Angels' Cron adjusting well to pro ball

C.J. Cron was a dominant multi-positional player at the college level. Since the Angels selected him in the first round of last month's Draft, his transition to the pro game has been a smooth one.

Cron went 3-for-5, fell a triple shy of the cycle, drove in two runs and scored twice Saturday to lead the Rookie-level Orem Owlz to a 12-1 romp over the Idaho Falls Chukars.

Batting third as Orem's designated hitter, the 21-year-old opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the first inning. He slugged a solo homer down the left-field line in the second, becoming the fourth member of the Owlz to go deep in the inning. He singled and scored again in the fourth.

Selected 17th overall last month, Cron laced a two-out double to center in the fifth before flying out in the seventh.

A two-time first-team All-American at the University of Utah, Cron raised his batting average to .385 in nine Pioneer League games. He's hit safely in eight of them and and has driven in at least one run seven times since joining the team on July 1.

Cron was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award after batting .434 this season. His .396 career average is a school record.

Cron comes from a baseball family. His father, Chris, is the manager of the Double-A Erie SeaWolves after brief stints in the Majors with the Angels and White Sox. His brother, Kevin, was chosen by the Mariners in the third round of this year's Draft.

Jerod Yakubik contributed four hits and scored twice for Orem, while Suammy Baez (1-0) worked three innings of scoreless relief for the win.