Bradley Baseball players, past and present, have fanned out across the country to compete on the diamond in summer collegiate leagues, as well as in the professional ranks. Each week throughout the rest of the summer and fall, BradleyBraves.com will update the progress of the Braves. Today's overview provides a brief snapshot of all nine former Braves playing professionally, as well as 12 Bradley players participating in summer collegiate circuits.
Professional Baseball
Joe Bircher (2009-12), LHP
Sioux Falls Canaries, American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
Now in his fifth season of professional baseball, Bircher is pitching for the third summer for Sioux Falls (SD) in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Though he is 0-4 in six starts this season, Bircher is second in the AAIPB with a 2.62 earned run average in his 37.2 innings and he has received a total of just four runs of support in his four losses.
Matt Dennis (2014-16), RHP
Grand Junction Rockies (COL), Rookie Pioneer League
Selected in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies, Dennis has been assigned to the organization's Rookie Pioneer League affiliate in Grand Junction, CO. Grand Junction split its two season-opening games against Orem Friday and Saturday and will open a 4-game series at Ogden Monday night. Dennis did not appear in either of the first two games.
Chris Godinez (2012-15), IF
Staten Island Yankees (NYY), Class A Short Season New York-Penn League
Selected in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Godinez was released at the start of spring training, signed by the Yankees and assigned to the short-season Staten Island Yankees, which opened the 2016 season with a marathon, 20-inning game Friday. Godinez was 1-for-10 (yes, 10) in Friday's season-opener, a 3-2 win against Brooklyn, and came back with a 3-for-4 effort in Sunday's 8-6 win against Aberdeen. After two games, Godinez is batting .286 with a sacrifice fly and two stolen bases in as many attempts.
Jason Leblebijian (2010-12), IF
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR), Double-A Eastern League
Leblebijian began his fifth year of professional baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays organization at Class A Advanced Dunedin, where he hit .295 with six home runs. He was promoted to Double-A New Hampshire June 4 and made a splash in his Double-A debut by going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, a stolen base and two RBI's. Through 13 games with his new club, Leblibijian again is batting .295 with three home runs
Tyler Leffler (2013-16), IF
Bristol Pirates (PIT), Rookie Appalachian League
Selected in the 27th round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Leffler is expected to be assigned to the Bristol (TN) Pirates in the Rookie Appalachian League, which opens its 2016 season Thursday with a 3-game series at Bluefield (VA).
Max Murphy (2012-14), OF
Fort Myers Miracle (MIN), Class A Advanced Florida State League
A third-year pro in the Minnesota Twins organization, Murphy began the 2016 season with Cedar Rapids in the Class A Midwest League. Despite hitting just .159 in 18 games to start the season, Murphy was promoted to Class A Advanced Fort Myers April 28 and he responded by batting .309 with four home runs in 26 games before being placed on the disabled list May 28. Murphy was activated from the DL Sunday, the final day of the Florida State League All-Star Break, and he is expected back in the lineup as the Miracle host Charlotte in a 3-game series starting Monday night.
Cameron Roegner (2012-16), LHP
AZL Brewers (MIL), Rookie Arizona League
Selected in the 22nd round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Roegner is expected to begin his professional career with the Brewers' affiliate in the Rookie Arizona League, which opens its 2016 season Monday night.
Rob Scahill (2006-09), RHP
Indianapolis Indians (PIT), Triple-A International League
Now in his eighth season of professional baseball, Scahill has pitched at the Major League level in each of the last five years for the Colorado Rockies (2012-14) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2015-16). In this season alone, Scahill has been called up to the Pirates three times, most recently June 11, and has appeared in 15 Major League games this season. After throwing a scoreless eighth inning Friday against the Cubs, he was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis Saturday.
Mike Tauchman (2010-13), OF
Albuquerque Isotopes (COL), Triple-A Pacific Coast League
After spending spring training in the Colorado Rockies Major League camp, Tauchman opened his fourth professional season red-hot at the plate, but has cooled while playing in Triple-A Albuquerque's outfield platoon system and now is batting .278 on the season with 10 doubles and 26 RBI's in 60 games and he leads the Isotopes with 14 stolen bases. In his last eight starts since June 9, Tauchman has hit safely in seven games and is 12-for-32 (.375) with four doubles, two triples, seven RBI's and five walks.
Summer Collegiate Leagues
Allan Beer, Jr., RHP/IF
Florence (SC) Redwolves, Coastal Plains League
One of four Bradley players assigned to teams in the Coastal Plains League, self-described as the "nation's hottest summer collegiate league," Beer has made three relief appearances for the Redwolves and has allowed seven runs on eight hits in his 3.2 innings. He also has started one game in the field and is 0-for-1 with a walk and a stolen base as an offensive player.
Ben Cilano, So., RHP
Hays (KS) Larks, Jayhawk Baseball League
Cilano has appeared in four games out of the Hays bullpen, totaling 5.0 innings and one save to date. He struck out five of the first 10 batters he faced in his first two outings, but has surrendered 11 hits to the 21 batters he has faced in his last two outings.
Christian Dominguez, So., IF
Derby (KS) Twins, Jayhawk Baseball League
Dominguez has played in seven of Derby's first 10 games. Though batting .111 (2-for-18), he is third on the team with seven walks, lifting his on-base percentage to .360.
Spencer Gaa, Sr., IF
Cotuit (MA) Kettlerers, Cape Cod Baseball League
Gaa began the summer with a temporary contract for Cotuit in the Cape Cod Baseball league and played four games under the contract, finishing up with a 2-for-4 performance in his final game Thursday.
Jean-Francois Garon, So., OF
North Adams (MA) SteepleCats, New England Collegiate Baseball League
Garon is batting .190 with a home run in his first seven games for North Adams, but reached safely in four of his seven plate appearances over the weekend.
DJ Gasso, Jr., IF
Martinsville (VA) Mustangs, Coastal Plains League
Assigned to Martinsville, Gasso began the summer on the DL and has not yet been activated.
Jacob Hurst, So., LHP
Saint Joseph (MO) Mustangs, M.I.N.K. Baseball League
Pitching out of the bullpen as a freshman for the Braves in 2016, Hurst has started each of his two appearances thus far for Saint Joseph. After allowing seven runs in just 1.2 innings in his first summer start June 5, Hurst bounced back with 5.1 solid innings in a winning effort Wednesday, allowing two earned runs on four hits in a 9-3 win against Baldwin City.
Luke Mangieri, So., IF
Martinsville (VA) Mustangs, Coastal Plains League
The primary starting DH for Martinsville, Mangieri is batting .327 in his first 12 games and shares the team lead with 10 RBI's
Ben Olson, So., LHP
North Adams (MA) SteepleCats, New England Collegiate Baseball League
In his first two starts, Olson is 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA, allowing only three runs and one walk in 11.1 innings. Olson earned the win in his last outing, surrendering just one run on six hits in 6.0 innings to start a 3-1 victory Friday.
Matthew Richey, So., RHP
Springfield (IL) Sliders, Prospect League
A starter in four of his five pitching appearances, Richey is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA to date. In 18.1 innings, Richey has allowed only 13 hits with 13 strikeouts against just five walks. In his last outing Saturday, a 13-1 win, Richey allowed only three hits, no walks and struck out six in 6.0 scoreless innings.
Eric Scheuermann, Sr., RHP
Edenton (NC) Steamers, Coastal Plains League
Scheuermann is 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA in his first five appearances, all out of the bullpen. Scheuermann boasts eight strikeouts in his 7.1 innings and the opposition is batting just .207 against him.
Andy Shadid, So., OF
Hays (KS) Larks, Jayhawk Baseball League
Shadid has played in 13 games to date and is batting .237 with two doubles, a home run and six RBI's. He has hit safely in his last four games and he has reached base safely in six straight games.
