Cougar Baseball at the Next Level in 2023
PHOENIX ---
The South Mountain Community College baseball team has helped student-athletes continue their baseball careers at four-year universities and in the professional ranks for the upcoming 2023 season. Below is a list of former SMCC student-athletes, where they are continuing their baseball careers and how they are doing against some of the nation's best.
Professional Baseball
Cade Povich, LHP, Bowie Baysox -- Double-A Affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles: Povich finished 10-10 overall in 2022, sporting a 4.50 ERA in 24 appearances, 23 starts and 114 innings of work ... he had 148 strikeouts and a 1.18 WHIP ... traded from the Minnesota Twins organization to the Baltimore Orioles organization during the 2022 season ... he had eight strikeouts in his debut for the Orioles.
Gustavo Sosa, C, Philadelphia Phillies Organization: Sosa was a 10th round oick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies organization ... earned All-ACCAC honors in 2022 at SMCC and appeared in 54 games and batted .337 with 63 hits and 33 runs in 187 at-bats ... played in nine games for the Florica Complex League Phillies in 2022 summer, collecting a double, two runs, two RBIs and four walks.
Ronan Kopp, LHP, Great Lake Loons -- High-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers: Kopp finished 5-3 with one save, 108 strikeouts and a 2.74 ERA in 62.1 innings of work during the 2022 season ... posted a 1.32 WHIP for the year ... went 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 102 K's in 57.2 innings for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers' Class-A Affiliate.
College Baseball
Bobby Peirce, OF, Auburn University: Finished 2022 with a .284 batting average, .350 on-base percentage, and a .562 slugging percentage in 48 games and 38 starts for the Eagles ... hit 10 home runs, scored 33 runs and added seven doubles, a team-high four triples, and 31 RBIs ... helped lead Auburn to the 2022 College World Series ... tied for team lead with three hits and led the way with four RBI in the CWS … turned in a .987 fielding percentage in right field, committing just one error in 77 chances.
Efrain Cervantes, INF, University of Nebraska: Appeared in 40 games and made 37 starts for the Huskers in 2022 ... finished year with 20 hits, 10 RBIs, 12 runs, four doubles and a home run ... had two multi-hit and multi-RBI games.
Brayden Brooks, RHP, University of Texas-Arlington: Received a medical hardship waiver for the 2022 season after appearing in nine innings with a 5.00 ERA and seven strikeouts ... earned Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll honors.
Jake Sansing, RHP, Air Force Academy: Appeared in 13 games and made four starts for the Falcons, helping the Air Force Academy qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 53 years ... went 2-3 with a 9.10 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.
Jake Haze, INF, Northwestern State University: Appeared in 40 games and made 33 starts for NSU in 2022 ... batted .254 with 26 runs, seven doubles, a triple, 17 RBIs and four stolen bases ... posted a .374 on-base percentage due to 19 walks and seven hit-by-pitches ... earned 2022 Southland Conference Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll honors.
Trey Goodrich, RHP, Sacramento State University: Appeared in 10 games for the Hornets in the 2022 season ... finished 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 13.1 innings of work ... held opponents to a .240 batting average ... posted wins over San Jose State and Utah Valley.
Brice Martinez, INF, Wofford University: Appeared in 57 games and made 45 starts for the Terriers, all at second base, in the 2022 season ... batted .331 with 52 hits, 41 RBIs, 34 runs, six doubles, a triple, two home runs and 11 stolen bases ... posted a .416 on-base percentage due to 20 walks and five hit-by-pitches.
McKay Barney, OF, University of Washington: Started all 55 games for the Huskies, posting a team-best .315 batting average ... added 40 runs, 73 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, a home run, 23 RBIs and 15 stolen bases for the season ... finished the season on a 15-game hitting streak, including multiple hits in the final eight games.
Brodie Marino, C, Oregon Institute of Technology: Appeared in 50 games for the Owls in 2022, batting .282 with two home runs, 10 doubles and 36 RBIs ... had an 11-game hitting streak during the season ... named to the NAIA Scholar-Athlete Team.
Trent Adams, LHP, Campbell University: Appeared in seven games for the Camels in the 2022 season ... pitched 3.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts ... named to Big South Presidential Honor Roll.
Shawn Triplett, RHP, Grand Canyon University: Missed the 2022 season due to injury and received a redshirt.
Andrew Lucas, RHP, University of Texas-Arlington: Spent 2022 at Arizona State University ... tossed 8.1 innings while striking out six for the Sun Devils … registered 10 at bats with three runs and two walks at the plate.
Matt Bohnert, LHP, Lipscomb University: Appeared in 25 games for the Bison in 2022 ... finished 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 41.2 innings of work ... faced 181 batters and held opponents to a .119 batting average for the year.
Dustin Bermudez, INF-RHP, Ouachita Baptist University: Batted .307 in 53 games and 52 starts as a position player for the Tigers in 2022 ... finished year with 46 runs, 55 hits, 10 doubles, seven home runs, 36 RBIs and four stolen bases ... as a pitcher, went 2-0 in 10 apperances and two starts with a 5.03 ERA and 26 K's in 19.2 innings of work.
Holden Breeze, INF, Oral Roberts University: Appeared in 57 games and made 56 starts for the Golden Eagles ... batted .337 with 47 runs, 70 hits, 19 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 42 RBIs and two stolen bases ... named to 2022 Summit League All-Tournament Team ... earned Second Team All-Summit League Team honors ... named to 2022 College Station Regional All-Tournament Team after helping lead ORU to the NCAA Tournament.
Justin Quinn, OF, Oral Roberts University: Appeared in 39 games and made 32 starts for the Golden Eagles in 2022 ... batted .280 with 24 runs, 35 hits, four doubles, three triples, a home run, 21 RBIs and four stolen bases ... Quinn's two triples in a win vs. Pacific tied the program record for triples in a game ... totaled eight multi-hit games.
Carter Krosky, RHP, Utah Valley University: Krosky appeared in 14 games and made 11 starts for SMCC in 2022 ... finished 4-4 with a 5.55 ERA in 61.2 innings and had 59 strikeouts and 13 walks ... recorded victories over Yavapai College, Paradise Valley CC, Phoenix College and Central Arizona ... had a season-high eight strikeouts against Arizona Western.
Drew Woody, LHP, Utah Valley University: Appeared in 20 games and made four starts for the Cougars in 2022 ... finished 3-2 with a 6.84 ERA in 26.1 innings ... had 33 career strikeouts to 19 walks in his two years at SMCC.
Ryan Figueroa, RHP, CSU Bakersfield: Finished 7-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 66 innings and had 75 strikeouts to 17 walks for SMCC in 2022 ... picked up a pair of wins against Cochise College and defeated Pima CC ... earned a save against Scottsdale CC and had a season-high five strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief against Mesa CC.
Esteban Hernandez, RHP-INF, Southeast Missouri State University: Appeared in 43 games in 2022 for SMCC and batted .248 with 28 hits and 25 runs ... posted four doubles, a home run, 13 RBIs and 12 stolen bases and finished with a .397 on-base percentage and a .310 slugging percentage ... as a pitcher in 2022, Hernandez tossed 12.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and three walks ... finished with a 3.75 ERA and had a season-high three strikeouts in two games.
Alec Stanfield, RHP, University of New Mexico: Appeared in 27 games over 2021 and 2022 for SMCC ... finished 2-4 with a save and 64 strikeouts in 55 innings for his SMCC career ... in 2022, Stanfield appeared in 14 games and made one start on the mound ... finished 0-2 with a save and a 3.24 ERA in 25 innings ... had 33 strikeouts and nine walks ... in 2021, Stanfield appeared in 13 games and made five starts, finishing 2-2 with 31 K's and a 7.80 ERA in 30 innings of work.
Nick Wallerstedt, LHP, Long Beach State: Appeared in seven games on the mound, all in the relief, for SMCC in 2022 ... had nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings ... had a season-high three strikeouts twice.
Nolan Livsey, LHP, Metro State University-Denver: Finished 4-2 with a 4.65 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings whiel making 13 appearances, including nine starts in 2021 and 2022 for SMCC ... Tossed 7 2/3 no-hit innings, striking out three, to earn a win against Pima CC on Feb. 5, 2022.