Talented First-Year Players Highlight Opening Day Roster
MISSOULA, MONT. - The Arizona Diamondbacks and Missoula Osprey announced the second talented group of players that will be coming to Missoula for the 2015 season. The 15 first-year professionals, including 14 who were drafted in the 2015 Major League First-Year Player Draft, will join the 17 players already on the Osprey roster that was announced yesterday afternoon. With the roster now set, Missoula has the potential to field a top-10 pick at each starting position outside of first base - where it could place an 11th-rounder.
C - Francis Christy (7th-Round, 2015)
1B - Austin Byler (11th-Round, 2015)
2B - Isan Diaz (Competitive Balance B, 2014)
3B - Tyler Humphreys (7th-Round, 2014)
SS - Kal Simmons (8th-Round, 2015)
OF - Marcus Wilson (Competitive Balance B, 2014)
OF - Matt McPhearson (4th-Round, 2013)
OF - Joey Armstrong (10th-Round, 2015)
The 2015 Missoula Osprey roster is made up of 32 players, including seven starting pitchers, nine relievers, three catchers, seven infielders, and six outfielders. The average age of the players on the 32-man list is just under 21 (20.8), with the youngest being 18 (Bo Takahashi, RHP) and the oldest 24 (Aaron Sookee, RHP).
"Since I have been in this position, this is the most balanced team we have fielded in Missoula in terms of pitching and hitting, along with youth and experience," said Mike Bell, Director of Player Development for the Arizona Diamondbacks. "This team's strengths will be speed and power offensively, and depth in the pitching staff."
Starting Pitchers
Bryant Holtmann, who was drafted in the 37th round of the 2014 draft by Pittsburgh, elected to return to Florida State for his senior year before being taken this season in the 24th round. During his senior campaign, Holtman, who stands 6'5 and 200 pounds, pitched to a 6-1 record and a 3.36 ERA over 20 appearances (nine starts) and 64.1 innings of work. He made 14 appearances, including six starts as a junior, finishing with a 5-1 record and a 3.68 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.
Cameron Smith, an All-Big 12 first-team selection, went 6-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) with two complete games, one save, 89 innings pitched, 77 strikeouts and 28 walks allowed in 2015 while playing for Texas Tech. The 6'0, 165-pound lefty started the season with 11 consecutive starts pitching at least five innings. Over a two-year career with Texas Tech, including an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection in 2014, Smith went 14-8 with a 2.81 ERA over 39 appearances and 17 starts, and helped the Red Raiders to the 2014 College World Series. Prior to attending Texas Tech, Smith prepped at Clear Lake High School where he posted a 2.92 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 26 walks in 48 innings as a senior.
Relief Pitchers
Signed as a non-drafted free agent following his senior year, Matt Lees will begin his professional career in Missoula. Lees turned in a .87 ERA and a 6-2 record over 31 relief appearances for Virginia Commonwealth in 2015. The 6'1, 190-pound pitcher notched a pair of saves and logged 52 total innings on the mound while limiting opponents to a .203 batting average against and striking out 50. VCU's most reliable option out of the bullpen over his four years, Lees made 117 appearances and pitched to a 17-14 record and a 3.03 ERA in 190.1 innings with 151 strikeouts.
Keegan Long was Arizona's 29th-round pick out of St. Joseph's College in Indiana. The 6'2, 190-pound hurler appeared in nine games, all starts, and finished the season with a 1-5 record and a career-best 3.15 ERA. The Edon, Ohio native completed 54.1 innings, striking out 67 batters - fourth-best in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The right-hander walked only eight batters and held opponents to a .252 batting average against.
Arizona's 20th-round pick in 2015, Will Lowman made 26 appearances for Kennesaw State in 2015, pitching to a 4.26 ERA and recording six saves over 25.1 innings of work. The 6'0, 185-pound left-hander struck out 37 and limited opponents to a .217 average against. Lowman saw action in 11 games during the 2014 season, logging 10 total innings of work and giving up just seven hits with nine strikeouts.
Austin Mason, Arizona's 17th-round pick out of The Citadel this year, posted a 4.19 ERA through 53.2 innings of work and struck out 53 batters over his 25 appearances in 2015. A native of Greer, S.C, Mason finished his Citadel career with a 5.28 ERA over 165.1 innings pitched. The 6'2, 200-pound right-hander started in 32 of his 53 appearances, striking out 126 opponents. Mason was rated the No. 6 right-handed pitcher and No. 13 overall prospect in South Carolina according to The Diamond Prospects out of Eastside High School.
Position Players
Joey Armstrong, the 286th overall pick in the 10th round this year, hit .277 with 34 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple and two homers to the tune of 26 RBI this season while playing for UNLV. The 5'11, 195-pounder started his career as a third baseman, but served as UNLV's primary centerfielder the last two years. Armstrong hit .302 with four home runs, eight doubles, three triples and 27 RBI as a sophomore before an injury ended his season with 10 games left to be played. He spent the summer of 2014 playing in the Cape Cod League, competing for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox and winning the team's fourth CCBL Championship.
Austin Byler, a 2015 third-team All-American selection and the 11th-round pick of Arizona this year, was a ninth-round pick of the Nationals last season but didn't sign and returned for his senior season at Nevada. The 6'3", 225-pound left-handed hitter, who was tabbed the top senior in collegiate baseball according to Perfect Game prior to this year, batted .328 while collecting 69 runs scored, 18 doubles, 54 walks and 14 homers with 52 RBI. The Peoria, Ariz. native slugged .652 and stole nine bases in 12 attempts. Byler finished his collegiate career with a .320 lifetime batting average while ranking in the top-10 in program history in home runs (4th, 39), walks (5th, 115), triples (5th, 11), games played (6th, 209), at bats (7th, 757), doubles (7th, 50), runs (8th, 180) and hits (8th, 242). He was named to the midseason watch list for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, and was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, given annually to the top player in college baseball. Baseball America notes that Byler played third base and left field earlier in his career, and he may still move well enough to shift to left field - he is a 7-seconds-flat runner over 60 yards. Byler was the 115th-best draft prospect according to Baseball America, and checked in at #199 according to MLB.com.
Utilizing its seventh-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Arizona snapped a string of five-straight pitching selections with a potential battery-mate in Francis Christy. Listed as the 385th-best prospect according to Baseball America, the 6'2, 220-pound catcher was a highly-touted recruit out of Casa Grande High School (37th round selection in 2013, Oakland), but ultimately settled at Palomar College. Christy, named California Community College Player of the Year and National Community College Player of the Year, batted .316 with a CCCA-leading 11 home runs, 52 RBIs and 43 runs scored in 45 games as the Comets went 37-8 and finished third in the California State Tournament. According to Baseball America, the talented backstop, who had committed to the University of Washington, is physical enough to handle catching everyday and features a strong arm behind the plate. Christy was the first California community college player selected in the draft, and was the first community college catcher in the nation taken in this year's draft.
Baseball America's 242nd-best draft prospect, and Arizona's 22nd-round selection in 2015, Zach Hoffpauir was Stanford's biggest power threat this season. Despite missing 23 games with a wrist injury, the junior led the team with four home runs and drove in 23 runs in 33 games. He hit .289 after batting .324 with seven homers and 35 RBI in 59 games during a breakout sophomore campaign. A two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 player, Hoffpauir was also a member of the Stanford football team. The 6'0, 195-pound safety played 12 games last season and ranked seventh on the team in tackles with 44, including a career best 15 against Washington State. The native of Glendale, Arizona has a high ceiling, especially considering he has faced a limited baseball practice schedule due to his football obligations.
Luke Lowery, who was taken by Arizona in the 14th round this year, helped East Carolina to its first American Athletic Conference title in 2015, batting .311 with 40 runs scored, 10 doubles, 12 homers and 49 RBI while slugging .553 and reaching at a .408 clip. The Midlothian, Va. product was a first-team All-AAC selection at designated hitter, striking just 15 times in 209 at bats while drawing 21 walks. Following the AAC Championship run, Lowery, who stands 6'2" and 230 pounds, earned an All-Tournament selection. As a prep star at Cosby High School, Lowery took home first-team All-State, All-Central Region, All-Dominion District and All-Metro accolades en route to becoming the most decorated catcher in school history.
Arizona's 13th-round selection, and a consensus first-team All-American, Jason Morozowski batted .424 over 55 games for the University of Mount Olive in 2015. The right-handed hitter, who checks in at 6'1 and 175 pounds, plated 78 runs to accompany 19 doubles, 21 homers and 82 RBI to the tune of a .790 slugging percentage. A threat to run when aboard, the speedy outfielder reached at a .481 clip and stole 17 bases in 18 attempts. Morozowski, a native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., was the 2015 Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Year and narrowly missed winning the Conference Carolinas Triple Crown, leading the league in homers and RBI while finishing second in batting average. Morozowski was a pitcher at Florida International University prior to transferring to Mount Olive, making 29 total appearances for the Panthers and pitching to a 2-0 record and a 3.66 ERA over 39.1 innings on the mound.
Prior to drafting Jake Peevyhouse in the 34th round out of Arizona State, the Arizona Diamondbacks explained that from the 2015 Draft forward, their 34th-round pick would be named the Cory Hahn 34th Pick. Hahn, who works in Arizona's scouting department, suffered a fractured vertebra after playing just three games as a freshman with Arizona State in 2011. Before hiring him, the D-backs selected Hahn with their 34th-round pick (for his No. 34 jersey) in 2013. Peevyhouse, a Phoenix, Ariz. native, was a four-year letterwinner who appeared in 175 games with 154 starts for the Sun Devils. He batted .268 with 149 hits, including 34 doubles, eight triples and four home runs, drove in 75 runs and scored 98 in his career. As a senior in 2015, the 5'10, 184-pound outfielder hit .287 with 51 hits, including three triples (tied for a team high) and added 23 RBI and 26 runs scored. Peevyhouse is a 2011 graduate of Pinnacle High School where he was a three-time first-team All-Region pick and was a second-team All-State choice as a junior
Kal Simmons, Arizona's eighth-round pick in 2015, was a 2015 second-team All-Atlantic Sun selection after leading Kennesaw State with 10 homers. The switch-hitting shortstop batted .269 with 41 runs scored and seven doubles with 35 RBI. Simmons, the 165th-best prospect in the draft according to Baseball America, was a Freshman All-American in 2013 after hitting .290 and driving in 27 runs with 10 doubles and 20 runs scored. Scouts praise the 6'1, 195-pound infielder for his intangibles, overall skill set and Baseball I.Q., and note that he shows more feel from the left side of the plate and a little more pop from the right. He reached double-digit home runs this spring but projects as more of a gap-to-gap hitter with doubles power as a professional.
Jeff Smith, taken in the 30th round by Arizona this season, hit .303 playing for the Missouri Baptist College Spartans in NAIA Division I play. He teamed the average with 58 runs scored, 40 RBI, 11 doubles, three triples and 11 homers. The 6'0, 180-pound utility man slugged .522 and stole 18 bases in 20 attempts. A native of Hamilton, Ohio, he batted .293 and slugged .512 in 2014, scoring 52 runs and collecting 10 doubles, a triple and eight homers to the tune of 39 RBI.
The Osprey open the 2015 season on the road against the Helena Brewers June 18. The Osprey home opener is set for June 24 against Helena. Osprey ticket plans are still available and can be purchased at the MSO Hub Box Office, by phone at (406) 543-3300, and online at MissoulaOsprey.com