Meaux makes pro debut
GLENDALE — The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.
Jesse Meaux (Glendale High, 2007) pitcher, Tri-City Dust Devils: The former Glendale and UC Santa Barbara standout made his professional debut July 15, tossing two scoreless innings at home against Eugene.
Meaux, a 19th-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies in this year’s Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, closed out Tri-City’s 4-3 loss, entering the game in the top of the eighth inning.
He notched a strike out against the first batter he faced and retired the first five batters he faced before hitting a batter. After two innings, he finished with a line of no runs, no hits, no walks and two strikeouts.
It has been Meaux’s only appearance thus far heading into a Thursday night game at Spokane.
Tri-City, the Rockies’ class A short-season club, was tied for first in the Northwest League East Division with Spokane at 18-15.
Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) pitcher, Tri-City Dust Devils: Sharing the clubhouse with Glendale High graduate Jesse Meaux, Bergman had become the Dust Devils’ top starter after a rough start to the season, but was dealt a hard line in his most recent trip to the bump.
A Monday outing against the Yakima Bears saw Bergman take the loss and fall to 2-3 on the year. Over six innings of work, he allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out four.
For the season, Bergman, a former All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, leads his squad with 39 2/3 innings pitched and 27 strikeouts to seven walks. His earned-run average sits at 4.31 after seven appearances — all starts.
Heading into action on Thursday, Tri-City, a Colorado Rockies affiliate, was 18-15 and tied for first in the Northwest League East Division.
Joe De Pinto (St. Francis High, 2007) second baseman, Great Falls Voyagers: De Pinto began his days in the Chicago White Sox farm system with quite a bang, but a recent slump quelled that. As of late, though, De Pinto’s back to his hot-hitting ways.
Over the last 10 games, he’s hitting .405 (15 for 37) with five multiple-hit games, seven runs and 15 runs batted in.
On July 8, De Pinto went four for five with a double, triple, a run scored and a run batted in against Billings. More recently on July 15 against Ogden, he went three for four with two runs and four RBI and on Tuesday, he went two for five with a run and an RBI against Orem.
For the season, De Pinto leads the Voyagers, a rookie league squad, with eight doubles and 21 RBI. He also sports a .282 batting average with 17 runs and a pair of home runs.
Heading into Thursday action, Great Falls was 14-15, tied for third in the Pioneer League North.
Bryan Longpre (Crescenta Valley High, 2005) pitcher, Vancouver Canadians: After a scintillating start to the season, the former Falcon was called up to the Lansing Lugnuts class-A squad, but had a rough go in two appearances.
Longpre gave up four runs and five hits in two innings and his stay was brief as he was welcomed back to the Canadians and has resumed his dominant ways out of the pen.
Since his return to the team on July 7, Longpre has made five appearances heading into Thursday play. He’s given up just one run in 9 2/3 innings pitched.
For the season with Vancouver, Longpre’s ERA sits at an outstanding 0.48 through 10 appearances with a 2-1 record and two saves. Over 18 2/3 innings, he’s notched 18 strikeouts to three walks.
Combined with his stint in Lansing, he has a 2.18 ERA and a 2-1 record.
Vancouver, a class-A short-season squad for the Toronto Blue Jays, was 21-12 headed into Thursday and in second place in the Northwest League West standings.