Down on the Farm: Baxendale Makes Big Move
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As the summer moves along, so does the major league and minor league baseball seasons. Many leagues are nearing their respective all-star breaks and a few former Razorbacks in the minors will be taking part in various all-star games after stellar first halves of the season.
Twenty players currently have spots on minor league rosters, including the new pro Razorbacks that were drafted or signed free agent contracts earlier this month. Clark Eagan (West Virginia Black Bears), Michael Bernal (AZL Giants), Tucker Pennell (AZL Padres) and Doug Willey (Orem Owlz) have each started their pro careers in either Single A Short Season or the Rookie league.
Bernal is having one of the better starts out of the newest crop of Hogs in the pro ranks as he is hitting .292 through seven games in the Arizona League with four of his seven hits as doubles and 1 home run.
Complete Minor League #ProHogs Listing
#ProHogs Minor League Player of the Week – D.J. Baxendale
One of the biggest movers this month has been former Hog hurler D.J. Baxendale. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the 2012 draft, Baxendale started his year with Double A Chattanooga. After spending all of 2015 with the Lookouts, winning 7 games and posting a 3.80 ERA, Baxendale nearly matched his totals in 2016 after just half a season.
With 6 wins under his belt through 14 games and a 3.44 ERA, the Arkadelphia, Arkansas, native got the call to Triple A Rochester.
Right before his call up to Triple A, Baxendale was named a Southern League All-Star for the second consecutive season. Playing for the North All-Stars, he faced and retired two batters on a ground out and a line out.
| Baxendale Stats Through June 30 | W-L | ERA | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HB | BB | SO | AVG | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.J. Baxendale (ROCH) | 0-0 | 0.00 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 0.00 |
| with Chattanooga (AA) | 6-7 | 3.44 | 81.0 | 82 | 32 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 59 | .270 | 1.21 |
RHP D.J. Baxendale has been transferred to @RocRedWings from Double-A Chattanooga. 6-7 with a 3.44 ERA in 14 starts for the Lookouts in ’16.
— Nate Rowan (@njrowan) June 22, 2016
Big Play Deserves Big Recognition – Minor League #ProHogs on All-Star rosters
Baxendale wasn’t the only former Hog to make a Southern League All-Star roster. Pitcher Barrett Astin made the South Division roster after a strong first half to his season. Pitching for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos from the Cincinnati Reds organization, Astin has five wins on the year and a 3.26 ERA with 43 strikeouts and is on pace for his best year as a professional.
Below is a full list of former Razorbacks that have been named all-stars of their respective leagues this season. The New York/Penn and Northwest/Pioneer Leagues will name their all-star rosters later this summer.
| Name | Team | League | All-Star Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| INF Brian Anderson | Jupiter Hammerheads | Florida State League (A-Adv.) | |
| RHP Barrett Astin | Pensacola Blue Wahoos | Southern League (AA) | |
| RHP D.J. Baxendale | Chattanooga Lookouts | Southern League (AA) | |
| OF Andrew Benintendi | Portland Sea Dogs | Eastern League (AA) | MLB All-Star Futures Game |
| RHP Blake Parker | Tacoma Rainiers | Pacific Coast League (AAA) | Triple A All-Star Game |
| RHP Ryne Stanek | Montgomery Biscuits | Southern League (AA) | MLB All-Star Futures Game |
The Future.@asben16 & @rstanek_55 to represent 🇺🇸 in 2016 #FuturesGame!
DETAILS: https://t.co/Prv9LSohB3 pic.twitter.com/pFjlJrkafB— Razorback Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) June 29, 2016
Check back throughout the summer on ArkansasRazorbacks.com as we provide the most up-to-date information on when and where the Diamond #ProHogs are playing.
For more information on Razorback Baseball, follow @RazorbackBSB on Twitter.
