Former Spartans Excelling in Professional Baseball Ranks
6/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Spartanburg, S.C. – With two selections in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft, USC Upstate now features seven former Spartans currently playing professionally throughout various levels of Minor League Baseball.
Matt Branham has advanced the furthest in his young career and is currently pitching for the Double-A San Antonio Missions of the Texas League, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Branham has compiled a 5-2 record and a 3.99 earned run average in 18 appearances with the Missions. He has struck out 48 hitters in 56.1 innings of work and is limiting opponents to a .269 batting average.
San Antonio currently sits atop the Texas League South Division with a 6-4 overall record and is looking to defend its 2013 Texas League Championship.
Scott DeCecco, a left-handed pitcher at Upstate from 2010-12, improved his record to 4-7 after winning his last two starts for the High Desert Mavericks, the advanced Single-A affiliate for the Seattle Mariners. In 17 appearances thus far this season, DeCecco has made 14 starts and pitched in a team-high 77.2 innings while ranking second on the team with 60 strikeouts.
Brandon Lee has appeared in 13 games for the Peoria Chiefs, the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The former Upstate standout has compiled a 1-2 record and a 4.19 earned run average in 19.1 innings of mound duty. Lee has come on strong of late and only allowed two earned runs over his last six appearances.
Gaither Bumgardner recently made his season debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Class-A Short Season affiliate of the New York Mets. In three appearances on the hill, Bumgardner has struck out eight hitters in 12.0 innings of work. The former 2012 A-Sun Player of the Year has one save, a 3.75 earned run average and is holding opponents to a .227 batting average.
As a member of the Missoula Osprey of the Rookie Pioneer League, Brody Greer has put together a strong start to the season in his five appearances on the mound. In fact, Greer owns a 1.50 earned run average to go along with nine strikeouts and a team-leading three saves in six innings on the hill.
David Roseboom, who was drafted earlier this month in the 17th round by the New York Mets, made his professional debut Thursday for the Kingsport Mets of the Rookie Appalachian League and pitched two scoreless innings in relief. The southpaw allowed just one hit in two innings on the hill.
Chad Sobotka recently became the highest draft pick in school history when he was selected in the fourth round by the Atlanta Braves in the 2014 MLB Draft. Sobotka continues to rehab a back injury that sidelined him from the entire 2014 season and is not expected to pitch at all this summer.
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