Marshall University Athletics
Herd Baseball Alums Blair, Straily Face Off
7/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - It's not often that a Class AAA Pacific Coast League baseball game would particularly pique the interest of Marshall fans.
It's different Friday night in Reno, Nev., however.
The Fresno-Reno game at Aces Ballpark has a pitching matchup of Thundering Herd baseball alumni, with Dan Straily starting for the Grizzlies against Aaron Blair of the Aces.
The 10 p.m. (ET) game features the top two former Marshall players in the minors.
"It's really great for us," said Herd Coach Jeff Waggoner, who has had 18 selections in the Major League Baseball Draft since 2008 - including Blair and Straily. "I'm really proud of both of them. I hope Dan and Aaron can both go seven shutout innings and turn it over to the bullpens."
Waggoner's program also has its second pro signee in a week, with former Herd shortstop Sergio Leon joining the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association. Leon, who finished his MU career in May, is 2-for-7 (.286) in two games since signing with the T-Bones on Wednesday.
Right-hander Kolin Stanley, a reliever for four Herd seasons (2011-14), signed July 23 with the Washington (Pa.) Wild Things of the Frontier League. Stanley has no decisions and a 3.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts in six innings of work in four appearances.
Leon's signing gives the Herd program nine alumni in minor league baseball.
Straily, who made two starts earlier this month for the parent Houston Astros, is 8-6 with a 3.59 ERA in 16 Fresno starts this season. He has 86 strikeouts and 16 walks in 92 2/3 innings this season for the Grizzlies.
Blair, back from his stint pitching for Team USA in the Pan American Games in Canada, is 9-4 with a 3.19 ERA over two levels of minor league ball this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks' farmhand is 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA for Reno after going 6-3 with a 2.70 ERA at Class AA Mobile, where he was selected for the Southern League All-Star Game before his move to Triple A. In the minors this season, he's pitched 113 innings over 18 starts, with 88 strikeouts.
Straily, 26, is in his seventh pro season and has pitched in the majors for Oakland, the Chicago Cubs and Houston. Blair, 23, is in his third minor league season after being the No. 36 overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the D-backs.
