiLB Profile - Burger became the 21st Bear to play in the Major Leagues on July 2, going 2-for-4 in his Chicago White Sox debut. A three-time All-American at MSU, Burger hit .263 with five extra-base hits in 15 games with the White Sox. At Triple-A Charlotte, Burger is hitting .319 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 46 games, and was selected to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game shortly before his big league call-up.
Dylan Coleman (2016-18) - MiLB Profile - Coleman, who ranks second in Missouri State history in career strikeouts, is 3-1 with four saves, a 3.83 earned run average and 64 strikeouts in 40 innings this summer. The Kansas City Royals prospect was promoted to Triple-A Omaha in July, where he has 27 punch-outs in 15.1 innings over 14 appearances. Coleman posted a 2.92 ERA in 18 appearances at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, fanning 37 hitters in 24.2 innings pitched.
Ross Detwiler (2005-07) - MLB Profile - The sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Detwiler is pitching for the Miami Marlins in 2021, his eighth MLB team in his 13th big league season. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 5.63 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 40 innings, appearing in 40 total games for Miami with five starts.
Jeremy Eierman (2016-18) - MiLB Profile - Eierman has spent the entire 2021 season at Double-A Midland in the Oakland A's organization. A first-team All-American for Missouri State in 2017, the shortstop is batting .247 ith 10 home runs, 30 RBI and nine stolen bases for the RockHounds.
Jon Harris (2013-15) - MiLB Profile - The 29th overall pick in the 2015 draft by Toronto, Harris has spent most of 2021 with the Blue Jays' Double-A Affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He moved to Triple-A Buffalo for appearances on July 30 and August 5. Harris owns a 3.72 ERA with two saves, 29 strikeouts and 36.1 innings pitched in 25 total appearances.
Matt Hall (2013-15) - MLB Profile | MiLB Profile - The NCAA strikeout leader in 2015, Hall has made 27 relief appearances for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox this season, Boston's Triple-A affiliate. He is 2-2 with a save, fanning 36 hitters in 35.2 innings. Hall spent time in the majors in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Mike Kickham (2010) - MLB Profile | MiLB Profile - Kickham made it to the majors for a fourth season in 2021, appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers one time. He has spent the remainder of the year at L.A.'s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, evenly splitting 16 appearances between starting and relieving, and compiling a 5.31 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 42.1 innings. Kickham also has MLB service time with Boston in 2020 and San Francisco in 2013 and 2014.
Pierce Johnson (2010-12) - MLB Profile - Johnson has found a home in San Diego after pitching for both the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, as well as spending a season in Japan, in just the last four years. A first-round pick of the Cubs in 2012, Johnson is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 44 relief appearances with the Padres in 2021, striking out 53 batters in 39 innings.
Hayden Juenger (2019-21) - MiLB Profile - A sixth-round pick of Toronto in last month's draft, Juenger made his pro debut with a scoreless inning on August 5 for the High-A Vancouver Canadians. Juenger's team is playing its home games in Hillsboro, Ore., this summer.
Tate Matheny (2013-15) - MiLB Profile - Matheny reunited with Matt Hall as part of Boston's Triple-A Worcester Red Sox when he was promoted from Double-A Portland in late June. Since then, Matheny has been Worcester's regular centerfielder and is hitting .242 with nine home runs, 32 RBI and seven steals across both minor league levels this season.
Drew Millas (2017-19) - MiLB Profile - An All-American for the Bears in 2018, Millas was recently traded to the Washington Nationals organization after being drafted by Oakland in the seventh round in 2019. In 59 games with the High-A Lansing (Mich.) Lugnuts and now five appearances for the High-A Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks, Millas is hitting .262 with three home runs, 30 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 38 runs scored.
Matt Russell (2018-21) - MiLB Profile - Russell signed a free-agent contract with Philadelphia last month and was assigned to the Clearwater Threshers, the Phillies' Low-A affiliate, to begin his pro career.
Davis Schwab (2018-19) - MiLB Profile - Schwab has pitched in 22 games for the Rome Braves this season, Atlanta's High-A affiliate. The 2019 37th-round pick is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 innings.
Trey Turner (2017) - MiLB Profile - A 10th-round pick of the Nationals in 2017, Turner has made 11 appearances this summer for Low-A Fredericksburg in Virginia, striking out 20 batters in 17 innings.
Luke Voit (2010-13) - MLB Profile - A year after leading the majors in home runs, Voit is in his fifth MLB season overall and fourth with the New York Yankees. This summer, the slugger has played in 34 games, hitting .227 with four homers and 15 RBI.
Logan Wiley (2017-21) - Frontier League Profile - Wiley has pitched for two independent teams this summer, first for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Canaries before moving to the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League. With the Crestwood, Ill., based team, Wiley is 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA, starting in seven of his nine appearances and tossing 57.1 innings with 34 strikeouts and 50 hits allowed.
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