Ball State University Athletics
Cardinals in the Pros
October 26, 2023 | Baseball
2023 Season in Review
Ball State alumni have wrapped up their 2023 seasons in professional baseball. The year was highlighted by a quartet of former Cardinals playing in the big leagues and two organizational pitchers of the year. A summary of notable performances can be found below.
Position Players
Alex Call (Washington Nationals) - The outfielder and 2016 third round draft pick tallied 8 home runs and 14 doubles among his 75 hits in his second season in Major League Baseball. Call accumulated 9 stolen bases, 38 RBI and 43 runs scored for a young Nationals team, with a highlight of his season being a walkoff home run on May 4 against the Chicago Cubs.
Zach Cole (Houston Astros system) - Cole, the No. 10 ranked prospect in the Astros organization according to MLB.com, played 70 games with the Single-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers and 41 games with the High-A Asheville Tourists after a July 19 promotion. All told, the outfielder produced a .258/.380/.489 slash line along with 20 doubles, 8 triples, 19 home runs, 65 RBI, 79 runs scored and 37 stolen bases in his second professional season.
Pitchers
John Baker (New Jersey Jackals) - Baker totaled a 6-8 record, 5.51 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 99.2 innings pitched in his second year in the independent Frontier League.
Drey Jameson (Arizona Diamondbacks) - The 2019 first rounder from Greenfield, Ind., put up a 3-1 record and 3.32 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 40.2 innings before an injury cut short his second season in the big leagues.
Chayce McDermott (Baltimore Orioles system) - McDermott, Baltimore's 10th-ranked prosect by MLB.com, won the Jim Palmer Award as the Orioles' Minor League Pitcher of the Year thanks to a 3.10 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 119.0 innings across 26 games (22 starts) for the Double-A Bowie Baysox and Triple-A Norfolk Tides. The righthander earned the callup to Norfolk on July 15 in his first full season in the Baltimore farm system (third professional overall).
Kyle Nicolas (Pittsburgh Pirates) - The No. 24 prospect for Pittsburgh, Nicolas made his Major League debut for the Pirates on Sept. 19 at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. Nicolas had 7 strikeouts in 5.1 innings over 4 games in the big leagues after tallying 127 strikeouts in 98.2 innings between Double-A Altoona Curve and Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
Zach Plesac (Cleveland Guardians) - In his fifth big league season, Plesac went 1-1 with a 7.59 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 21.1 innings (5 starts) for Cleveland in 2023. The righthander posted a 5-6 record and 71 strikeouts in 94.2 innings at Triple-A Columbus.
Tyler Schweitzer (Chicago White Sox system) - As the No. 25 prospect in the White Sox organization, the 2022 fifth round draft pick combined for a 7-4 record and 3.94 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 107.1 innings between the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and High-A Winston-Salem Dash in his first full professional season. Schweitzer was named the White Sox Pitching Prospect of the Year by MLB.com with his performance.
Ty Weatherly (Baltimore Orioles system) - The big righthander tallied a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings with 14 strikeouts across stints with the Florida Complex League Orioles and Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds in his initial professional season.
2023 Draft Picks
Trennor O'Donnell (8th round by the Boston Red Sox) - The big righthander led the 2023 Cardinals with a 2.93 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 92.0 innings pitched to be named Second Team All-MAC and ABCA All-Region.
Ryan Brown (9th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers) - Brown tallied 56 strikeouts in just 28.1 innings while allowing an opponent batting average of .184 as a junior as Ball State second Top 10 pick of the draft.
Ty Johnson (15th round by the Chicago Cubs) - Johnson put together a 4-2 record and 3.81 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 53.2 innings while adding three saves for the 2023 Cardinals.
Position Players
Alex Call (Washington Nationals) - The outfielder and 2016 third round draft pick tallied 8 home runs and 14 doubles among his 75 hits in his second season in Major League Baseball. Call accumulated 9 stolen bases, 38 RBI and 43 runs scored for a young Nationals team, with a highlight of his season being a walkoff home run on May 4 against the Chicago Cubs.
Zach Cole (Houston Astros system) - Cole, the No. 10 ranked prospect in the Astros organization according to MLB.com, played 70 games with the Single-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers and 41 games with the High-A Asheville Tourists after a July 19 promotion. All told, the outfielder produced a .258/.380/.489 slash line along with 20 doubles, 8 triples, 19 home runs, 65 RBI, 79 runs scored and 37 stolen bases in his second professional season.
Pitchers
John Baker (New Jersey Jackals) - Baker totaled a 6-8 record, 5.51 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 99.2 innings pitched in his second year in the independent Frontier League.
Drey Jameson (Arizona Diamondbacks) - The 2019 first rounder from Greenfield, Ind., put up a 3-1 record and 3.32 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 40.2 innings before an injury cut short his second season in the big leagues.
Chayce McDermott (Baltimore Orioles system) - McDermott, Baltimore's 10th-ranked prosect by MLB.com, won the Jim Palmer Award as the Orioles' Minor League Pitcher of the Year thanks to a 3.10 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 119.0 innings across 26 games (22 starts) for the Double-A Bowie Baysox and Triple-A Norfolk Tides. The righthander earned the callup to Norfolk on July 15 in his first full season in the Baltimore farm system (third professional overall).
Kyle Nicolas (Pittsburgh Pirates) - The No. 24 prospect for Pittsburgh, Nicolas made his Major League debut for the Pirates on Sept. 19 at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. Nicolas had 7 strikeouts in 5.1 innings over 4 games in the big leagues after tallying 127 strikeouts in 98.2 innings between Double-A Altoona Curve and Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
Zach Plesac (Cleveland Guardians) - In his fifth big league season, Plesac went 1-1 with a 7.59 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 21.1 innings (5 starts) for Cleveland in 2023. The righthander posted a 5-6 record and 71 strikeouts in 94.2 innings at Triple-A Columbus.
Tyler Schweitzer (Chicago White Sox system) - As the No. 25 prospect in the White Sox organization, the 2022 fifth round draft pick combined for a 7-4 record and 3.94 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 107.1 innings between the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and High-A Winston-Salem Dash in his first full professional season. Schweitzer was named the White Sox Pitching Prospect of the Year by MLB.com with his performance.
Ty Weatherly (Baltimore Orioles system) - The big righthander tallied a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings with 14 strikeouts across stints with the Florida Complex League Orioles and Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds in his initial professional season.
2023 Draft Picks
Trennor O'Donnell (8th round by the Boston Red Sox) - The big righthander led the 2023 Cardinals with a 2.93 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 92.0 innings pitched to be named Second Team All-MAC and ABCA All-Region.
Ryan Brown (9th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers) - Brown tallied 56 strikeouts in just 28.1 innings while allowing an opponent batting average of .184 as a junior as Ball State second Top 10 pick of the draft.
Ty Johnson (15th round by the Chicago Cubs) - Johnson put together a 4-2 record and 3.81 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 53.2 innings while adding three saves for the 2023 Cardinals.
Players Mentioned
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