Jared Mortensen, CBN POW, Week VII
* RHP Jared Mortensen (Abbotsford, BC) was conference pitcher of the year at LSU-Shreveport and undrafted ... He's this week's CBN Player of the Week after tossing seven scoreless at double-A Montgomery.
By George Farelli
As the draft approaches -- June 8-to-10 -- you’re going to read about past first round draft picks.
Yet the draft is not the end or the beginning of the end.
Take RHP Jared Mortensen.
He was undrafted after pitching for the Abbotsford Cardinals in 2008 and headed to the Prairie Baseball Academy.
He was undrafted at the PBA and headed to Mount Olive College in 2010.
He was undrafted after throwing 19 innings there, returned home to pitch for the Lethbridge Bulls in the Western Major Baseball League, and recruited by Louisiana State University-Shreveport Pilots.
He was undrafted as an LSU Pilot in even though he won conference pitcher of the year (12-2, 1.67 ERA) in 2012. He again pitched for the Bulls.
Then in 2013 he landed a spot with the Grand Prairie AirHogs, independent league team, Tampa Bay Rays scouts saw him and signed him.
Now, in his second full season of affiliated ball Mortensen is a lot farther ahead of many players who were drafted. Pitching for the Montgomery Biscuits he worked seven scoreless in a 4-0 victory over the Tennessee Smokies. Mortensen five base hits, striking out nine, to earn his third win of the year.
Undrafted and undeterred, Mortensen is the Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week for Week VII, the best of the 52 Canucks in the minors this week.
He beat out the likes of Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) six scoreless at class-A Potomac; Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC), four RBIs, .444 at triple-A Toledo; Trevor Gretzky (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) one homer, five RBIs, .429) at class-A Burlington and Shane Dawson (Drayton Valley, Alta.) one run, 6 2/3 innings) at class-A Lansing and Colin Kleven (Kamloops, BC) one run, six innings, class-A Clearwater.
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES Week VII
Player / Class / Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
Jordan Lennerton - AAA Toledo 18 5 8 - 4 .444
Trevor Gretzky - A Burlington 14 2 6 1 5 .429
Jordan Procyshen - A Greenville 12 2 5 - 3 .417
George Kottaras - AAA Charlotte 11 2 4 1 2 .364
Sean Jamieson - AA Mobile 15 4 5 1 1 .333
Peter Orr - AAA Colorado Springs 19 3 6 - 1 .316
Jean Luc Blaquiere - IND Quebec 19 3 8 1 3 .421
Jim Adduci - FGN Lotte Giants (Korea) 27 8 9 1 5 .333
Rene Tosoni - IND Sioux City 18 - 6 - 2 .333
(* Minimum 10 AB’s required)
BEST PITCHING PERFORMANCES
JARED MORTENSEN RHP - DOUBLE A MONTGOMERY BISCUITS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 7.0 5 - - 1 9 1-0 - 0.86 0.00
Mortensen had what was probably his best outing of the season for Montgomery this week, and is showing that he is adapting quite well to Double A competition. On May 24th in a 4-0 victory over Tennessee he pitched seven scoreless innings, gave up just five base hits while striking out nine Smokies hitters, to earn his third win of the year. His overall record with the Biscuits in the Double A Southern League is now 3-3 with a 3.27 ERA.
NICK PIVETTA RHP - SINGLE A POTOMAC NATIONALS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 6.0 3 - - 1 4 1-0 - 0.67 0.00
Another solid start for the Nationals by Pivetta this week, as on May 24th in a 1-0 victory over Myrtle Beach Pelicans he threw six scoreless innings, surrendering only three base hits, while striking out four Pelican batters, to earn the win. His record with Potomac in Single A Carolina League is now 3-3 with a 1.41 ERA.
BROCK DYKXHOORN RHP - SINGLE A QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 4.0 1 - - - 5 1-0 - 0.25 0.00
Dykxhoorn is currently working out of the bullpen for Quad Cities and this week, on May 23rd in a 2-0 victory over Peoria Chiefs, he earned his third win of the season. He pitched four scoreless, gave up just one base hit striking out five Peoria hitters to gain the win. His overall record with the River Bandits in the Single A Midwest League isnow 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA.
COLIN KLEVEN RHP - SINGLE A CLEARWATER THRESHERS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 6.0 2 1 1 - 8 1-0 - 0.33 1.50
Following up on his excellent performances the previous week, Kleven made another fine start on May 24th in a 3-1 win over Palm Beach Cardinals. He threw six innings surrendered only two base hits and one earned run, while striking out eight Cardinals batters, to pick up his fouth win of the season. His record for the year with Clearwater in the Single A Florida State League is now 4-2 with a 3.73 ERA.
SHANE DAWSON LHP - SINGLE A LANSING LUGNUTS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 6.2 5 1 1 1 6 1-0 - 0.97 1.45
A model of consistency this season, Dawson had another excellent start for Lansing in Week 7. On May 23rd in a 10-1 victory over the Ft. Wayne Tincups he tossed 6 2/3, gave up five base hits and only one earned run, while striking out six Ft. Wayne batters, to earn the win. His overall record with the Lugnuts in the Single A Midwest League is now 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA, and the six wins leads all Canadians currently pitching with an affiliated teams in 2015.
Player Movement and Transactions
LHP Jeff Francis (Vancouver, BC) - Designated for Assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays. Cleared waivers, and was outrighted to Triple A Buffalo Bisons.
RHP Chris Leroux (Montreal, Que.) - Recently acquired by Philadelphia Philles in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, has now been activated off the reserve list at Triple A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.
LHP Erik Bedard (Navan, Ont.) - Activated from his assignment at the Los Angeles Dodgers extended spring training facility in Arizona, and sent out on a re hab to Single A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) - Moved by Philadelphia Phillies to Double A Reading Fightin’ Phils, from Triple A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.
OF Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, BC) - Moved by the St. Louis Cardinals to Single A State College Spikes, from Single A Palm Beach Cardinals.
C Mike Blanke (Granby, Que.) - Released by the Boston Red Sox from Double A Portland Sea Dogs.
C Joey Paciorek (Maple Ridge, BC) - Free Agent signs with the St. Paul Saints IND American Association.
LHP Mark Hardy (Campbell River, BC) - Placed on the temporary inactive list by Quebec Capitales IND Can Am League, sat out three games and was reactivated.
RHP Rob Nixon (Welland, Ont.) - Placed on the temporary inactive list by Winnipeg Goldeyes IND American Association, sat out three games and was reactivated.
LHP Taylor Bratton (Oakville, Ont.) - Released by Winnipeg Goldeyes IND American Association.
RHP John Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) - Released by the Winnipeg Goldeyes IND American Association.