Former Tiger baseball players having success with their new clubs
May 31, 2018
A total of 16 athletes from the 2017 Cowley College baseball team that won 45 games and placed third at the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, CO are making contributions to their new squads during the 2018 season.
"That 2017 group was special and are showing why they helped us finish third in the nation," Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said.
Former Tiger third baseman Connor Litton is batting .281 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs for an East Carolina Pirates team that is currently 43-16 and will host the 2018 Greenville (N.C.) Regional after receiving the American Athletic conference's automatic bid to NCAA postseason play after claiming the AAC Baseball Championship.
Brooks Zimmerman has hit six home runs and drove in 17 while starting 25 games for a Missouri State squad that is currently 39-15 and will open play in the NCAA Tournament against Tennessee Tech. Zimmerman was recently named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team.
"I am excited for Connor and Brooks to have the opportunity to play in an NCAA Regional," Burroughs said.
Infielder Jacob Means batted .265 with 11 home runs and 33 runs batted in for the Indiana State Sycamores, which finished the season with a record of 31-24.
Mason O'Brien batted .267 with two home runs and 27 RBIs for Wichita State, which finished the season with a record of 35-21-1.
Jacob Ruder appeared in one game for Oklahoma State University and retired all three batters he faced before suffering a season-ending injury. While John Boushelle, who spent the 2017 season pitching for the Tigers, saw action for NCAA Division I McNeese State during the 2018 season.
Outfielder Bret Fehr appeared in 33 games for NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and hit one home run with seven RBIs.
Garrett Hutson and Ryan Knowles each pitched for NCAA Division I Abilene Christian University. Hutson went 4-1 with 35 strikeouts and eight walks in 39 1/3 innings pitched, and Knowles went 1-2 with 22 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings pitched.
Cowley also had four players from the 2017 team play this past season at NCAA Division II Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK.
Ben Strahm started 10 games on the mound for Northeastern State University and finished second on the team in innings pitched (62 2/3) and strikeouts (64), while pitching to an ERA of 4.16. Trevor Nance pitched 34 1/3 innings of relief for Northeastern State University and had the lowest ERA on the staff (3.41), while going 3-0 on the season.
Joshua Limes also appeared in nine games of relief for the Riverhawks, while Reid Fehr hit three home runs and drove in 15 while starting 28 games for Northeastern State University.
Pitching for NCAA Division II Emporia State University, Mason LeClair allowed only two earned runs in 12 2/3 innings pitched before suffering a season-ending injury. LeClair struck out 17 and walked only two, while finishing the season with three saves and an ERA of 1.42.
Seth Holman, who pitched at Cowley during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, anchored the Emporia State pitching staff by going 8-3 with a 3.23 ERA. Holman earned All-American honors as he struck out 122 batters and walked only 16 in 117 innings pitched. While, former Cowley standout Bryce Fischer was also named an All-American after batting .401 with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs for the Hornets.
Another former Tiger, Nathan Gieber, also pitched for Emporia State and tied for the team lead with four saves.
Catcher Payne McCutcheon batted .250 with two home runs and 14 RBIs for NCAA Division II University of Central Missouri, which finished the season with a record of 39-17.
Rounding out the list of former Tigers from the 2017 season, outfielder Joel Spain batted .257 with three home runs and 17 RBIS, while adding six stolen bases for NCAA Division II Washburn University.
"There have been a lot of really good players pass through our doors," Burroughs said. "This was a special group of kids that worked their tails off, so it easy to see them be successful."
"That 2017 group was special and are showing why they helped us finish third in the nation," Cowley head coach Dave Burroughs said.
Former Tiger third baseman Connor Litton is batting .281 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs for an East Carolina Pirates team that is currently 43-16 and will host the 2018 Greenville (N.C.) Regional after receiving the American Athletic conference's automatic bid to NCAA postseason play after claiming the AAC Baseball Championship.
Brooks Zimmerman has hit six home runs and drove in 17 while starting 25 games for a Missouri State squad that is currently 39-15 and will open play in the NCAA Tournament against Tennessee Tech. Zimmerman was recently named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team.
"I am excited for Connor and Brooks to have the opportunity to play in an NCAA Regional," Burroughs said.
Infielder Jacob Means batted .265 with 11 home runs and 33 runs batted in for the Indiana State Sycamores, which finished the season with a record of 31-24.
Mason O'Brien batted .267 with two home runs and 27 RBIs for Wichita State, which finished the season with a record of 35-21-1.
Jacob Ruder appeared in one game for Oklahoma State University and retired all three batters he faced before suffering a season-ending injury. While John Boushelle, who spent the 2017 season pitching for the Tigers, saw action for NCAA Division I McNeese State during the 2018 season.
Outfielder Bret Fehr appeared in 33 games for NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and hit one home run with seven RBIs.
Garrett Hutson and Ryan Knowles each pitched for NCAA Division I Abilene Christian University. Hutson went 4-1 with 35 strikeouts and eight walks in 39 1/3 innings pitched, and Knowles went 1-2 with 22 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings pitched.
Cowley also had four players from the 2017 team play this past season at NCAA Division II Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK.
Ben Strahm started 10 games on the mound for Northeastern State University and finished second on the team in innings pitched (62 2/3) and strikeouts (64), while pitching to an ERA of 4.16. Trevor Nance pitched 34 1/3 innings of relief for Northeastern State University and had the lowest ERA on the staff (3.41), while going 3-0 on the season.
Joshua Limes also appeared in nine games of relief for the Riverhawks, while Reid Fehr hit three home runs and drove in 15 while starting 28 games for Northeastern State University.
Pitching for NCAA Division II Emporia State University, Mason LeClair allowed only two earned runs in 12 2/3 innings pitched before suffering a season-ending injury. LeClair struck out 17 and walked only two, while finishing the season with three saves and an ERA of 1.42.
Seth Holman, who pitched at Cowley during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, anchored the Emporia State pitching staff by going 8-3 with a 3.23 ERA. Holman earned All-American honors as he struck out 122 batters and walked only 16 in 117 innings pitched. While, former Cowley standout Bryce Fischer was also named an All-American after batting .401 with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs for the Hornets.
Another former Tiger, Nathan Gieber, also pitched for Emporia State and tied for the team lead with four saves.
Catcher Payne McCutcheon batted .250 with two home runs and 14 RBIs for NCAA Division II University of Central Missouri, which finished the season with a record of 39-17.
Rounding out the list of former Tigers from the 2017 season, outfielder Joel Spain batted .257 with three home runs and 17 RBIS, while adding six stolen bases for NCAA Division II Washburn University.
"There have been a lot of really good players pass through our doors," Burroughs said. "This was a special group of kids that worked their tails off, so it easy to see them be successful."