Minor League Update: Olmedo-Barrera caps first season with postseason appearance

The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.

David Olmedo-Barrera (St. Francis High, 2012) Princeton Rays outfielder: After helping Cal State Fullerton reach the NCAA World Series and getting drafted in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in June by the Tampa Bay Rays, Olmedo-Barrera enjoyed a terrific season with Princeton.

The former All-Area first-team selection flourished with Princeton, the rookie ball affiliate of Tampa Bay. Olmedo-Barrera, 21, helped Princeton go 37-31 for second place in the Appalachian League’s East Division. Princeton qualified for the postseason and advanced to the American League Championship before falling to the Greeneville Astros on Sept. 8.

Olmedo-Barrera participated in two playoff games, collecting two hits in nine at-bats. He scored one run and drove in a run.

Princeton went the limit to best the Pulaski Yankees in a three-game series. Olmedo-Barrera played in the deciding game on Sept. 5 and went one for five with an RBI. He drove in a run with a ninth-inning single in Princeton’s 7-1 victory.

Olmedo-Barrera didn’t compete again until the winner-take-all contest against Greeneville. He had a single and scored a run in the fourth inning in an 8-7 defeat.

For the season, Olmedo-Barrera batted .288 (49 for 170) with four home runs and 21 runs batted in. He collected 10 doubles, 25 runs and four stolen bases in 44 games for Princeton. Perhaps his best stretch came down the stretch for Princeton. Between Aug. 28-Aug. 31 in four games, he went a combined eight for 17, hitting safely in each of them while notching five runs, two home runs, three RBI and 15 total bases.

Ryan Sherriff (Glendale Community College, 2011) Memphis Redbirds pitcher: After spending the bulk of the season in double-A with the Springfield Cardinals, Sherriff earned a promotion late in the season. Sherriff, a left-handed reliever, was called up by Memphis, the triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, on Sept. 2 and appeared in three contests.

Sherriff, a former All-Western State Conference South Division honoree, didn’t have a decision with Memphis and had a 1.69 earned-run average. In 5 1/3 innings, Sherriff allowed one earned run, three hits, three walks and struck out two.

In his final outing on Sept. 6 against the host Oklahoma City Dodgers, Sherriff pitched two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, one walk and struck out one.

Memphis finished 73-71 and took second place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Southern Division.

Sherriff, 25, started the season with Springfield, a double-A squad. He was on the disabled list for part of the first half of the season and then regrouped. At Springfield, Sherriff went 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in 27 appearances. He struck out 31, walked 12 and surrendered 36 hits in 34 1/3 innings for Springfield, which went 34-36 for second place in the Texas League’s North Division.

Alonzo Gonzalez (Glendale Community College, 2012) Dunedin Blue Jays pitcher: Gonzalez, a left-hander and former All-Western State Conference South Division selection, had mixed results throughout the season with Dunedin. Gonzalez finished 2-5 and sported a 4.39 earned-run average with Dunedin, the class-A advanced squad for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 65 2/3 innings, Gonzalez struck out 55, walked 18 and yielded 37 runs (32 earned). He also spent about a month on the disabled list.

In his last appearance Sept. 3 against the visiting Clearwater Threshers, Gonzalez started and allowed five runs (all earned) and eight hits in four innings. He struck out two, but didn’t receive a decision in Dunedin’s 9-8 defeat.

Dunedin finished 29-38 for fourth place in the Florida State League’s North Division.

Gonzalez, 23, began the season with the Lansing Lugnuts, the class-A squad for Toronto. He went 1-0 with a 3,09 ERA in three appearances.

Fernando Valenzuela Jr. (St. Francis High, 2000) Toros de Tijuana first baseman: In his first season with Tijuana, a member of the triple-A Mexican League, Valenzuela had mixed results while playing in just 25 contests. Valenzuela, who also played at Glendale Community College before transferring to UNLV, didn’t play after June 2.

Valenzuela, a two-time all-star in the triple-A Mexican League, batted .244 (10 for 41) with six runs batted in. All of his hits were singles.

Tijuana went 54-53 for fourth place in the league’s Norte Division and qualified for the playoffs. Its season ended Sept. 6 with a 2-1 road loss against Acereros del Norte.