University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols in spring training update
March 31, 2008 | Baseball
Vols in Professional Baseball
With spring training in the books and the first games of the 2008 MLB season underway, many former Vols are poised for an excellent year. This week???s update focuses on wrapping up the spring as well as looking forward to the new season and what???s in store for these players. Below are the best performances during last week???s action and updates on other former Vols:
Todd Helton (1993-1995) doubled and scored a run in the Colorado Rockies 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. He then went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple in the Rockies??? 12-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
Chris Burke (1999-2001) went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Monday???s 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. He followed that up by going 2-for-4 with two hits, including a home run, and two RBI in Wednesday???s 11-8 win against the Colorado Rockies. Burke drove in two runs as a pinch-hitter with a single in a 12-4 loss to the Rockies on Friday. The 2001 SEC Player of the Year has posted a .361 batting average, a .429 on-base percentage and a .705 slugging percentage this spring with four homers and 14 RBI. Arizona manager Bob Melvin plans to use Burke as a super utility player this season as Burke can play in the outfield and at both middle infield positions.??
Mike Lincoln (1996) made the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster after being a non-roster invitee coming into spring training. Over the last week of spring training, he threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings and finished the spring with a 2-1 record, a 5.25 ERA and six strikeouts.
Julio Borbon (2005-07) will start this season with the Bakersfield Blaze, the Class-A affiliate for the Texas Rangers. Borbon had 37 at-bats after signing last summer, splitting time between the Arizona and Northwest leagues.
James Adkins (2005-07) is considered one of the Los Angeles Dodgers top-10 prospects to watch out for in 2008 according to minorleaugebaseball.com. He posted a 2.42 ERA while limiting opponents to a .181 batting average and striking out 30 and walking just 10 in 11 starts last season. Adkins has shown command of three pitches and has an outside shot at landing in Class-AA Jacksonville???s rotation to start the season.
J.P. Arencibia (2005-07) was named one of the Toronto Blue Jays top-10 prospects to watch for in 2008 according to minorleaguebasball.com. He hit .254 with three homers and 25 RBI at short-season Auburn in his debut last season. This year, his bat is ahead of his defense, but the Jays believe that the latter will come around when he gets accustomed to catching consistently-good pitching every night.
Chase Headley (2004-05) is No. 29 on milb.com???s Top-50 Prospects list. He finished the spring batting .349 with a .362 on-base percentage, four home runs and 14 RBI in 22 games. He will start the season at Class-AAA Portland.
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