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How are former Arizona Wildcats & Southern Arizona baseball players faring in the pros?

By Javier Morales

Posted on September 20, 2023

LOCAL BASEBALL PLAYERS IN THE PROS

Listing of local baseball players either from high school or Arizona currently playing in pro baseball.
*Barraza, Sahuarita graduate
*Romero, CDO graduate
*Salazar, Sahuaro graduate

Player	Pos	Sch	Yrs	Team	Lvl	Org
Nate Baez	1B	IRHS	16-19	Fort Myers	A	MIN
Christopher Barraza	P	UA*	21-23	Inland Empire	A	LAA
Branden Boissiere	1B	UA	19-21	Wilmington	A+	WAS
Tony Bullard	3B	UA	20-23	Jupiter	A	MIA
Alex Bustamante	P	CDO	16-18	Tampa	A	NYY
Demetrio Crisantes	SS	Nogales	19-22	ACL Dbacks	RK	ARI
Bobby Dalbec	1B	UA	14-16	Boston	MLB	BOS
Chase Davis	OF	UA	21-23	Palm Beach	A	STL
Jose Dicochea	P	Sahuarita	16-19	Lansing	A+	OAK
Brandon Dixon	3B	UA	11-13	El Paso	AAA	SD
Matthew Dyer	C	UA	19-20	Bowling Green	A+	TB
Michael Flynn	P	UA	16-18	Arkansas	AA	SEA
Matt Fraizer	OF	UA	17-19	Altoona	AA	PIT
Kevin Ginkel	P	UA	16	Arizona	MLB	ARI
Rio Gomez	P	UA	15-17	Worcester	AAA	BOS
Nick Gonzales	INF	Cienega	14-17	Indianapolis	AAA	PIT
Darick Hall	1B	Buena	11-13	Lehigh Valley	AAA	PHI
Garrett Irvin	LHP	UA	20-22	Stockton	A	OAK
Andre Jackson	P	Cienega	11-14	Pittsburgh	MLB	PIT
Kobe Kato	INF	UA	19-21	Asheville	A+	HOU
Scott Kingery	2B	UA	13-15	Lehigh Valley	AAA	PHI
Randy Labaut	P	UA	17-19	Akron	AA	CLE
Gil Luna	P	UA	18-21	Birmingham	AA	CHW
J.J. Matijevic	1B	UA	15-17	Sugar Land	AAA	HOU
Nik McClaughry	2B	UA	20-23	El Paso	AAA	SD
Tylor Megill	P	UA	17-19	NY Mets	MLB	NYM
Ian Mejia	P	Sahuarita	16-19	Rome	A+	ATL
Andrew Nardi	P	UA	19	Miami	MLB	MIA
Kevin Newman	SS	UA	13-15	Cincinnati	MLB	CIN
Jared Oliva	OF	UA	15-17	Salt Lake	AAA	LAA
Tanner O'Tremba	OF	UA	21-22	Eugene	A+	SF
Spencer Packard	OF	CDO	13-16	Arkansas	AA	SEA
Nick Quintana	INF	UA	17-19	Chattanooga	AA	CIN
Rob Refsnyder	OF	UA	10-12	Boston	MLB	BOS
Marcel Renteria	P	Nogales	10-13	Binghamton	AA	NYM
Alfonso Rivas	1B	UA	16-18	Pittsburgh	MLB	SD
Kiko Romero	1B	UA*	23	Tampa	A	NYY
Milo Rushford	CF	WGHS	18-21	ACL Royals	Rk	KC
Cesar Salazar	C	UA*	16-18	Sugar Land	AAA	HOU
Donny Sands	C	Salpointe	11-14	Toledo	AAA	DET
Chase Silseth	P	UA	21	LA Angels	MLB	LAA
Austin Smith	P	UA	21	Mississippi	AA	ATL
Daniel Susac	C	UA	21-22	Midland	AA	OAK
Cal Stevenson	OF	UA	17-18	Lehigh Valley	AAA	PHI
Alex Verdugo	OF	Sahuaro	11-14	Boston	MLB	BOS
Avery Weems	P	UA	18-19	Round Rock	AAA	TEX
Austin Wells	C	UA	19-20	NY Yankees	MLB	NYY

Cienega grad Nick Gonzales hit for the cycle on Tuesday night in the Indianapolis Indians’ 19-1 win over the Rochester Red Wings (Indianapolis Indians photo)

TUESDAY (9/19) TRANSACTIONS

None

MONDAY (9/18) TRANSACTIONS

C Donny Sands (Salpointe) of Toledo (AAA) placed on temporarily inactive list by Detroit Tigers

SUNDAY (9/17) TRANSACTIONS

2B Nik McClaughry (Arizona) assigned to Lake Elsinore (A) from El Paso (AAA) by San Diego Padres (he was assigned to El Paso because of injuries to infielders)

RHP Chase Silseth (Arizona) assigned to Salt Lake (AAA) for rehab (concussion) by the Los Angeles Angels

SATURDAY (9/16) TRANSACTIONS

1B/3B Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) recalled from Worcester (AAA) by Boston Red Sox

Pivetta on the mound! pic.twitter.com/NT6P7jahPW

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 17, 2023

FRIDAY (9/15) TRANSACTIONS

None

THURSDAY (9/14) TRANSACTIONS

2B Nik McClaughry (Arizona) promoted to El Paso (AAA) from Lake Elsinore (A) by San Diego Padres

Roster Moves:

C Yorman Rodriguez reinstated from the Development List

INF Nik McClaughry transferred from Single-A Lake Elsinore to El Paso

INF Tim Lopes placed on the 7-Day IL

INF Max Schrock placed on the 7-Day IL

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) September 14, 2023

WEDNESDAY (9/13) TRANSACTIONS

1B Brandon Dixon (Arizona), El Paso (AAA), placed on 7-day injured list (undisclosed) by San Diego Padres

OF Luis Gonzalez (Catalina Foothills), Sacramento (AAA), released by San Francisco Giants

#SFGiants Update:

OF Luis Gonzalez and INF Johan Camargo have both been released.

Gonzalez was DFA’d earlier this season, but outrighted to Sacramento. Camargo was 4-18 in eight games with the Giants this season. pic.twitter.com/3Paq3OelgP

— SF Giants Update (@Giants__Update) September 13, 2023

LOCAL BATTERS IN THE PROS

Through games of Sept. 19.
*Quintana - (7-day IL/Undisclosed)
*Newman - (10-day IL/Oblique strain)
R-Newman - (Rehab assignment)
*Dyer -(Full/undisclosed)
*Bullard - (7-day/undisclosed)
*Dixon - (7-day/undisclosed)

Player	Team	Lvl	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
Baez	MIN	A	29	97	18	26	5	0	2	16	1	.268
Boissiere	WAS	A+	40	129	12	31	7	0	1	15	0	.240
*Bullard	MIA	A	22	66	10	10	0	1	2	4	4	.152
Crisantes	ARI	RK	29	101	24	35	7	1	1	14	2	.347
Dalbec	BOS	MLB	13	22	4	6	2	0	0	0	1	.273
Davis	STL	A	34	104	15	22	6	0	0	23	3	.212
*Dixon	SD	AAA	59	239	39	64	7	2	15	44	7	.268
*Dyer	TB	A+	7	23	3	7	0	0	2	5	0	.304
Fraizer	PIT	AA	121	437	67	110	16	3	8	50	20	.252
Gonzales	PIT	AAA	94	354	68	99	26	7	13	45	4	.280
Hall	PHI	AAA	74	271	44	85	11	1	18	55	0	.310
Kato	HOU	A+	82	258	38	60	19	0	2	30	19	.233
Kingery	PHI	AAA	116	402	68	97	18	3	13	46	24	.241
Matijevic	HOU	AAA	117	432	65	106	26	6	16	76	8	.245
McClaughry	SD	AAA	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	1	1	.500
*Newman	CIN	MLB	74	225	28	57	16	0	3	28	8	.253
R-Newman	CIN	AAA	11	38	6	8	0	0	0	2	1	.211
O'Tremba	SF	A+	10	33	6	8	1	1	0	4	1	.242
Oliva	LAA	AAA	87	268	45	67	12	4	8	32	16	.250
Packard	SEA	AA	121	466	66	136	27	2	14	82	1	.292
*Quintana	CIN	AA	37	111	17	15	6	0	2	14	0	.280
Refsnyder	BOS	MLB	85	196	29	48	8	1	1	28	7	.245
Rivas	PIT	MLB	45	100	7	20	9	1	3	10	1	.200
Romero	NYY	A	27	102	15	22	6	1	3	14	0	.216
Rushford	KC	RK	32	111	32	37	8	3	3	21	9	.333
Salazar	HOU	AAA	53	163	19	33	8	0	2	16	3	.202
Sands	DET	AAA	89	320	32	72	24	1	5	36	1	.225
Stevenson	PHI	AAA	74	214	51	54	7	0	8	30	19	.252
Susac	OAK	AA	13	50	2	14	1	0	1	8	1	.280
Verdugo	BOS	MLB	134	522	79	140	36	5	13	54	4	.268
Wells	NYY	MLB	11	39	2	5	3	0	0	4	0	.128
Williams	BAL	AA	103	335	50	75	17	1	8	44	23	.194

TUESDAY’S HOME RUNS

2B Nick Gonzales (Cienega), Indianapolis (AAA), solo HR, 13th HR with Indianapolis and 15th overall this season.

Nick Gonzales hits for the cycle!

The @Pirates' No. 6 prospect collects his 4th 4-hit game of the year for the @indyindians and adds a walk for good measure. pic.twitter.com/VMmQudMDuF

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 20, 2023

TUESDAY’S BATTING LEADERS

2B Nick Gonzales (Cienega), Indianapolis (AAA), 4-5, 4 runs, double, triple, HR, 5 RBIs (hit for the cycle)

1B Darick Hall (Buena), Lehigh Valley (AAA), 2-4

2B Scott Kingery (Arizona), Lehigh Valley (AAA), 2-3, double

1B Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), Boston (MLB), 1-3, 2 runs, double

OF Cal Stevenson (Arizona), Lehigh Valley (AAA), 1-4, run, stolen base

LOCAL PITCHERS IN THE PROS

Through games of Sept. 19.
*Smith - (Full season DL/Arm)
*Weems - (Full season/Arm)
*Renteria - (Full season/Arm)
*Silseth - (7-day/Concussion)
R-Silseth - (Rehab assignment)
*Irvin - (7-day/Arm)

Player	Team	Lvl	W-L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Barraza	LAA	A	0-1	8	0	0	9.1	11	7	7	6	11	6.75
Bustamante	NYY	A	4-0	41	0	3	56.2	45	34	29	39	65	4.61
Dicochea	OAK	A+	0-3	13	12	0	49.2	40	27	24	40	41	4.35
Flynn	SEA	AA	0-2	15	0	0	18	16	20	18	9	23	9.00
Ginkel	ARI	MLB	9-0	56	0	4	62.2	38	21	15	19	66	2.15
Gomez	BOS	AAA	0-3	16	12	0	56.2	60	30	28	32	63	4.45
*Irvin	OAK	A	0-1	31	0	2	70.2	54	30	23	29	92	2.93
Jackson	PIT	MLB	1-3	16	5	2	55	49	33	33	19	49	5.40
Labaut	CLE	AA	3-0	17	0	1	34.2	23	8	7	14	37	1.82
Luna	CHW	AA	1-3	40	0	2	39.2	30	33	27	41	51	6.13
Megill	NYM	MLB	8-8	23	23	0	113	132	72	62	55	92	4.94
Mejia	ATL	A+	4-11	23	23	0	121	121	71	63	28	110	4.69
Nardi	MIA	MLB	7-1	58	0	2	53	40	17	16	19	66	2.72
*Renteria	NYM	AA	1-1	19	0	1	28	22	13	11	14	23	3.54
*Silseth	LAA	MLB	4-1	15	7	0	48.1	39	25	22	23	53	4.10
R-Silseth	LAA	AAA	4-1	10	10	0	42.1	32	18	15	16	45	3.19
*Smith	ATL	AA	0-0	1	0	0	0.2	0	1	1	1	0	13.50
*Weems	TEX	AA	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00

TUESDAY’S NOTABLE PITCHERS

RHP Kevin Ginkel (Arizona), Arizona (MLB), 1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K (no decision)

LHP Andrew Nardi (Arizona), Miami (MLB), 1.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K (no decision)

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.