Aug. 11, 2015
RENO, Nev. - After winning the university's first-ever Mountain West title, five Nevada baseball players were selected in the 2015 MLB Draft. All five of those players are currently active in the Minor League Baseball system.
See what Austin Byler (Missoula Osprey), Kewby Meyer (Princeton Rays), Ryan Howell (Vermont Lake Monsters), Adam Whitt (Tri-City ValleyCats) and Jordan Devencenzi (Vermont Lake Monsters) have accomplished so far in the minors;
Austin Byler: Missoula Osprey
40 games, .341 BA, 34 RBI, 40 R
After wrapping up a stellar career with the Wolf Pack, Austin Byler hasn't flinched an inch at the next level. Byler was drafted in the 11th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and is now batting .341 with the Missoula Osprey, a member of the Pioneer Baseball League in the Minor League Baseball rookie league.
In 40 games this summer, Byler is batting .341 with 47 hits, 34 RBI, 40 runs and nine homers. Byler leads the league in doubles (19), walks (34), extra-base hits (31) and slugging percentage (.717). Byler was named to the inaugural Pioneer Baseball League vs. Northwest League All-Star Game on Aug. 4, where he recorded two at bats.
In his most last outing with the Osprey (29-19), Byler did something he only did once with the Wolf Pack; hit three home runs in a single game. Byler went 4-of-5 with three home runs, four RBI and four runs in a 12-6 victory over Grand Rapids on Saturday. He was named Pioneer League Player of the Week after going 7-of-18 on the series with a double, four homers, nine RBI and seven runs.
Kewby Meyer: Princeton Rays
40 games, .270 BA, 19 RBI, 14 R
One of the top hitters in program history, four-year letter winner Kewby Meyer was drafted in the 37th round by the Tampa Bay Rays before being assigned to the Princeton Rays of the Appalachian League, a member of the Minor League Baseball rookie league. The Rays currently lead the east division with a 27-19 record.
Meyer has been a consistent starter for Princeton, and has played in 40 games at first base this year. Meyer is batting .270 with 40 hits, 14 runs, 19 RBI, 11 doubles and a .337 on base percentage. Meyer has tallied 14 multi-hit games with the Rays.
Ryan Howell: Vermont Lake Monsters
28 games, .207 BA, 9 RBI, 12 R
After being drafted in the 15th round and signing with the Oakland Athletics, Ryan Howell was assigned to the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League. The league is classified as a Class A short season league of Minor League Baseball.
Howell has played in 28 games at second base and ranks second on the team with three home runs. The NCBWA District VIII Player of the Year is batting .207 with 19 hits, 12 runs, nine RBI and a .336 on base percentage with the Lake Monsters (22-26).
Adam Whitt: Tri-City ValleyCats
11 games, 5.09 ERA, 17.2 IP, 16 K
Carson City native Adam Whitt was drafted in the 16th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros, and was assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. Tri-City currently leads the Stedler division of the league with a 28-23 overall record.
Whitt has made 11 appearances in relief for the ValleyCats, logging a 2-2 record with two saves. Whitt has posted a 5.09 ERA in 17.2 innings with 10 earned runs allowed and 16 strikeouts. In his first three appearances in Tri-City, Whitt pitched a combined 4.1 shutout innings.
Jordan Devencenzi: Vermont Lake Monsters
4 games, .214 BA
A two-year letter winner and starting catcher at Nevada, Jordan Devencenzi followed Howell's professional path; being drafted by the Athletics and assigned to the Vermont Lake Monsters.
Unfortunately, Devencenzi has been battling injuries, and has only seen action in four games. Devencenzi has posted three hits out of 14 at bats with one double in those games.
