IRVINE, Calif. --- As always, the Anteaters are making a strong statement in pro ball with 15 players continuing their rise up the ranks led by the program's first-ever first round draft selection last season in Keston Hiura.

Hiura has continued to excel after a slow start to the season in Advanced-A as a member of the Carolina Mudcats. After raising his average to .320 with seven HRs and 23 RBIs, he got the bump to the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers where he's hit .264 with a pair of homers over 30 games. Overall, in 80 minor league games thus far, the No. 1 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization is hitting .300 with 39 extra-base hits, and was honored last week with a selection to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game which showcases the game's best young talent.

"I am very honored and grateful to be invited to play in this year's Futures Game in Washington, D.C.," Keston said of the achievement. "I'm excited to play against some of the best minor league and future major league players from all around the world. Looking forward to this fun weekend!"

Hiura inclusion marks the first for an Anteater as he lands 30th on MLB.com's Top 100 prospects, and fans will be able to watch it Sunday, July 15 at 1:00 p.m. PT.
 

That crack of the bat... ?? #RipEm pic.twitter.com/9UsABz4RwT

— UCI Baseball (@UCIbsb) June 14, 2018

While Hiura has commandeered the spotlight, the rest of the Anteater stable of players are also knocking on the door to the next level starting with the resident Major League, Christian Bergman.

Bergman has spent most of 2018 in Triple-A Tacoma as a Rainier, but made the most of his spot start back on May 16 with the Mariners. He dueled with Bartolo Colon in a midweek day game pitching seven innings allowing just two hits without issuing a walk and striking out five as he left the game in a scoreless draw. The Mariners would eventually fall, 5-1, and Bergman drew a no-decision before heading back to Tacoma.



Bergman has made 18 starts on the Triple-A level putting up a 6-6 record and 4.78 ERA with 87 strikeouts over 101.2 innings on a Tacoma squad that is 48-42 with the fourth-best record in the Pacific Coast League. The nine-year pro ball veteran has appeared in an MLB game in each season since making his debut in 2014 for a total of 69 big league appearances with an 11-14 record.

There's another Anteater settling in at Triple-A poised to break into a Major League role. Second round pick in 2014 Andrew Morales is finally recovered from injuries that set him back in 2016 and 2017, and has settled into a solid role in relief. His last three outings, he's been called upon to get the save which he's converted all three for the Memphis Redbirds whose 56-34 record is the best in the Pacific Coast League. Morales is 1-2 with a 4.53 ERA in 31 relief outings this season striking out 57 hitters over 43.2 innings.

Another 'Eater touching Triple-A has been Matt Whitehouse who has been shuttled between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus six different times so far this season. The left-hander in his sixth year in pro ball has having more success in Akron with a 1.53 ERA and 3-1 record in 17 outings which has included three starts. Five of his six appearances in Triple-A have been as a starter working beyond the fourth inning just once as he's put together an 8.69 ERA striking out a batter per inning for the Cleveland Indians affiliate.



Anteater catcher Chris Rabago has been sailing right along jumping up a level in the Colorado Rockies organization every season and spending the entirety of it with the team. In 2018, his fifth year of pro ball, Rabago is cemented in Double-A Hartford where he's caught 49 games and found his power stroke with 11 doubles and three home runs which has tied his single-season best in the minors.



He recently played in his 300th career professional contest, and despite a dip to a .220 average this year, he's hitting .264 over his career and four the fourth straight year is throwing out at least 30% of baserunners. His consistency and potential did not go unnoticed by the Rockies as they added him to the 40-man roster prior to the season, and for the second straight year he got some play with the big league club in spring training.

Joining Rabago on the Double-A level is fellow 2014 draft classmate Taylor Sparks whose played 81 games with the Cincinnati Reds' affiliate in Pensacola matching up a few times with Hiura in the Southern League. Sparks fluctuated between multiple levels over the last two seasons influenced in 2017 by injury, but he's turned it on since mid-June with hits in 12 of his last 17 games to raise his average to .234 along with eight home runs and 35 RBIs as the Blue Wahoos' third baseman.



Another Anteater holding his own on the Double-A level is John Brontsema. He's currently on the disabled list, but has spent a majority of his 2018 season with Kansas City Royals affiliate Northwest Arkansas Naturals hitting .231 with 2 HR and 10 RBI. The club has spread him all over the field with a majority spent at 1B. He's also been a solid third baseman and outfielder, and made a pair of appearances on the mound recently.



The majority of 'Eaters are stationed in Single-A with five in total led be the elder-statesman Evan Manarino. His season started a little late recovering from injury, but with Advanced-A Stockton Ports he's struck out 44 hitters in 44 innings toward a 2-2 record and 4.70 ERA.

Calvin Faucher in his first full season of pro ball has appeared in 27 games including six with Advanced-A Fort Myers Miracle. Most of his success has been with Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels posting a 2.10 ERA and a 2-3 record over 21 outings. He's at a 3.47 ERA and 41 strikeouts between the two clubs.



His teammate at Cedar Rapids, Royce Lewis, still hangs his hat on UC Irvine after the 2018 signee was selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft last summer. Lewis' talent has been on full display for the Kernels hitting .316 with nine HRs, 23 doubles, and 53 RBIs.



Excelling in Single-A has also been Cameron Bishop. On the mound for the Delmarva Shorebirds, he's lit up with a 2.85 ERA as a starter going 7-4 striking out 73 hitters to 17 walks. He's put together 11 quality starts in his 15 on the year including a complete game in a win on June 14. 



Mikey Duarte has made his way back all the way from an injury-prone 2017 campaign in his first in pro ball. He made his 2018 debut with Advanced-A Winston-Salem of the Carolina League where he's played six games before returning to the inactive list.

Another Anteater just getting into the swing of things following early injury woes has been Matt Esparza. The Cleveland Indians prospect recently joined the Rookie ball team in Arizona where he's made three appearances allowing five runs and striking out nine in them. He's likely to return to the Double-A level once he's fully recovered.

Probably having the best season of any pro ball 'Eaters is the venerable Brian Hernandez continued to thrive in the Mexican League. The 2011 draft class member enters his eighth year in pro ball and third exclusively in the Mexican League as a Tigre de Quintana Roo. In the league's spring season that lasted until late June, Hernandez tore the league up hitting .379 with 22 extra-base hits and 46 RBIs in 53 games as the Tigres went 33-21 finishing third in their division. Hernandez has continued his clip in the Autumn Season hitting .370 through seven games with a home run and four runs scored.



The newest Anteater draftees have found landing spots as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Cole Kreuter battle it out in Rookie ball. Fitzpatrick, a member of the Chicago White Sox, is 13 games deep into his pro ball career with the Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer League with seven hits and six HBP thus far. Kreuter is 12 games deep with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals finding his stroke now with hits in each of his last two games which includes a double and a pair of RBIs for the fledging Anteater alums.
 

Player	Organization	Level - Team	Stats
Christian Bergman	SEA Mariners	AAA - Tacoma	6-6, 4.47, 108.2 IP, 92 K
Andrew Morales	STL Cardinals	AAA - Memphis	1-2, 3 SV, 4.53, 57 K
Keston Hiura	MIL Brewers	AA - Biloxi	.300, 27 2B, 9 HR, 27 RBI
Chris Rabago	COL Rockies	AA - Hartford	.220, 11 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI
Taylor Sparks	CIN Reds	AA - Pensacola	.234, 13 2B, 8 HR, 35 RBI
Matt Whitehouse	CLE Indians	AA - Akron	3-2, 4.41, 55.0 IP, 49 K
Evan Manarino	OAK Athletics	A+ - Stockton	2-2, 4.70, 8 BB, 44 K
Mikey Duarte	CHW White Sox	A+ - Winston-Salem	6 games,1 H, 1 R, 1 SB
Cameron Bishop	BAL Orioles	A - Delmarva	7-4, 2.85, 91.2 IP, 73 K
Calvin Faucher	MIN Twins	A - Cedar Rapids	2-3, 2 SV, 3.47, 41 K
Royce Lewis	MIN Twins	A - Cedar Rapids	.316, 23 2B, 9 HR, 53 RBI
Matt Esparza	CLE Indians	Rk - Arizona Lg	3 games, 6.2 IP, 5 ER, 9 K
Ryan Fitzpatrick	CHW White Sox	Rk - Great Falls	.219, 2B, RBI, 4 R
Cole Kreuter	STL Cardinals	Rk - Gulf Coast Lg	3 hits, 2B, 2 RBI, SB, 4 R
Brian Hernandez	Mexican Lg	Quintana Roo	.378, 21 2B, 3 HR, 49 RBI