Aug. 27, 2007

ATHENS, Ohio - Five former Ohio baseball players are continuing their careers in the Minor Leagues. Click here for an update on how they've done so far this season.

DOUBLE-A The Bobcats currently have three former players competing at the Double-A level in Adam Fox, Cory Keylor and Adam Russell.

Fox, an infielder for Frisco (Texas) in the Texas Rangers organization, played three games for the RoughRiders last week and went 3-for-12 (.250) at the dish. In 80 combined games for Frisco this year, Fox has hit .277 with 28 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Fox became the first Bobcat in more than a decade to play at the Triple-A level when he was called up to Oklahoma on July 18 to fill in for an injured Redhawk regular. In 14 games at Oklahoma, Fox made the best of his opportunity as he hit .298 with 11 RBI.

Playing right field for the Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs in the Boston Red Sox organization, Keylor started five games last week and went 3-for-18 (.167) at the plate. In 110 games this season Keylor is batting .246 with 53 runs scored and 46 RBI.

Russell, a pitcher for the Birmingham (Ala.) Barons in the Chicago White Sox system, appeared in three games last week out of the bullpen and tossed a combined four innings with one earned run allowed. On the year, Russell is 8-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 20 starts and 35 total appearances. He has 93 strikeouts in 134.2 innings.

ADVANCED-A Derek Witt, throwing out of the bullpen for the Detroit Tigers affiliate Lakeland (Fla.), allowed one run in four innings pitched during two relief appearances last week. In 38 appearances and 64.2 innings pitched this year for the Flying Tigers, Witt is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA. He has one save and is tied for the team lead with seven holds.

Following the Florida State League All-Star break, Witt was moved from Lakeland to Single-A affiliate West Michigan. He made one appearance and allowed one run on two hits in one inning of relief before going back up to Lakeland.

SINGLE-A Anthony Gressick made one start on the hill last week for the Dayton (Ohio) Dragons, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The righty threw five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed. In 24 total appearances this year for the Dragons, including 11 starts, Gressick is 5-7 with a 4.55 ERA and 74 punch-outs in 83 innings pitched.

In separate stints with the Reds' Advanced-A affiliate Sarasota (Fla.), Gressick recorded a 12.15 ERA in five relief appearances and 6.2 innings pitched.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK In his 15th appearance as a reliever since being moved from the rotation to the bullpen, Russell earned his first save as a Baron when he threw a scoreless ninth inning at Mississippi on Aug. 25.