July 12, 2005

Los Angeles, Calif. - While the LMU student-athletes take a break in intercollegiate competition, the nearly 20 former Lions playing professional baseball are in the midst of a busy season of work. The active Lions, who had standout LMU careers during the last ten seasons, are representing their alma mater in all levels of the professional ranks.

Major League
Left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson (2001) was the first Lion to reach the big leagues during the 2005 season. In his MLB debut, Wilson struck out the only batter he faced in the seventh inning when he sent the Marlins' Carlos Delgado back to the dugout swinging. The strikeout came with two outs and runners on first and third. He has now totaled three starts for the Rangers.

Wilson, who spent the 2001 season with the Lions after transferring to LMU from Santa Ana Junior College, was a fifth round pick of the Rangers in the 2001 MLB Draft. He led the Lions with 72 strikeouts in 2001.

The Newport Beach, Calif., native began the season at Single-A Bakersfield before being called up to Double-A Frisco in late April. There, he had tallied 30 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work for the RoughRiders.

Triple-A
Right-hander Billy Traber, who spent much of the 2003 season on the active roster of the Cleveland Indians before having Tommy John surgery, is now back with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League. With a 24 to 12 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the 2000 West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year has totaled 37.1 innings of work in seven appearances.

Scott Walter joins Traber in the Triple-A ranks, playing for the Omaha Royals in the Pacific Coast League. Walter, the Lions' catcher from 1998-2000, is hitting .275 (28-for-102) with 22 RBI and a .490 slugging percentage.

Double-A
Jason Aspito is hitting .250 over eight games for the Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) of the Texas League. Aspito, who transfered to LMU for the 2000 season, led the Lions with a .360 batting average that year.

Right-hander Michael Schultz, who played for LMU from 1998-2000, now pitches for the Tennessee Smokies (Arizona Diamondbacks) of the Southern League. In 39 appearances, Schultz has an ERA of 3.19 with five saves. He has tallied 45 strikeouts and just 24 walks in 42.1 innings.

Class-A Advanced
Vincent Cordova, a right-handed pitcher for the Lions from 2001-03, now pitches for the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League. Cordova has posted a 4.02 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 81 to 22 over 96.1 innings.

Josh Whitesell (2001-03), now with the Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League, is hitting .273 (68-for-249) with a .482 slugging percentage and 40 RBI in 70 games played.

Left-hander Josh Muecke, who pitched for the Lions from 2001-03, is 6-5 with a 3.09 ERA for the Salem Avalanche (Houston Astros) of the Carolina League. A complete game shutout helped him tally over 90 innings of work with 60 strikeouts and just 25 walks.

Class-A
Billy Lockin, a member of the Class of 2004, is now with the South Bend Silver Hawks (Arizona Diamondbacks) of the Midwest League. Lockin, an infielder, has tallied six hits - including a double- in his eight games played.

Another infielder from the Class of 2004, Clint McGill plays for the Lexington Legends (Houston Astros) of the South Atlantic League. McGill has tallied 26 hits, 16 runs, six RBI, four doubles, two home runs, and four stolen bases for the Legends.

Class-A Short-Season
The third member of the Class of 2004 to continue his baseball career is catcher Jonathan Higashi, now with the Spokane Indians (Texas Rangers) of the Northwest League. Higashi has tallied six hits, two of them which are doubles, and six RBI in his eight games played.

James Cooper, the recent ninth-round pick of the New York Yankees in the 2005 draft, was assigned to the Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Penn League. There, Cooper has tallied nine hits, including a double and a triple, and six RBI in 12 games played.

Rookie League
Another recent selection in the 2005 MLB draft, sixth-rounder Jeff Stevens has struck out nine in 6.2 innings pitched with the Billings Mustangs (Cincinnati Reds) of the Pioneer League.

Joe Frazee, drafted in the 25th round, has been assigned to the Phillies' rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. The outfielder has tallied six hits, half of them for extra bases, in his eight games played.

Kyle Huddy, who signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent, also plays in the Gulf Coast League. There, the right-hander has not allowed an earned run in five innings of work. Giving up just three hits, Huddy struck out four.

Independent Leagues
Anthony Angel (1998-2000) and Kris Zacuto (1999-2002) have also continued their baseball careers in the independent leagues. Angel was named MVP of the Central Baseball League in 2004, while Zacuto was the Northeastern League's 2004 Rookie of the Year.

Lions in the Pros
The way the 17 professional Lions began their professional careers:
2000
Billy Traber - 1st round selection of the New York Mets... now with Triple-A Buffalo Bisons (Cleveland Indians)
Michael Schultz - 2nd round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks... now with Double-A Tennessee Smokies
Scott Walter - 3rd round selection of the Kansas City Royals... now with Triple-A Omaha Royals
Jason Aspito - 9th round selection of the Chicago White Sox... now with Double-A Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Anthony Angel - 14th round selection of the Houston Astros... now with the Edinburgh Roadrunners (Independent)

2001
C.J. Wilson - 5th round selection of the Texas Rangers... now on the active roster of the Texas Rangers

2003
Josh Muecke - 5th round selection of the Houston Astros... now with Class-A Advanced Salem Avalanche
Josh Whitesell - 6th round selection of the Montreal Expos... now with Class-A Advanced Potomac Nationals (Washington Nationals)
Vincent Cordova - 9th round selection of the New York Mets... now with Class-A Advanced St. Lucie Mets

2004
Billy Lockin - 37th round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks... now with Class-A South Bend Silver Hawks
Jonathan Higashi - signed as a free agent by the Texas Rangers... now with the Class-A Short-Season Spokane Indians
Clint McGill - signed as a free agent by the Houston Astrons... now with the Class-A Lexington Legends

2005
Jeff Stevens - 6th round selection of the Cincinnati Reds... now with Rookie League Billings Mustangs
James Cooper - 9th round selection of the New York Yankess... now with Class-A Short-Season Staten Island Yankees
Joe Frazee - 25th round selection of the Philadelphia Phillies... now with Rookie League GCL Phillies
Kyle Huddy - signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Reds... now with Rookie League GCL Reds