Baseball Factory Alumni Impact #8
Follow along with us this season as we keep up with current and former Baseball Factory players who are making an impact on their team’s success. We will keep you up-to-date on the latest standout performances at the major league, collegiate and high school levels. This week, we focus on players making an impact in the minor leagues, college and high school levels.
Minor Leagues
Lance McCullers – (2010 Under Armour All-American) Lance, Jr, is the son of Lance McCullers, who played seven seasons in the majors (1985-1992) with the Padres, Yankees, Tigers and Rangers. Lance, Jr. was drafted by the Houston Astros (41st overall) in the 2012 Draft and has made two starts in three appearances for Double-A Corpus Christi this season. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in 14.0 innings pitched, striking out 21 batters.
Lance received the promotion to Double-A after starting and relieving for the High-A Lancaster Jethawks in 2014, winning three games and striking out 115 batters.
Clint Coulter – (2010 Team One Futures Game West, 2011 Under Armour All-American) The Milwaukee Brewers selected Coulter 27th overall in the 2012 MLB Draft and is wrecking havoc on High-A pitching with the Brevard County Manatees.
Coulter leads the team in hits with 24, batting .338 through 18 games with three doubles, two triples, six home runs and 15 RBI. He put together a fine 2014 season with Single-A Wisconsin, hitting .287 with 22 home runs and 89 RBI in 126 games.
Dan Vogelbach – (2010 Team One South, 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All American) Vogelbach was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2011 Draft, and the big first baseman has shown impressive power during his minor league career.
This season, he’s off to a fast start, hitting .369 in 18 games for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. Vogelbach is 5th in the Southern League in batting average, tied for second in doubles with 7 and tied for second with teammate, Kyle Schwarber in RBI with 13.
College
Andrew Benintendi – (Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout) The sophomore at the University of Arkansas is from Cincinnati, Ohio and the leads the Razorbacks in all major offensive categories, including average (.381) home runs (14) and RBI (42). He also paces the team in slugging percentage with .723 and on-base percentage with .490. Benintendi can get it done on the base paths too, stealing 20 bases in 23 attempts.
Earlier in the month of April, Andrew won NCWBA National Hitter of the Week honors for hitting .444 in five games, four of which Arkansas won. Benintendi leads the nation in home runs, hitting seven of those 14 in his last 13 games.
Ryan Burr – (Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout) Burr, a junior from Highlands Ranch in Colorado, is having an excellent season for the Arizona State Sun Devils out of the bullpen as the closer. He’s recorded 12 saves to go along with a 7-3 record and a 3.19 ERA.
Burr has struck out 58 batters in just 31.0 innings pitched this season.
High School
Nick Shumpert – (Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout & Premium Video Program, 2014 Under Armour All-American) Nick is the son of former major league player, Terry Shumpert (who played 14 seasons in the majors) and is finishing up his senior season of high school baseball at Highlands Ranch in Colorado.
Nick is hitting .625 with seven doubles, three triples, five home runs and 29 stolen bases this season. Shumpert has committed to the University of Kentucky and is expected to be a high draft pick in this year’s MLB Draft.
Ke’Bryan Hayes – (Team One Futures Series, Under Armour Futures Series, 2014 Under Armour Pre-Season All-American, 2014 Under Armour All-American) Ke’Bryan, the son of former major league infielder, Charlie Hayes (who hit 144 career home runs over his 14-year career) is in his senior season at Concordia Lutheran in Tomball, TX.
Ke’Bryan has committed to the University of Tennessee and is hitting .450 with 20 runs scored, 25 RBI and 10 stolen bases.