Seth Mejias-Brean played slick defense for Arizona during its national championship season. Photo by Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE
Former Arizona Wildcats third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean made his minor-league debut on Thursday night with the Billings Mustangs.
He batted seventh and went 0-for-3 with a walk for the Mustangs, a rookie-ball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, who selected Mejias-Brean in the eighth round of last month’s draft.
Shortstop Alex Mejia, who was the first of five Wildcats to be selected in the draft, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and has been assigned to the Batavia Muckdogs of the New York-Penn League. Mejia, who won Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, was a fourth-round pick.
Undrafted outfielder Bobby Brown signed with the Kansas City Royals organization and assigned to Burlington in rookie ball.
* * *
Arizona right-hander Konner Wade, coming off a brilliant postseason, returned to the mound Thursday night. He threw 1 2/3 innings for the Wareham Gatemen of the wood-bat Cape Cod League. Wade did not allow a hit or a run, although he did hit a batter.
Wade, who will inherit Arizona’s role as the Friday starter as a junior next season, was 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four postseason starts.
Mat Troupe, who wrapped up his freshman season by picking up the victory in relief as the Cats clinched the College World Series over South Carolina, also made his first Cape Cod appearance Thursday night.
He allowed an unearned run in 1 1/3 innings. Troupe allowed a hit and a walk, striking out three.
* * *
Arizona’s title-clinching victory over South Carolina on June 25 drew 2.081 million viewers on ESPN, according to John Ourand of Sports Business Journal. That was the most-viewed baseball game on cable that week, out-distancing the Mets-Dodgers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, which drew 1.5 million viewers.
* * *
Arizona catcher Riley Moore, who caught 561 of 586 innings for the Wildcats, was selected a freshman All-American by Baseball America this week.
In addition to being a stalwart behind the plate, Moore hit .301, including a .389 mark in 10 postseason games.
The last Arizona player to be a Baseball America first-team freshman All-American was third baseman Brad Boyer in 2003.