The Southern Illinois Miners announce that they have signed two pitchers in Jarrett Miller and Spencer Medick.
Miller, a right-handed starter, joins the Miners from the Atlanta Braves organization where in 2014 he received the team’s Class A-Advanced Pitcher of the Year award. In his four years in professional baseball, he has appeared in 94 games and has a career ERA of 3.85. He has struck out 357 batters in 383 1/3 innings pitched. This pas season, he appeared in 29 games with 28 starts compiling a 4.04 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 151 1/3 innings for the Braves’ A-Advanced club in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Originally from Easley, South Carolina, Miller was originally drafted in the 21st round of the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
“We think Jarrett can be a top part of the rotation starter for us and a great addition to the strong staff we have returning,” Miners manager Mike Pinto said. “He is a workhorse type of pitcher with 53 starts over the last 2 seasons. Jarrett was a teammate of former Miner Brandon Cunniff and we have a real good feel of not only the quality pitcher, but quality person and hard worker we are getting in Jarrett. He had a lot of offers to join other clubs and we are glad he chose to be a Miner.”
A left-hander from Arlington, Virginia, Medick joins the Miners following a season with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization where he pitched in 15 games in the Arizona Rookie League. In 30 2/3 innings, Medick struck out 32 while walking only five. He finished five games with two saves and finished the season with a 1.17 ERA.
Medick attended the Frontier League Draft in 2014 and was the first overall pick in the draft by the Frontier Greys before being signed by the Diamondbacks a few days later. The 6’3, 220-pound southpaw played his college baseball at Elon University (the alma mater of former Miners outfielder Cory Harrilchak) where over two seasons and 32 games he carried a 4.16 ERA, striking out 147 while walking just 45 over 171 innings.
“I first saw Spencer last year at the Frontier League draft and was impressed with his stuff and his ability to pound the strike zone,” Pinto added. “He is a strike thrower and proved that in his year with the Diamondbacks. He can be part of our rotation or part of important late-in-the-game innings. We are looking forward to having him join us in the spring.”
