KU Athletics has an updated version of "Jayhawks in the Pros" posted.  The story covers 14 former KU players now in professional baseball.  Les Walrond (PHI) and Tom Gorzelanny (PIT) are both up with their big league clubs while Travis Metcalf (TEX) probably rejoin the Rangers soon.  Metcalf impressed with solid defense and good power during his August call up.  He hit four homeruns in 35 at-bats and now has a season batting line of .214/.250/.530.

Some off season baseball news from across the Big-12:  The OU clubhouse continues to be an interesting place.  The Sooners lost Teddy Nowell, a highly regarded pitching prospect, after four days on campus. 

Dan Spencer officially took over the head coaching job at Texas Tech from future Hall-of-Famer Larry Hays in June.  In an interview with Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com Spencer attributes much of TTU's sucess in the 1990's to their abilty to recruit good JUCO players out of California, something that Ritch Price has done very well during his five years at Kansas.  Much of the current OSU coaching staff also came up as assistants at Tech.  Not surprisingly Spencer's rebuilding plan involves recruiting elite high school talent both in-state and across the nation.  I guess that is the plan for about 100% of all college baseball teams.  So how will Spencer get the job done at Texas Tech?  "We need to sell that Lubbock sunshine," in the Pacific Northwest.  Well, good luck with that.  I don't know how often Lubbock sunshine will trump the two shiny new national championship trophies in Oregon State's baseball office.

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A quick update on some former KU baseball players.

Two former Jayhawks, Les Walrond (P - Phillies) and Travis Metcalf (3B - Rangers) were called up to the major leagues yesterday.

Walrond pitched for the Royals briefly in 2003 and for the Cubs in 2006.  The big left hander played first base at KU but was converted into a pitcher after he was drafted.

    Walrond and Metcalf.

Travis Metcalf has been up and down with the Rangers over the last two seasons.  He looked good to make the opening day roster in Texas this spring before suffering a spring training injury.  Coming into 2008 Metcalf held the all-time KU career homerun record with 29.  Ryne Price and Erik Morrison both passed Metcalf this season.  Price and Morrison are doing well after their first month of professional baseball.  Morrison earned a quick promotion to High-A ball. and is now playing second base for the Bakersfield Blaze.  Price is still in the Arizona Rookie League but doing very well at the plate.

One other note, two high school players who committed to play baseball at KU and then were taken in the MLB draft remain unsigned.  Zac Elgie was taken in the 12th round by Oakland and Lee Ridenhour was taken in the 31st round by the Twins.  Teams have about two more weeks to sign their draftees.  I am hopeful that both Elgie and Ridenhour will be playing at Hoglund next year.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.