June 29, 2009

ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington baseball program started the 2009 Major League Baseball season with 11 former players who are either currently in the big leagues, as a player, coach or manager, or are trying to reach the big leagues from the Double or Triple-A level. With the addition of four players from the Class of 2009, Nathan Long (RHP), Andy Sauter (RHP), Matt Otteman (RHP) and Andrew Kainer (LHP), UT Arlington currently has 15 former players playing with a MLB organization.

Throughout the Major League season, UT Arlington sports information will provide weekly updates on former Mavericks competing at the major league or minor league level.

Trey Hillman (Manager, Kansas City Royals), Dave Owen (3rd Base Coach - Kansas City Royals)
- Hillman and Owen led Kansas City to an even 3-3 record during last week's six-game road trip to Houston and Pittsburgh. The Royals won the first two games of the series in Houston and snagged the last game, 3-2, on the road against the Pirates. The Royals are 32-42, placing them in fourth place in the American League Central. They are 4 ½ games behind the White Sox for third place and 5 ½ games behind Minnesota for second place. The Detroit Tigers (42-33) lead the Central Division and are 9 ½ games ahead of the Royals.

Steve Foster (Bullpen Coach - Florida Marlins)
- Foster and the Marlins are hanging tough in the National League East with a 38-39 overall record, just three games behind division-leading Philadelphia (39-34). Despite a current three-game losing skid, the Marlins tallied the best record in their division during interleague play (10-8), which is the second most wins for a N.L. team in games against the American League. The Marlins pitching staff remains among the top teams in the big leagues in strikeouts, currently ranking third with 574 during 77 games played.

John Lackey (Starting Pitcher - Los Angeles Angels)
- Lackey held the Arizona Diamondbacks in check for seven innings on Saturday evening while allowing five hits and allowing only three walks with nine strikeouts. It is his second highest strikeout total this season, just behind his 10 strikeouts against San Francisco on June 15. Lackey is 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA this season with seven of his nine starts coming on the road. He has pitched 53.1 innings while allowing 66 hits, 30 earned runs and has 42 strikeouts with 15 walks allowed. Lackey and the Angels are 7-3 over their last 10 games while moving into first place in the American League Western Division, sitting 1 ½ games ahead of the Texas Rangers.

Mark Lowe (Relief Pitcher - Seattle Mariners)
- Lowe pitched three innings last week in two appearances for the Mariners. Lowe tossed 2.0 innings in relief against the San Diego Padres to record a hold during Seattle's 9-3 victory. On Sunday, Lowe notched his second hold of the week - ninth of the season - pitching the eighth inning during the M's 4-2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Lowe is second on the team with 34 appearances. He owns a 3.28 ERA with a 1-4 record and has 27 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched.

Ryan Roberts (Utility Player - Arizona Diamondbacks)
- Roberts played in four games last week for Arizona while making a start at third base on June 23 and then entered the game in the second inning in left field on June 25 for an injured Eric Byrnes. Roberts is now hitting .257 (26-for-101) with 16 runs scored, seven doubles and five RBI on the season.

Daniel Ortmeier (First Baseman - Colorado Rockies -Triple-A - Colorado Springs Sky Sox)
- Ortmeier collected at least one base hit in three games last week, including a two-hit performance (2-for-4) with a run scored and a double against Sacramento on Friday. Ortmeier is currently batting .296 (68-for-230) with 28 runs, nine doubles, four triples, two homers and 32 RBI. Ortmeier's best month this season came in April when he batted .348 (24-for-69).

Dillon Gee (Starting Pitcher - New York Mets - Triple-A - Buffalo Bisons)
- Gee, who entered the season at No. 17 on Baseball America's Mets Top 30 prospect list, remains on the disabled list after suffering a right shoulder sprain. Gee's last start was on May 25, throwing 4.0 innings while allowing four hits and four earned runs. Gee is 1-3 with a 4.10 ERA in nine starts (48.1 IP) with 42 strikeout and only 16 walks this season for the Triple-A Buffalo in the International League.

Adam Moore (Catcher - Seattle Mariners - Triple-A - Tacoma Rainiers)
- Moore is now batting .309 with three homers and 20 RBI in Triple-A Tacoma. He hit safely in all five games he played in last week, which includes two multi-hit games. Moore went 2-for-3 with a run on Thursday and went 2-for-4 with a double on Saturday. He is hitting .333 (11-for-33) during his last 10 games played. In Double-A and Triple A combined, Moore is batting .290 with 14 doubles, six home runs and 33 RBI this season.

Matthew Sartor (Relief Pitcher - Los Angeles Dodgers - Double-A - Chattanooga Lookouts)
- Sartor pitched in three contests last week while throwing 3 1/3 innings. He struck out four batters, including two on Monday and one on Friday and Saturday. This season Sartor is 1-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched. He has made 27 appearances with 44 strikeouts and 12 walks this season.

Nathan Long (Relief Pitcher - Oakland Athletics - Short Season-A - Vancouver Canadians)
- Long made his professional debut on Monday during a perfect 1 2/3 inning-relief appearance against the Tri-City Dust Devils. He followed with his first professional victory in relief against the first-place Dust Devils while throwing 2.0 innings and allowing three hits with two strikeouts. He has yet to allow a run with a perfect 0.00 ERA in two appearances (3 2/3 innings pitched). Vancouver is currently in third place in the Northwest League West Division with a 4-5 overall record.

Andy Sauter (Starting Pitcher - Milwaukee Brewers - Rookie League - Arizona Brewers)
- Sauter signed a free agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, June 21, as he joined the Brewers Arizona Rookie League team. Sauter has yet to make his professional pitching debut. Sauter went 4-2 this past season with a 4.55 ERA in 57.1 innings pitched. He struck out 44 batters and allowed 16 walks in 11 appearances (seven starts).

Matt Otteman (Relief Pitcher - Seattle Mariners - Rookie League - Arizona Mariners)
- Otteman signed a free agent contract as a right-handed pitcher with the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, June 24, as he joined the Mariners Arizona Rookie League team. Otteman has yet to make his professional pitching debut. On the mound, Otteman went 3-1 this past season with a 3.38 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched. He struck out 38 batters and allowed 15 walks in 10 appearances (two starts). His 14.2 strikeouts/9 innings was the best on the team. As a hitter, Otteman led the SLC with a .432 batting average. His 95 base hits are second in UTA single-season history and his 69 RBI were second in the SLC and tied a school record.

Andrew Kainer (Relief Pitcher - Florida Marlins - Rookie League - Gulf Coast Marlins)
- Kainer signed a free agent contract as a left-handed pitcher with the Florida Marlins on Friday, June 26, as he joined the Marlins Rookie League team, Gulf Coast Marlins. Kainer has yet to make his professional pitching debut. At the plate, Kainer batted .417 as a senior and broke the UT Arlington and Southland Conference all-time hitting streak records with a 36-game hit streak. He threw one inning as a senior during the 2009 season.

source: MLB.com & MILB.com