July 6, 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)
- With the All-Star break just a week away, the Kansas City Royals have won four of its last 10 and are coming off two straight wins over the White Sox in Kansas City. The Royals are 35-46 overall, sitting in fourth place in the American League Central Division. The Royals will have their hands full before taking four days off for the All-Star break as they have a three-game road series at Detroit (July 6-8) and a four-game stretch at Boston (July 9-12) to conclude their first-half schedule.

Steve Foster (Bullpen Coach - Florida Marlins)
- Foster and the Marlins remain in the thick of things in the National League East with a 43-40 overall record, just one game behind division-leading Philadelphia (42-37). The Marlins are a solid 25-21 at home and are 18-19 on the road this season. The Marlins finished the past weekend with a series victory at home against Pittsburgh, winning the final two games of the three-game set. Florida is on the road at San Francisco (July 6-8) and Arizona (July 9-12) before the All-Star break.

John Lackey (Starting Pitcher - Los Angeles Angels)
- Lackey and the Halos remain tied for the top spot in the American League West with a 45-35 overall record. Lackey had another strong outing while earning his third win of the season on Thursday in a 5-2 win against Baltimore. Lackey pitched 8.0 innings while allowing four hits, two earned runs and one walk with seven strikeouts. It was Lackey's fourth straight start pitching at least 7.0 innings and striking out at least five batters. He is now 3-3 on the season with a 4.70 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched. Lackey has 49 strikeouts and has issued 70 base hits and 16 walks.

Mark Lowe (Relief Pitcher - Seattle Mariners)
- Lowe and the Mariners are only 3 ½ games out of the lead in the American League West with a 42-39 overall record. Lowe made three appearances last week with a two-inning appearance against the New York Yankees (7/2) and with two appearances against the Red Sox (7/3, 7/5). Lowe didn't allow an earned run in 2.0 innings against the Yankees where he struck out one and allowed one hit while earning his 10th hold of the season. Lowe recorded his first save of the season the following night pitching the 11th inning against the Red Sox in a 7-6 win. Lowe is 1-4 this season in 37 appearances with a 3.49 ERA, 28 strikeouts and is allowing opponents to hit .253 against him.

Ryan Roberts (Utility Player - Arizona Diamondbacks)
- Roberts was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Saturday. He has yet to make his 2009 Triple-A debut. Roberts was hitting .257 (27-for-105) with 16 runs, seven doubles and five RBI for the Diamondbacks this season in 53 games played.

Daniel Ortmeier (First Baseman - Colorado Rockies -Triple-A - Colorado Springs Sky Sox)
- Ortmeier batted .438 (7-for-16) last week with three multi-hit games and hit his third home run of the season. Ortmeier is now batting .305 with 10 doubles, four triples and 35 RBI for the Sky Sox. On the week, Ortmeier went 2-for-5 against Portland, 2-for-3 with three runs scored against Salt Lake City and went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBI against Portland.

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 hit safely in four of six games played last week, which includes two multi-hit performances. Moore went 2-for-4 against Reno (6/30) and had three hits (3-for-4) with a double, home run and two RBI against Salt Lake City on Sunday. Moore is now batting .302 with four homers and 22 RBI for Triple-A Tacoma.

Matthew Sartor (Relief Pitcher - Los Angeles Dodgers - Double-A - Chattanooga Lookouts)
- Sartor was named to the Southern League All-Star Game last week and followed with two appearances against Carolina. Sartor is 1-2 this season with a 3.02 ERA in 29 appearances. He leads the team with seven saves and has 44.2 innings pitched. He has tallied 49 strikeouts and has issued only 12 walks this season.

Nathan Long (Relief Pitcher - Oakland Athletics - Short Season-A - Vancouver Canadians)
- Long is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 7.1 innings this season. In four appearances, Long has struck out at least two batters in all but one appearance, which includes striking out three batters in a two-inning outing last Tuesday. Long has seven strikeouts and has not allowed a walk on the season.

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 made his professional debut last week on Thursday, pitching 2.0 innings while allowing three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts and one walk. Otteman made his debut pitching the seventh and eighth innings against the Arizona Cubs.

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