University of North Carolina Athletics
Tracking The Tar Heels In Professional Baseball
June 8, 2001 | Baseball
June 8, 2001
Several former UNC baseball players are enjoying fine seasons thus far in professional baseball. B.J. Surhoff (Atlanta Braves) and Paul Shuey (Cleveland Indians) are both still enjoying excellent careers in Major League Baseball, with Shuey putting up some of the best numbers of his career. Shuey, a right-handed reliever who's now in his fifth full season in the majors, is 5-2 with two saves and a career-low 2.56 ERA. He has struck out 45 batters in 31.2 innings, and he's helped the Indians to a 1.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves and Surhoff are playing their best baseball of the season. The Braves have won six straight and after starting the season slow Surhoff has hit safely in five straight games and is hitting .400 in June and .253 for the season.
Several former Tar Heels are contributing in the minor leagues as well, including Jim Dougherty, Mike Jerzembeck and Jesse Levis. Mike Bynum, Chris Elmore and Ryan Snare lead the way among Tar Heels in the minors who played under UNC coach Mike Fox.
Elmore is 6-2 with one save and a 2.96 ERA with the Sarasota Red Sox of the Class A Midwest League. Bynum, a rising star in the San Diego Padres organization, is playing with the Mobile BayBears of the Class AA Southern League and is 2-4 with a 4.13 ERA. Snare was off to an outstanding season with the Class A Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds organization) before going onto the disabled list. Snare was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week in the first week of the season after striking out 10 batters on Opening Day. He had struck out 51 batters in 37.0 innings while compiling a 3-3 record before going down with an injury.
Dan Moylan, Derrick DePriest, Ryan Earey, Eric Henderson and Kyle Snyder are also all currently injured.
FORMER TAR HEELS IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
- Paul Shuey, Cleveland Indians
- B.J. Surhoff, Atlanta Braves
- Mike Bynum, Mobile BayBears (San Diego Padres, AA)
- Derrick DePriest, INJURED (Montreal Expos)
- Jim Dougherty, Las Vegas 51s (Los Angeles Dodgers, AAA)
- Ryan Earey, INJURED (San Diego Padres)
- Chris Elmore, Sarasota Red Sox (Boston Red Sox, A)
- Eric Henderson, INJURED (Milwaukee Brewers)
- Clay Hooper, Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees, A)
- Mike Jerzembeck, Norwich Navigators (New York Yankees, AA)
- Jesse Levis, Richmond Braves (Atlanta Braves, AAA)
- Matt McCay, Chillicothe Paints (Frontier League -- Independent)
- Dan Moylan, INJURED (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Brian Roberts, Rochester Red Wings (Baltimore Orioles, AAA)
- Ryan Snare, Dayton Dragons - DL (Cincinnati Reds, A)
- Kyle Synder, INJURED (Kansas City Royals)
- Mike Stoner, Carolina Mudcats (Colorado Rockies, AA)
- Brad Woodall, Long Island Ducks (Atlantic League -- Independent)
