University of Tennessee Athletics
Pros Update: Gomes Makes Cleveland World Series Roster
October 27, 2016 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - With the 2016 regular season now complete, Tennessee Baseball witnessed 19 former players make appearances in professional baseball this year.
This week, VFL and Major League catcher Yan Gomes is representing the University of Tennessee in the 2016 World Series. Gomes, who started the season as the Cleveland Indians’ everyday catcher, had been on the Disabled List since July 18 with a separated shoulder. He returned for the final game of the regular season on October 2 before being added to Cleveland’s playoff roster for the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Major Leagues
R.A. Dickey -- SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Season: 10-15, 4.46 ERA, 30 G, 169.2 IP, 169 H, 97 R, 84 ER, 63 BB, 126 K
Dickey ended the 2016 season with a 10-15 record over 30 games (29 starts), including a 4.46 ERA and 126 strikeouts over 169.2 innings pitched. His 10 wins ranked third on the Blue Jays staff, while he also finished the year with the fifth-most strikeouts among Toronto’s squad. His 10 wins helped Toronto to its second-consecutive postseason berth, advancing all the way to the American League Championship Series facing the World Series participant Cleveland Indians. The Blue Jays ended the 2016 season with an 89-73 mark in regular season play.
Zack Godley -- SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks: 5-4, 6.39 ERA, 27 G, 74.2 IP, 86 H, 54 R, 53 ER, 25 BB, 60 K
Mobile BayBears Season: 2-5, 3.83 ERA, 8 G, 49.1 IP, 48 H, 27 R, 21 ER, 11 BB, 31 K
Reno Aces Season: 2-1, 3.31 ERA, 7 G, 32.2 IP, 37 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 15 BB, 38 K
Godley went 5-4 with a 6.39 ERA and 60 strikeouts over 74.2 innings of work, spanning 27 appearances with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He tied for fourth on the team in wins and pitched the second most number of innings by a D-Backs reliever. His 60 strikeouts were also second most by an Arizona relief pitcher in 2016.
Yan Gomes -- C, Indians
Season: .167, 74 G, 42 H, 22 R, 11 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 34 RBI
Gomes made his return from the DL on October 2 against the Kansas City Royals, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. Gomes made the Indians’ playoff roster on October 5 and went on to join his Cleveland squad through the American League Championship Series vs. Toronto. He is currently on the Indians’ 25-man active roster for the 2016 World Series, facing the Chicago Cubs.
Chase Headley -- 3B, Yankees
Season: .253, 140 G, 118 H, 58 R, 18 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 51 BB, 8 SB
Headley finished the season with a .253 batting average, 14 home runs and 51 RBI for the New York Yankees. He ranked third on the Yankees club in stolen bases with eight, fourth in walks with 51 and fifth in at-bats (467), hits (117), and runs scored (58). Headley was also sixth on the team in RBI and doubles (18), helping New York to an 84-78 regular season record.
Luke Hochevar -- RP, Kansas City Royals
Season: 2-3, 3.86 ERA, 40 G, 37.1 IP, 31 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 9 BB, 40 K
On July 28, Hochevar was placed on the Kansas City Royals' Disabled List due to thoracic outlet syndrome.
Minor Leagues
J.P. Arencibia -- C, Durham Bulls (AAA - Tampa Bay Rays)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs Season: .167, 12 G, 8 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI
Durham Bulls: .252, 78 G, 78 H, 14 2B, 15 HR, 34 R, 47 RBI, 1 SB
Arencibia finished the season with Tampa Bay's Durham Bulls and hit at a .252 clip with 15 homers and 47 RBI. Over his last 10 games, he collected 15 hits, three home runs and 13 RBI. His home run count led the Bulls for the second consecutive season, having also hit 22 homers over 99 games during the 2015 season.
Julio Borbon -- CF, Bowie Baysox (AA - Baltimore Orioles)
Baltimore Orioles (MLB): .308, 6 G, 4 H, 1 R
Bowie Baysox Season: .276, 111 G, 117 H, 61 R, 11 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 30 SB
Borbon hit .276 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI in 2016 with Bowie. His 30 stolen bases on the year were tops among the Baysox, while his 424 at-bats in 111 games were the second most on the team in 2016. In late July, Borbon spent six games with the big league club in Baltimore, hitting .308 with one run scored before returning to Bowie to finish the season.
Andy Cox -- P, Billings Mustangs (Rookie - Cincinnati Reds)
Season: 3-0, 1 SV, 4.59 ERA, 24 G, 33.1 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 17 ER, 20 BB, 27 K
Cox and Billings played deep into the minor league postseason, advancing all the way to the championship series of the Pioneer League. Billings lost in two games to the Orem Owls. Cox appeared in the most games by a pitcher for Billings playing in 24. Cox, who went 3-0 with one save and a 4.59 ERA, ended the season tied with teammate Junior Arias for the team lead in holds with five.
Matt Duffy -- INF/OF, Round Rock Express (AAA - Texas Rangers)
Houston Astros Season (MLB): .000, 3 G, 0 H, 0 R, 0 RBI
Fresno Grizzlies Season: .226, 74 G, 60 H, 36 R, 13 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 1 SB
Round Rock Express Season: .237, 35 G, 32 H, 17 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 8 HR
Duffy played in 11 games over the past three weeks of the season for the Round Rock Express. In his last outing on Sept. 5, he hit two home runs and recorded two RBI. On the season, he compiled a .237 average with 22 RBI for the Express. He also hit .226 with six homers and 30 RBI over 74 games with Houston’s Triple A Fresno prior to being selected off waivers by the Texas Rangers in July.
Vincent Jackson -- OF, State College Spikes (A-Short - St. Louis Cardinals)
Season: .233, 70 G, 62 H, 39 R, 13 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 16 SB
Jackson and State College swept Hudson Valley to win the New York-Penn League Championship title in 2016. In Game One of the series against Hudson Valley, Jackson went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. During the season, Jackson led the team in at-bats with 266 and was third in hits with 62. He finished the year with 45 RBI and tied teammate Ryan McCarvel for the team lead in the category. In his first professional season, Jackson hit .233 with 13 doubles, four homers and 16 stolen bases over 70 games.
Andrew Lee -- SP, Hagerstown Suns (A - Washington Nationals)
Season: 2-2, 3.71 ERA, 11 G, 51.0 IP, 45 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 18 BB, 46 K
Lee did not appear in any games over the final weeks of the season while spending time on the Hagerstown Suns 7-day Disabled List (since June 7th).
Will Maddox -- INF, West Michigan Whitecaps (A - Detroit Tigers)
Season: .339, 127 G, 173 H, 59 R, 23 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 28 SB
Maddox and the West Michigan Whitecaps lost the Midwest League Championship to Great Lakes in three games in September. During the regular season, Maddox knocked 173 hits, setting a new single-season hits record for the Whitecaps organization. On the year, he hit .339 with 23 doubles, 58 RBI and 28 stolen bases, second-most on the West Michigan squad.
Khayyan Norfork -- 3B, Harrisburg Senators (AA - Washington Nationals)
Potomac Nationals Season: .252, 42 G, 34 H, 16 R, 5 2B, 16 RBI, 5 SB
Harrisburg Senators Season: .164, 36 G, 12 H, 8 R, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 1 SB
Syracuse Season: .000, 1 G, 1 R
Norfork appeared in six games over the final three weeks of the season for the Harrisburg Senators. In his last appearance with the Senators, Norfork recorded two hits, including his third double of the season, and scored one run. On the season, the VFL hit .164 with four RBI for Harrisburg, while also compiling a .252 average with 16 RBI for the Potomac Nationals.
Zach Osborne -- SS, Hartford Yard Goats (AA - Colorado Rockies)
Season: .238, 64 G, 49 H, 22 R, 7 2B, 14 RBI, 1 SB
Osborne was activated from the 7-day Disabled List by the Hartford Yard Goats on Sept. 2. After returning for Hartford's final five games of the season, the shortstop tallied two hits and two RBI. He finished the season with a .238 average, 22 runs scored, 49 hits and 14 RBI for the Yard Goats.
Drake Owenby -- P, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A - Milwaukee Brewers)
Season: 3-1, 2 SV, 2.67 ERA, 17 G, 67.1 IP, 64 H, 28 R, 20 ER, 21 BB, 65 K
Owenby did not appear in any games over the final three weeks of the season while spending time on the 7-day Disabled List with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (since July 14).
Nick Senzel -- 3B, Dayton Dragons (A - Cincinnati Reds)
Dayton Dragons Season: .329, 58 G, 69 H, 38 R, 23 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 15 SB
Billings Mustangs Season: .152, 10 G, 5 H, 3 R, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 3 SB
Senzel finished the season with a .329 batting average, the second best mark on the team, while his seven home runs were third-most by a Dragons player this year. Senzel hit 23 doubles in 58 games, tied for second-most on the squad, and his 36 RBI tied for third among Dayton batters. Following the regular season, Senzel was selected by MiLB.com as one of four Reds organization All-Stars, having combined for a .912 OPS between Billings and Dayton, the third best mark in the organization behind fellow Reds minor leaguers Scott Schebler and T.J. Friedl.
A.J. Simcox -- SS, Lakeland Flying Tigers (A-Advanced - Detroit Tigers)
Season: .262, 127 G, 138 H, 76 R, 19 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 51 RBI, 7 SB
In his final outing of the season with the Flying Tigers, Simcox went 1-for-3 and drove in one run. He also hit a sacrifice fly and scored twice. On the year, Simcox hit .262 with 19 doubles, five triples, five homers and 51 RBI. He led the Flying Tigers with 76 runs scored, 138 hits and five triples, while his seven stolen bases were second-most among his teammates. His 127 games played also marked the most by any Lakeland player in 2016.
Drew Steckenrider -- RP, New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA - Miami Marlins)
Jupiter Hammerheads Season: 0-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 6 G, 10.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 17 K
Jacksonville Suns Season: 1-0, 6 SV, 1.48 ERA, 24 G, 30.1 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 10 BB, 39 K
New Orleans Zephyrs Season: 0-1, 7 SV, 5.40 ERA, 10 G, 11.2 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 15 K
Steckenrider finished the season 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA for the New Orleans Zephyrs and earned seven saves, which was good for second most on the team.
Christin Stewart -- OF, Erie Sea Wolves (AA - Detroit Tigers)
Lakeland Flying Tigers: .264, 104 G, 94 H, 60 R, 22 2B, 1 3B, 24 HR, 68 RBI, 3 SB
Erie Sea Wolves: .218, 24 G, 19 H, 17 R, 2 2B, 6 HR, 19 RBI
Salt River Rafters (Arizona Fall League): .167, 8 G, 5 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Stewart hit home runs in four of his last five games, including a three game stretch between Sept. 1-3, en route to earning Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2016. In his final outing of the season, he went 2-for-6 and drove in four runs.
Prior to his arrival at Double A Erie in August, Stewart led his Lakeland Flying Tigers with 24 home runs and 68 RBI, earning him Florida State League All-Star honors. He went on to knock six homers and collect 19 RBI over 24 games to finish the season with Erie.
Stewart is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters, whose MLB Parent Club is the Detroit Tigers.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee Baseball, visit UTSports.com/Baseball and follow @Vol_Baseball on Twitter.
