First off, as I've mentioned several times on this blog, ACU fans are extremely lucky in 2009 to have a guy like Gerald Ewing taking photos for Wildcat athletics. I try to post galleries when time permits, but 10 years ago, access to photos like ACU fans have had this year would have been unheard of. But another bonus for fans around the LSC is Jeremy Enlow. Enlow is contracted by the LSC to shoot most of the postseason competition and he has been on ACU's campus several times the last two weeks for the LSC Softball Championships, and now he's shooting the baseball tournament.
•
Here's a link to the best of the LSC Softball Championship Gallery (Jeremy and Gerald's photos combined)
•
Here's a link to the first game of the LSC Baseball Tournament game between ACU and Southeastern Oklahoma (Gerald)
Now onto former ACU athletes involved in professional sports:First Baseball:
Currently, there are four former Wildcat players playing for professional teams.
•
Trey Watten, finished his junior year in 2008, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers a few days after the conclusion of the season in the seventh round. He went on to play a full season with the Brewers' rookie team in Helenea, Mont. where he posted a 5.40 ERA, a 3-2 record, and a one save in 55 innings pitched. In 2009, (
click here to follow Watten) he's been promoted to the Brewers' Low-A team, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and is 1-3 with a save and a 5.14 ERA in five games. He's struck out 23 hitters in 21 innings of work.
• Watten's former teammates
Jameson Maj and
Chris Wiman will begin work in the Frontier League and both will play for the Southern Illinois Miners. Maj was a 45th round draft selection in 2007 by the St. Louis Cardinals; he threw 1.1 innings his rookie year before suffering an injury. Last season he recorded a 2-5 record with a 4.20 ERA in 60 innings pitched. However, the Cardinals released Maj in spring training. Wiman finished eligibility in 2008 and is second all-time on ACU's career win list with 32. He did not play professionally in 2008.
• Brenan Herrera (pictured), who made a brief stop at ACU in 2005 and played shortstop, is entering his fifth professional season and second year with the Wichita Wing Nuts. The Wing Nuts were the Kansas City Royals' Double-A affiliate through the 2007 season. In 2008, Herrera hit a career-best .317 with 53 RBI in 93 games; Herrera and the Wing Nuts begin play May 20.
On to football:Before we get to the real good stuff, I wanted to update you on the several players playing for the Abilene Ruff Riders in the Indoor Football League. One correction I need to make, I mentioned that
Matt Raesner didn't play in the debut, he actually started and played every down on the offensive line; and for at least all the home games, Raesner has been an every-down player for the Ruff Riders.
Jerale Badon has 19 receptions for 296 yards (15.6 avg.) and six touchdowns. He's ninth in the IFL with 59.2 yards per game. He also has a forced fumble and 316 return yards between kickoffs and field-goal returns.
Chris Morris and
Brandon Henry are both injured; Morris had seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns before suffering an injury; Henry has 19 tackles, 2.0 TFL, and a fumble recovery in two games. Former Wildcat linebacker
Greg Yedell has played two games; he has 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
On to NFL updates:
Johnny Knox (pictured) got some love on the Chicago Bears web site yesterday. The fifth-round draft pick is going through the rookie mini-camp with the Bears this week.
Read the link here.
Bernard Scott, a sixth-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals was also mentioned on the Bengals' official web site a couple of days ago;
read about that here. Another note, HBO's Hard Knocks is returning for a second season this summer,
and the rumor is, the Bengals will be the feature team. That will likely feature some time with Scott as he competes to make the Bengals' roster. As of Sunday afternoon, no word from
Joseph Thompson or
Kendrick Holloway; both players were invited to tryout with the Cleveland Browns this weekend.
Billy Malone's tryout with the Buffalo Bills won't take place until June.
** UPDATE ** Wiman won his second start as well in an 11-4 win over Kalamazoo; in his second start he allowed five hits over five innings, allowed three runs, walked one and struck out five. So far, he's 2-0 in 10.0 innings pitched with a 2.70 ERA and 12 strikeouts. Jameson Maj also dropped his ERA by nearly half in his last two relief outings by pitching 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. So far, Maj, the former Major League Baseball draft pick (St. Louis) has thrown 4.2 innings, struck out four and carries an ERA of 5.79.
Posts
