Ball State University Athletics
Former Baseball Players Advance to Professional Ranks
September 28, 2005 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Former Ball State University baseball student-athletes Bryan Bullington (2000-02), Larry Bigbie (1997-99), Brad Snyder (2001-03), Joe Ness (2003-05) and Erik Morrison (2004-05) are making names for themselves in the professional ranks.
The first overall pick in the 2002 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, Bullington was called up Sept. 16 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who purchased his contract from their Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis Indians. In his first MLB appearance Sept. 18 versus the Cincinnati Reds, Bullington pitched 1.1 innings of relief, managing one strikeout, while giving up a hit, walking one batter and surrendering two earned runs.
The Colorado Rockies acquired outfielder Larry Bigbie through a trade with the Baltimore Orioles -- to that point Bigbie's only MLB team -- July 30. Through 88 games this season, Bigbie has managed a .241 batting average with five home runs and 23 RBIs. In a career dating back to 2001, Bigbie has notched 322 hits, 31 home runs, 136 RBIs and a .268 batting average in 373 games.
A member of 2005 Double-A Eastern League Champion Akron, Brad Snyder managed a .280 batting average in 75 games as an outfielder with the Aeros. In 304 at-bats during the season, Snyder had 85 hits, 54 RBIs and a .539 slugging percentage -- second-best on the team.
Pitcher Joe Ness was one of five Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers to be named to the New York-Penn League (NYPL) All-Star Game August 23 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Ness, who made 14 appearances with 10 starts, finished the season with a 4-2 record and a team-best 1.67 ERA. In 59.1 innings, he struck out 68 batters, while allowing only 52 hits, 11 earned runs and zero home runs. At the All-Star break, Ness was 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
Erik Morrison's Staten Island Yankees took home the NYPL title by sweeping the Auburn Doubledays. Morrison, a relief pitcher who saw action in 21 games, finished with a 3-1 record and a 2.67 ERA. During his 27 innings of play, he gave up just 23 hits and eight earned runs while fanning 22 batters.
