Hooks Salute Devenski & Kemmer at Banquet

CORPUS CHRISTI - Right-handed pitcher Chris Devenski and outfielder Jon Kemmer will be honored as Corpus Christi's Players of the Year at the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet on Thursday, January 14, at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center.

The event is presented by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and IHeartMEDIA. Tickets are on sale now at the Whataburger Field Box Office or by phone at 361-561-HOOK (4665). Doors open at 6:30.

Devenski, who like Kemmer earned a non-roster invitation to 2016 Major League Spring Training, went 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 24 appearances (17 starts) for the Hooks last season. The 25-year-old from Santa Ana, California, opened the year with a scoreless streak of 27 innings and held the opposition to one earned run or less in 14 of his first 16 appearances.

Devenski teamed with lefty Josh Hader to author the first no-hitter in club history, a rain-shortened, 5 1/3-inning victory at Arkansas on May 29. Devenski recorded 15 of the 16 outs that night at Dickey-Stephens Park. On April 25 at Dr Pepper Ballpark, he blanked the Frisco RoughRiders over 6 1/3 hitless innings en route to Texas League Pitcher of the Week honors.

The TL All-Star won his first seven decisions and turned in a 1.23 ERA and .199 opponents' batting average during the first half. Devenski started for the South squad in the 79th Texas League All-Star Game at Whataburger Field on June 30 and tossed two perfect innings before a crowd of 7,370.

Corpus Christi's Pitcher of the Month for April and May shined during the postseason. Devenski scattered five hits and one walk while striking out nine over six innings September 9 at Whataburger Field as the Hooks beat Midland 9-2 in Game 1 of the Texas League South Division Series.

Devenski's first Triple-A start was in El Paso at the Triple-A National Championship. He dispatched 21 of the 22 Columbus Clippers he faced and was crowned MVP as the Fresno Grizzlies rolled to a 7-0 triumph.

Kemmer became the second player in Hooks history to win a Texas League batting title, hitting .327 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs in 104 games. The 25-year-old from Shippenville, Pennsylvania, posted a .574 slugging percentage, smashing Hunter Pence's long-standing club record of .533.

Kemmer is the first Hook to lead the Texas League in OPS (.988) and slugging percentage (.574). He also tied for second in homers.

The TL Postseason All-Star led Corpus Christi in hits (119) and total bases (209), and slotted second with 67 runs scored and 28 doubles. His four triples tied for first on the club.

After playing in only seven April games, Kemmer batted .333 and paced all Double-A farmhands with a 1.012 OPS.

A 21st-round pick in 2013 out of Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia, Kemmer was named Corpus Christi's Player of the Month twice by the Astros, including August when he won the league-wide award.