Former Illinois State baseball players Ryan Knox, Neal Cotts and Ed Tolzien took another step towards fulfilling their dreams of playing baseball in the major leagues when the three Redbirds earned promotions this week.
Knox, who starred for the Redbirds from 1997 to 1999, made the jump to the AA level after absolutely destroying opposing pitchers for the High Desert Mavericks (A) in the California League.
In 75 games for the Mavericks, a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate, Knox hit .319 with 17 doubles, five triples, four homers, 29 runs batted in, 65 runs scored and 37 stolen bases hitting atop the lineup and patrolling center field. He will join the Huntsville Stars (AA) of the Southern League.
Knox, a Peoria native, will have the luxury of not facing former teammate Neal Cotts, who received a promotion to the California League earlier this week.
Cotts, a hard-throwing southpaw from Lebannon and a second round selection of the Oakland Athletics in the June 2001 draft, got the call from the Visalia Oaks (A) after posting a 1-0 record with a 3.09 earned run average in nine games for the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League.
Picking up where he left off after an outstanding junior season at ISU in which he led the Missouri Valley Conference with 113 strikeouts in 87.1 innings pitched, Cotts notched 44 strikeouts and allowed only 28 hits in 35 innings of work before receiving the promotion.
Tolzien, a first base/outfield prospect from Arlington Heights, jumped from the Provo Angels of the Pioneer League and rookie level ball, to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (A) of the Midwest League.
Prior to his promotion, Tolzien, an 18th round selection by Anaheim in the June 2001 draft, was hitting .265 with eight doubles, 23 runs scored and 20 runs batted in while playing first base.
ISU head coach Jeff Stewart is pleased with the progress his former players have made since their playing days at Redbird Field.
Those guys certainly have all of the tools to succeed at the next level, Stewart said. I know theyve been working extremely hard to perfect their trade and the extra work continues to pay off.
In addition to the trio of former ISU players who received promotions this week, several other Redbirds are making names for themselves in the pro ranks as well.
Pitchers Eric Eckenstahler, Brian Forystek, Jason Pearson, Steve Hecker, Heath Heiberger and Jason Karnuth continue to show signs of developing into top major league prospects.
Eckenstahler owns a 2-1 record with four saves and a 3.02 ERA at the AA level for the Erie SeaWolves of the Detroit Tigers organization. Forystek has posted an 0-2 record with a 3.56 ERA at high A ball for the Frederick Keys of the Baltimore Orioles. Pearson owns a 4-2 record with one save and a 3.81 ERA for the Mobile Baybears, a AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
Hecker, the 'Birds No. 2 starter in 2001, has showed promise since signing with the Toronto Bluejays as an undrafted free agent. The hard-throwing righty has posted a 1-1 record with a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings of work. He has also notched 14 strikeouts and given up only 12 hits during that time.
Karnuth, who had a stint in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this year, continues to impress with a 4-4 record and a 4.79 ERA for the AAA Memphis Redbirds.
Outfielder Jeff Allen, who struggled at the AA level, has responded well after a demotion to high A ball. Since joining the San Jose Giants, Allen has hit .300 with 14 doubles, three triples, nine homers and 41 RBI.
Additionally, Matt Herges of the Los Angeles Dodgers continues to be one of the top setup men in the majors. Through Tuesdays game, Herges owns an 8-8 record with one save and a 3.66 ERA.
