MISSOULA, MONT - The Missoula Osprey had more top-10 draft choices on their
2009 roster than any other prior Osprey team, and nearly all of them made
big-time contributions to the success of the Missoula squad.The talent was evident all throughout baseball, as a number of those top picks appear on the Baseball America Top 20 Pioneer League prospect list.
The head of the class is Bobby Borchering, the top pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2009 MLB Draft, and the third-ranked prospect on the list.
Also appearing on the list were shortstop Chris Owings (7th), left-handed pitcher Mike Belfiore (12th) and second baseman David Nick (19th), while first-baseman Paul Goldschmidt just finished out of the top 20.
Borchering hit .231 for the Osprey after joining the team following his signing on August 15. During the playoffs, Borchering was outstanding, with a .321 average, two home runs and 10 RBIs in the six playoff games played for the North Division Champions.
Owings, who made his debut with the Osprey on August 16, made an impact from the start, and finished the regular season with a .306 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Owings also had a strong post-season, hitting .345 during the playoffs with four doubles, two triples and five RBIs. His 10 hits were the most for any Missoula player.
Belfiore, named to the Baseball America All-Rookie team, was 2-2 in 14 appearances for the Osprey, with a 2.17 ERA. As a starter, Belfiore was even more effective, posting a 1.82 ERA in 11 starts for Missoula.
Nick, named to the Pioneer League All-Star squad, was a mainstay in the middle of the Osprey infield. In 66 games played, Nick batted .286 with six home runs, 35 RBIs, 46 runs scored and a team-leading 16 stolen bases.
The Osprey posted a 40-36 record in 2009, and beat Great Falls in three games to take the North Division title before losing in the Championship Series in three games to Orem. The Owlz landed six players on the top 20 list, combining with the Osprey to account for half of the players mentioned.
The Baseball America Top 20 Prospects list is as follows:
1. Wil Myers, C, Idaho Falls
2. Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Helena
3. Bobby Borchering, 3B, Missoula
4. Garrett Richards, RHP, Orem
5. Pat Corbin, LHP, Orem
6. Jean Segura, 2B, Orem
7. Chris Owings, SS, Missoula
8. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Casper
9. Chris Balcom-Miller, RHP, Casper
10. Eric Arnett, RHP, Helena
11. Yorman Rodriguez, OF, Billings
12. Mike Belfiore, RHP, Missoula
13. Tyler Kehrer, LHP, Orem
14. Carlos Raminez, C, Orem
15. John Lamb, LHP, Idaho Falls
16. Brett Wallach, RHP, Ogden
17. Nick Bucci, RHP, Helena
18. Mariekson (D.D.) Gregorius, SS, Billings
19. David Nick, 2B, Missoula
20. Salvador Perez, C, Idaho Falls
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