It’s probably not news to baseball fans that the 2015 season is underway. However, it’s probably not easy for all fans to find and track the 11 former members of the Creighton Bluejays baseball team that are making a living in professional baseball as you read this. The Bluejays have one player in the Big Show, three in Triple-A (including switch-pitching sensation Pat Venditte), three in Double-A, one in Class A Advanced, one in Class A, and another set to restart his career on May 9 in the Independent League.
Throughout the season, White & Blue Review will keep track of these 11 former Creighton players and give fans updates on their performances, good, bad, or otherwise. Here is the first trip around the diamond to see how the first month of the season has played out.
Darin Ruf (#18 | First Baseman | MLB | Philadelphia Phillies)
After spending the last three seasons between the minors and the majors, Darin Ruf made the Phillies Opening Day roster at the start of the 2015 season. He spends his time either patrolling left field in Philadelphia or spelling fellow former Missouri Valley Conference slugger Ryan Howard (Missouri State) at first base.
Ruf got off to slow start at the plate, but his season is not without its highlights. On April 12, in a home game against National League East division foe Washington, the former Creighton first baseman hit a go-ahead home run off Nationals reliever Xavier Cedeno. He hit his second home run of the season off St. Louis Cardinals lefty Tim Cooney in a 9-3 road loss on April 30. Over his last four starts he has three multi-hit games and has eight hits in 19 at-bats in that span. Four of those eight hits have gone for extra bases — three doubles and a home run.
2015 Stats: .216 AVG | .281 OBP | .412 SLG | .692 OPS | 51 AB | 11 H | 6 R | 4 2B | 2 HR | 5 RBI | 4 BB | 14 SO
Pat Venditte (#8 | Switch Pitcher | Triple-A | Nashville Sounds | Oakland Athletics)
Venditte dazzled fans in spring training with his ambidextrous abilities on the mound. The ability to get guys out with both arms has made the former Creighton standout a main attraction for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. He started the season by not allowing a single run in his first 10 innings of work. It wasn’t until New Orleans Zephyrs (Miami Marlins) shortstop Miguel Rojas hit a solo home run off Venditte in an April 28 spot start that someone finally put some crooked numbers in the switch-pitchers earned run average. That was the only run Venditte allowed in four innings of work that day.
Sporting a strike percentage of 58% is a bit on the low side, but it’s a small sample size and Venditte doesn’t really have to worry about a pitch count in short relief. He has been outstanding so far in his first inning of work when he comes out of the bullpen. Only four runners have reached base against him in his initial inning and he has struck out seven hitters in that first frame. On May 2nd, in his second-to-last outing, against Round Rock (Texas Rangers), Venditte allowed one run and struck out two in two innings of work, including getting former Bluejay Trever Adams on grounder back to him on the mound.
Ty Blach (#31 | Left-Handed Pitcher | Triple-A | Sacramento River Cats | San Francisco Giants)
The 24-year-old left-hander has seen some mixed results thus far in his first season at the Triple-A level. He allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out four batters over seven innings in his 2015 debut, earning a no decision against the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels). In his second start, against the Las Vegas 51s (New York Mets), Blach got the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits over six and 2/3 innings. He took another loss on April 21st against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres). El Paso knocked around the former Bluejay, scoring six runs on 10 hits in Blach’s four innings on the bump.
After two shaky outings, Blach got things turned around in an April 26 start against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners). Blach held the Rainiers to one run on three hits over six strong innings to earn his first career Triple-A win. It didn’t take him long to register win No. 2 as he again yielded just one run on three hits over six innings in a rematch against El Paso.
For the season he has only walked one batter, which came in his most recent start against former New York Yankees infielder Ramiro Pena. Before that, Blach had not issued a single base on balls in his first 27 and 2/3 innings to begin the season. It took a few outings for Blach to adjust to the more seasoned hitters as he saw his batting average against climb to .366 after his first three starts. However, in his last two starts he has only allowed six hits in his last 44 at-bats, good for a .136 opponent’s batting average. Against right-handed hitters so far he has struggled. His 4.98 earned run average against righties is the next area he’ll have to address. Those hitting from the left side of the plate against have only managed to reach base eight times against him.
Listed as Baseball America’s 7th-best prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, the 6-foot-2 lefty has four quality starts in six outings this season and his one walk in 29 and 2/3 innings is the result of a 69% strike percentage. He’s also been productive with a bat in his hands, going 2-for-5 at the plate with a double so far.
Trever Adams (#18 | First Baseman | Triple-A | Round Rock Express | Texas Rangers)
Like Ty Blach, a teammate for two seasons Creighton, Adams is also embarking on his first season at the Triple-A level. The first baseman out of Lincoln (NE) Southeast High School is hitting .200 after 18 games, but has found some success of late. On May 1st in a 7-2 over the Nashville Sounds (Oakland Athletics), Adams hit his first Triple-A home run. It was a solo shot off Seth Frankoff in the sixth inning to extend Round Rock’s lead to 5-2. His second blast was a bit more special. In the final game of the four-game series against Nashville on May 3, Adams stepped in against former Diamondbacks and Athletics starting pitcher Jarrod Parker. With his team trailing 4-0, Adams launched a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning off Parker. The rally ended with a 5-4 victory and a series sweep for Round Rock. He was also a key part of the series opener against the Sounds after his two-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning produced what proved to be the winning run.
Although Adams has hit both of his home runs this season against right-handed pitchers, he is only managing a .162 batting average against. Contrast that with a .278 clip against lefties. However, when getting the chance to drive in runs he’s come through more times than not. He’s currently hitting .286 with a home run and seven runs batted in with runners in scoring position. When he has a situation with two men on base, Adams is 3-for-7 (.429) with a home run and five runs batted in.
Listed as a first baseman on the roster, he has actually started 10 of his 15 games in the field on the other side of the diamond at third base. There he has committed two errors in 15 chances. It’s not a position he has played for the majority of his pro career, so some growing pains will be expected if Round Rock wants to keep him there.
2015 Stats: .200 AVG | .258 OBP | .309 SLG | .567 OPS | 55 AB | 11 H | 4 R | 2 HR | 8 RBI | 0 SB | 2 CS | 4 BB | 16 SO
Kurt Spomer (#20 | Right-Handed Pitcher | Double-A | Arkansas Travelers | Los Angeles Angels)
It hasn’t mattered what level he has pitched at this season, Double-A or Triple-A, Kurt Spomer has proven to be difficult to hit against. He started the year with two scoreless outings at the Double-A level before getting a brief two-week stint with Triple-A Salt Lake. He struck out four hitters over five and 1/3 scoreless innings with Salt Lake before returning to Arkansas. He allowed three runs (all unearned) on April 28 against the Tulsa Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers) in his first game back. His last two outings on May 2 and May 5 have been flawless as he hasn’t allowed a base runner in two and 1/3 innings of work.
Opponents this year are hitting .122 against the former Creighton closer. Of his seven appearances the only one where he allowed more than one hit was on April 22 against the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies (Houston Astros). Spomer threw two and 2/3 innings and allowed a pair of singles while also striking out a pair. A double by Tulsa’s Daniel Mayora on April 28 is the only one of the five hits allowed so far this season by Spomer to go for extra bases. He has yet to allow a hit against a left-handed hitter at either Double-A or Triple-A. Right-handed batters haven’t fared much better, hitting .167 against him at Double-A and .231 at Triple-A.
Anthony Bemboom (#10 | Catcher | Double-A | Arkansas Travelers | Los Angeles Angels)
Joining Spomer at Double-A Arkansas is former college teammate Anthony Bemboom. The 6-foot-2 catcher is back at Double-A after an eight-game stint there in 2013, and it has been an eventful experience so far. In his first game on April 9, he brought in a run on an RBI single in the top of the sixth that produced the eventual winning run in a 5-4 victory over the Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers). In his next two starts, both one-run wins over the Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics), Bemboom produced an RBI single and an RBI double in the victories.
Two weeks later he hit a go-ahead two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead his team to a 10-9 come-from-behind win over the Tulsa Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers). Two days prior to that he came up in the bottom of the 12th inning of a scoreless game against the Drillers and hit a pinch-hit single to second base. The Drillers second baseman stopped the ball from getting to the outfield, but tried to make a throw while still on the ground that allowed the winning run to score.
On the season, the Arkansas Travelers club are 5-0 when Bemboom drives in a run, and 7-1 when he has at least one hit in a game. With runners in scoring position, Bemboom is raking to the tune of a .467 batting average (7-for-15). He has a double, a triple, and eight runs batted in in those situations. With two runners on base, he is 6-for-11 (.545) with a double, a triple, and six runs batted in. That probably qualifies him for a high grade when scouts look at his “clutch factor.”
He has started 11 games at catcher this season, splitting time with Charlie Cutler and Zach Wright. So far behind the plate in 2015 he has not committed an error and has thrown out four of the nine runners who have tried to steal a base against him.
2015 Stats: .243 AVG | .349 OBP | .324 SLG | .673 | 37 AB | 9 H | 5 R | 1 2B | 1 3B | 0 HR | 8 RBI | 1 SB | 6 BB | 13 SO
Elliot Soto (#5 | Shortstop | Double-A | Tennessee Smokies | Chicago Cubs)
Soto split time at Double-A and Triple-A in 2014, this year he’s been at Double-A Tennessee to start the 2015 season. He has started and played the entirety of 21 games at shortstop this season for the Smokies. He has hit safely in 14 of those 21 games, and has multi-hit efforts in six of those contests. Soto has been a consistent producer at the plate throughout the young season. In an April 13 victory against the Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves), Soto hit a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the third inning.
Two weeks later his RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Chattanooga Lookouts (Minnesota Twins) broke a 6-6 tie and stood as the game-winning hit. Then in a May 3 game against the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox), Soto hit RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings, leading the Smokies to a 3-0 win.
Soto has seen most of his at-bats as the No. 8 hitter in the Smokies lineup. He has a .295 batting average out of that spot. The top of the order has also proved to be a comfortable spot for Soto if his .363 average as the lead off man or the second hitter in the lineup is any indication. With runners on base he is hitting .333, and has a double, seven runs batted in, and a .304 batting average with runners in scoring position.
2015 Stats: .277 AVG | .341 OBP | .313 SLG | .654 OPS | 83 AB | 23 H | 16 R | 3 2B | 0 3B | 0 HR | 7 RBI | 2 SB | 1 CS | 8 BB | 17 SO
Jonas Dufek (#37 | Right-Handed Pitcher | Double-A | Corpus Christi Hooks | Houston Astros)
The former Creighton starting pitcher is back on the mound after missing 2014 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. His first couple outings were rough, but he is back on track after tossing five scoreless innings of relief in his last two appearances. On May 4 against the Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers affiliate), he earned his first win since 2013 with three shutout innings, striking out one and allowing only two singles. His strike percentage for the season sits at 59%, but that’s mainly due to his first two appearances after returning from the injury. In his last two outings he has only walked one hitter in five innings, and has a 67% strike percentage, which is more in line with his career numbers as a professional.
Mike Gerber (#13 | Right Fielder | Class A | West Michigan Whitecaps | Detroit Tigers)
Photo by Robin Buckson (Detroit News)
The 22-year-old left-handed hitter is off to scorching hot start to his first full season of pro ball. Hitting primarily out of the three- or four-hole in the West Michigan lineup, Gerber is hitting .341 and has driven in 18 runs in his first 24 games of the season. He already has nine multi-hit games this season, including three games with at least three hits. Gerber’s batting average has not fallen below .278 all season thanks to him starting the year with seven hits in his first 10 at-bats. If you find that impressive, it pales in comparison to the stretch of hitting the former Bluejay has put on display of late. That would be the 10-game hitting streak that Gerber is on currently. Over those 10 contests he is hitting .432 (16-for-37) with two doubles, a home run (a three-run shot on May 2nd), and nine runs batted in.
A 15th round selection by the Tigers in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the former Creighton center fielder has seen most of his action in the field as a right fielder, especially this season where he has started 16 of 17 games as the West Michigan right fielder. He has committed just one error in 24 chances this season in those 17 games.
Entering the season, Gerber was rated the 19th-best prospect in the Detroit Tigers organization by Baseball America. Gerber is not the only West Michigan player to have the experience of playing a game at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in 2014. Teammate Ross Kivett’s Kansas State club played a three-game series against Creighton at the end of March, while Trent Szkutnik’s Michigan team also played three games during the Big Ten Tournament which was hosted at the stadium towards the end of May. The other two teammates to share the TD Ameritrade Park field with Gerber are Adam Ravenelle (Vanderbilt) and Artie Lewicki (Virginia). The two relief pitchers shared the College World Series stage last year, and met in the CWS Finals, won by Ravenelle’s Vanderbilt Commodores. Ravenelle earned the save in the winner-take-all title game.
2015 Stats: .341 AVG | .382 OBP | .462 SLG | .844 OPS | 91 AB | 31 H | 13 R | 3 2B | 1 3B | 2 HR | 18 RBI | 4 SB | 7 BB | 13 SO
Jake Peter (#3 | Second Baseman | Class A Advanced | Winston-Salem Dash | Chicago White Sox)
The left-handed hitting second baseman turned 22 years old four days before his first full season of pro ball got underway. Peter celebrated his birthday with four multi-hit efforts in his first five games. Hitting second in the Winston-Salem lineup for his 23 games played, Jake has eight multi-hit games on the season and he has reached base safely in 19 of those 23 games. He has struggled to hit left-handed pitching early on this season, going just 3-for-20 against lefties. His .290 batting average against right-handed pitchers brings his overall average up to the .258 mark it’s at currently.
Photo by Lauren Carroll (Winston-Salem Journal):
Peter recently had a six-game hitting streak that including three consecutive games where he had two hits in each game. His highlight of that stretch came on April 28 against the Potomac Nationals (Washington Nationals) where he knocked home a pair on a two-run single to lead Winston-Salem to a 5-3 victory. His batting average through 23 games this season is 22 points higher than it was last season at this level, and he has already more than doubled his RBI total in the same amount of games that he played last year for Winston-Salem. Against the Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles) his last time out, Peter went 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts to highlight a 2-for-3 night at the plate while also drawing two walks. The three stolen bases were a career-high at the pro and college level for Peter. He stole 16 bases in his three seasons at Creighton; he’s already nabbed five on six attempts so far this season.
Drafted in the 7th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Peter was selected as a second baseman/shortstop who could also pitch some in relief due to the 96 MPH velocity he topped out at as an occasional closer in college. Thus far he hasn’t taken the mound at the professional level, but he has played the majority of his time at the second base position he manned for three seasons as a Creighton Bluejay. In 18 games at second base this season, he has yet to commit an error. His lone error so far in 2015 came at shortstop where he has played five games this season.
Prior to the season, Jake was listed as 25th-best prospect in the White Sox farm system by Jim Callis of MLB.com.
2015 Stats: .258 AVG | .330 OBP | .337 SLG | .667 OPS | 89 AB | 23 H | 10 R | 3 2B | 2 3B | 0 HR | 12 RBI | 5 SB | 1 CS | 10 BB | 18 SO
NOTE: Former Creighton third baseman Federico Castagnini (2013) was released by the Baltimore Orioles prior to the season … After spending three seasons in the minors as an undrafted free agent, former Creighton third baseman Chance Ross (2011 & 2012) was released by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim … Before the season the Angels also released former Creighton shortstop Jimmy Swift (2007-2011) … Swift played four seasons in the minors after signing with the Texas Rangers as an undrafted free agent … Former Bluejays closer Bryan Sova (2013 & 2014) voluntarily retired on March 5 after one season with the Williamsport Crosscutters of the Philadelphia Phillies organization … Former Creighton starting pitcher Eric Wordekemper (2003-2005) signed with the Sioux City Explorers and will report to spring training on May 9.