Two former Cougars sign professional baseball contracts
June 23, 2007- Former Cougars Scott Mueller and CJ Retherford signed professional baseball contracts with the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox, respectively. Both had the opportunity to play at the College World Series in Omaha, NE (along with Cougar teammate Dustin Brader) for the Arizona State Sun Devils during the past week.
Scott Mueller, drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 21st round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Amateur draft, pitched for South Mountain CC in 2005 and 2006, prior to playing at Arizona State this season. He finished the 2007 season with a 2.65 ERA in 14 appearances for the Sun Devils. Mueller is the all-time leader in SMCC baseball history with 17 wins, while recording 156 strikeouts in 210 innings, and a 2.32 ERA. During his collegiate career, Mueller pitched in both the JUCO World Series and the NCAA College World Series. He will be reporting to Sarasota, FL this weekend.
CJ Retherford signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox after the completion of his senior year with Arizona State University. He graduated several weeks ago with his Bachelors degree from Arizona State. Retherford finished the 2007 season with a .298 batting average, 4 home runs, and 23 runs batted in. He had a tremendous finish to his collegiate career, hitting home runs in the regional, super-regional, and College World Series for the Sun Devils. As a Cougar, Retherford helped lead SMCC to the 2005 JUCO World Series, while compiling two-year totals of 126 hits, 22 doubles, 4 home runs, 85 runs, a .329 batting average, and a 15-7 mark on the mound. He will report to Great Falls, MT this week, joining former Cougar pitcher Tyson Corley.
Ka’aihue named Carolina League Player of the Week
June 16, 2007- Former Cougar first baseman, Kala Ka’aihue, was named the Carolina League Player of the week, after posting a .500 batting average and continuing a 10-game hitting streak for Myrtle Beach, the Class-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Ka’aihue hit 3 home runs, 4 doubles, and 11 runs batted in. He has become the franchise’s career home run leader in a short two-year stint. For more information, see http://myrtlebeachpelicans.com/news/?id=6222.
Andrew Conklin signs with Baltimore Orioles
May 16, 2007- Cougars sophomore pitcher Andrew Conklin signed a professional baseball contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Conklin was selected as a draft-and-follow in the 33rd round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He was a two-year starter in the pitching rotation at SMCC, finishing with a combined record of 9-7, 94 strikeouts, and a 3.14 ERA. Earlier this month, Conklin, a resident of Federal Way, WA, completed his Associate of Arts degree at SMCC. He will report to Sarasota, Fl in the next week.