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Vancouver Sun
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Brothers in pitching arms: UBC's Ryan Heppner joins sibling Sean as MLB Draft pick
Teammates with the UBC Thunderbirds last year, siblings Sean and Ryan Heppner could be rivals on minor league mounds within the next season or so. Ryan, 20, was picked in the 19th round of this year's Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves. He is the 20th T-Birds pitcher ever chosen in the draft, joining a list that includes big brother Sean, 22, who was selected in the 12th round last year by the Cleveland Guardians. Sean is a right-hander currently working out of the bullpen for the Lynchburg Hillcats, Cleveland's single-A affiliate. The Hillcats' opponents in the Carolina League include the Augusta GreenJackets, which is a Braves' farm team. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Braves could assign Ryan to Augusta to finish off this summer. They could have him based out of their rookie league team in Florida instead. It's hard to guess. The same goes for when Cleveland might promote Sean up the ladder. But you never know. What are the odds of brothers from Richmond getting drafted in the first place? 'When I got to UBC, we finally got to play on the same team, but never before have we played against each other. I think it would be a lot of fun,' Ryan said Tuesday. 'We're both really competitive. I think if we were both pitching against each other that would be the best experience. 'This has been my dream, too, but to follow in his footsteps all the way is the coolest thing ever.' ⚾️ BASE | Massive congratulations to @ubc_baseball pitcher Ryan Heppner on being drafted by the Atlanta Braves! 👏🤩 Heppner becomes the 33rd Thunderbird drafted or signed by an MLB team, joining his brother Sean, who was taken by the Cleveland Guardians last year. ⚾️🔥 The brothers were both born on this side of the border, but the family has lived for much of their lives in Point Roberts, Wash., which is tied to having an American mother and Canadian father. Ryan's the youngest of five siblings. He is a Vancouver College graduate. He played his minor baseball with the Tsawwassen Athletics, Delta Tigers and then the Delta Blue Jays before moving to UBC. He's a 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander who had a 7-2 record to go with a 4.38 earned run average in 15 appearances with UBC this season, including 14 starts. He allowed 70 hits in 74 innings, while striking out 77 and walking 24. 'I don't know what life is going to be like without the Heppners. There's not enough of them,' laughed UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. 'They're both phenomenal students and value education. They are both going to be civil engineers one day. These guys are 90 per cent-plus students. And they're tremendous athletes. 'This is where Sean really wanted to come, and I think Ryan wanted to play on his team one day. It wasn't as tough (recruiting them) as it would be normally be with their talent level.' UBC went 39-19 this past season, marking the most wins for the program in nearly a decade. They also advanced to the NAIA World Series for the second time in their 28-year history. They were eliminated in two games. After the draft on Tuesday, UBC outfielder Jonny McGill, 23, who is also from Richmond, signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound left-handed hitting McGill batted .405 in 57 games with UBC, and recorded 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He also stole 17 bases. That gives UBC 34 players who have either been drafted or signed by big-league clubs. And, keep in mind, baseball has scaled back its minor-league systems. It dropped 43 farm teams from affiliate status during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, looking to both cut costs and streamline development. The MLB Draft, too, has been to moved to 20 rounds from its previous traditional 40-round. For further perspective, there were 615 players taken in this year's draft when you add in extra selections for things like losing free agents. That's down from 1,217 total selections in 2019. 'Obviously there was some concern for that for us, knowing that was going to be a harder path,' Pritchett said of the shrinking minor league system. 'It always was a part of the recruiting process. It's always been 'Come here and get a great education but you'll still have an opportunity to go play pro ball.' What these guys have done pretty phenomenal. You're going right to high-A now from this level, and that means people think you have a chance. 'I'm really thrilled how it's gone for us the last couple of years.' Heading into action Tuesday, Sean Heppner was 4-1, with a 4.95 earned run average, in 24 relief appearances with Lynchburg. He has allowed 20 hits in 31 innings, while striking out 27 and walking 26. Congratulations to Cam Leiter RHP on being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2nd round. @camleiter #ProBlaze The Toronto Blue Jays, whose high-A farm team is the Vancouver Canadians, made a couple of B.C. picks , taking Abbotsford righty Micah Buckham, who is at Dallas Baptist University, in the fourth round, and Coquitlam third baseman Tim Piasentin, who is with the Alberta's Okotoks Dawgs Academy, in the fifth round. Florida State righty Cam Leiter, who was born New Jersey but lived in Maple Ridge for a decade and played for the Langley Blaze program, went in the second round to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other picks with B.C. ties include righty Carson Latimer (Delta/Sacramento State) going in the 12th round to the Cincinnati Reds; righty Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops/Illinois State) going in the 18th round to the Colorado Rockies; lefty Hayden Cuthbertson (Ladner/Miami-Ohio) going in the 18th round to the Miami Marlins; and lefty Shane Brinham (North Vancouver/North Shore Twins) going to the Dodgers with the final selection of the draft in the 20th round. @SteveEwen SEwen@
The Province
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Province
Brothers in pitching arms: UBC's Ryan Heppner joins sibling Sean as MLB Draft pick
The pair, who are originally from Richmond, are now in the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians farm systems and could duel one day soon Get the latest from Steve Ewen straight to your inbox Ryan Heppner was picked in the 19th round of this year's Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves. Photo by Bob Frid / Bob Frid Teammates with the UBC Thunderbirds last year, siblings Sean and Ryan Heppner could be rivals on minor league mounds within the next season or so. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Ryan, 20, was picked in the 19th round of this year's Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves. He is the 20th T-Birds pitcher ever chosen in the draft, joining a list that includes big brother Sean, 22, who was selected in the 12th round last year by the Cleveland Guardians. Sean is a right-hander currently working out of the bullpen for the Lynchburg Hillcats, Cleveland's single-A affiliate. The Hillcats' opponents in the Carolina League include the Augusta GreenJackets, which is a Braves' farm team. The Braves could assign Ryan to Augusta to finish off this summer. They could have him based out of their rookie league team in Florida instead. It's hard to guess. The same goes for when Cleveland might promote Sean up the ladder. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But you never know. What are the odds of brothers from Richmond getting drafted in the first place? 'When I got to UBC, we finally got to play on the same team, but never before have we played against each other. I think it would be a lot of fun,' Ryan said Tuesday. 'We're both really competitive. I think if we were both pitching against each other that would be the best experience. 'This has been my dream, too, but to follow in his footsteps all the way is the coolest thing ever.' ⚾️ BASE | Massive congratulations to @ubc_baseball pitcher Ryan Heppner on being drafted by the Atlanta Braves! 👏🤩 Heppner becomes the 33rd Thunderbird drafted or signed by an MLB team, joining his brother Sean, who was taken by the Cleveland Guardians last year. ⚾️🔥 — UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) July 14, 2025 Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The brothers were both born on this side of the border, but the family has lived for much of their lives in Point Roberts, Wash., which is tied to having an American mother and Canadian father. Ryan's the youngest of five siblings. He is a Vancouver College graduate. He played his minor baseball with the Tsawwassen Athletics, Delta Tigers and then the Delta Blue Jays before moving to UBC. He's a 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander who had a 7-2 record to go with a 4.38 earned run average in 15 appearances with UBC this season, including 14 starts. He allowed 70 hits in 74 innings, while striking out 77 and walking 24. 'I don't know what life is going to be like without the Heppners. There's not enough of them,' laughed UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. 'They're both phenomenal students and value education. They are both going to be civil engineers one day. These guys are 90 per cent-plus students. And they're tremendous athletes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This is where Sean really wanted to come, and I think Ryan wanted to play on his team one day. It wasn't as tough (recruiting them) as it would be normally be with their talent level.' UBC went 39-19 this past season, marking the most wins for the program in nearly a decade. They also advanced to the NAIA World Series for the second time in their 28-year history. They were eliminated in two games. After the draft on Tuesday, UBC outfielder Jonny McGill, 23, who is also from Richmond, signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound left-handed hitting McGill batted .405 in 57 games with UBC, and recorded 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He also stole 17 bases. That gives UBC 34 players who have either been drafted or signed by big-league clubs. And, keep in mind, baseball has scaled back its minor-league systems. It dropped 43 farm teams from affiliate status during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, looking to both cut costs and streamline development. The MLB Draft, too, has been to moved to 20 rounds from its previous traditional 40-round. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For further perspective, there were 615 players taken in this year's draft when you add in extra selections for things like losing free agents. That's down from 1,217 total selections in 2019. 'Obviously there was some concern for that for us, knowing that was going to be a harder path,' Pritchett said of the shrinking minor league system. 'It always was a part of the recruiting process. It's always been 'Come here and get a great education but you'll still have an opportunity to go play pro ball.' What these guys have done pretty phenomenal. You're going right to high-A now from this level, and that means people think you have a chance. 'I'm really thrilled how it's gone for us the last couple of years.' Heading into action Tuesday, Sean Heppner was 4-1, with a 4.95 earned run average, in 24 relief appearances with Lynchburg. He has allowed 20 hits in 31 innings, while striking out 27 and walking 26. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto Blue Jays, whose high-A farm team is the Vancouver Canadians, made a couple of B.C. picks, taking Abbotsford righty Micah Buckham, who is at Dallas Baptist University, in the fourth round, and Coquitlam third baseman Tim Piasentin, who is with the Alberta's Okotoks Dawgs Academy, in the fifth round. Florida State righty Cam Leiter, who was born New Jersey but lived in Maple Ridge for a decade and played for the Langley Blaze program, went in the second round to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other picks with B.C. ties include righty Carson Latimer (Delta/Sacramento State) going in the 12th round to the Cincinnati Reds; righty Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops/Illinois State) going in the 18th round to the Colorado Rockies; lefty Hayden Cuthbertson (Ladner/Miami-Ohio) going in the 18th round to the Miami Marlins; and lefty Shane Brinham (North Vancouver/North Shore Twins) going to the Dodgers with the final selection of the draft in the 20th round. @SteveEwen SEwen@ Read More Crime News News Local News News
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Controversial Automated Ball-Strike system is a 'good addition,' but needs development, MLB All-Star says
ATLANTA – Minor league baseball players have had the opportunity to get familiar with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system. Major league players were introduced to it in spring training, but once the regular season began, home plate ruled on whether a pitch fell within the strike zone. The challenge system, which has sparked some controversy in the baseball world, will make its primetime debut at Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game. The reaction in the days since the MLB confirmed the system would be utilized has been mixed. Those who hold baseball's traditions dear have expressed frustration or even outrage. Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan, however, took a more measured approach. "I think it's a cool addition," Kwan told Fox News Digital on Monday in Atlanta, the host city for this year's Midsummer Classic. "I think (we) need some more experience with it. We only got to do it in spring training. It's definitely some spring training when you're in the (batters) box with it, but I think overall it's a good addition." During the All-Star game, the National League team and the American League club will each be allowed two challenges. If a challenge is used and upheld, the team will be able to retain it. A batter, pitcher or catcher can challenge a ball-strikes call. However, if a player does want to issue a challenge, time is of the essence. Any challenge has to be presented immediately after a strike or a ball is called. Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was among the high-profile players who chimed in on the ABS system. "Pitchers think everything is a strike," the Pirates ace told reporters in Atlanta on Monday. "Then you go back and look at it, and it's two, three balls off. So we should not be the ones that are challenging it. I really do like the human element of the game. I think this is one of those things that you kind of think umpires are great until they're not." Skenes appeared to take a nonchalant position on the matter, saying he "could kind of care less, either way, to be honest." The ABS system is not expected to be involved in regular season games once the All-Star break ends. The MLB has not revealed any potential timetable for using the system in regular or postseason games, but testing it in the All-Star game appears to be a step toward it eventually becoming a part of the game. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Iowa baseball pitcher Aaron Savary selected by Guardians in MLB draft
As the third Iowa baseball player chosen in the 2025 MLB draft following teammates Cade Obermueller and Daniel Wright, Hawkeyes pitcher Aaron Savary has been selected by the Cleveland Guardians. While later on in the draft than both Obermueller and Wright, Cleveland used the No. 402 overall pick to select Savary in the 13th round on Monday from Atlanta, GA. Advertisement The 6-foot-3, 175-pound native of Dubuque, Iowa, had a fantastic junior season with the Hawkeyes, posting a 7-2 record with a 4.37 ERA in 80 1/3 innings through 18 starts during all 18 appearances. Savary also finished the season with 82 strikeouts, which more than doubled his total from the previous campaign. While his base-on-balls total nearly doubled from his sophomore year, Savary's 62% strike-to-ball rate and ability to retire 65.5% of his total batters faced were enough to help minimize the damage of the free bases doled out. Given his superb junior season in his first year in the three-man weekend rotation for the Hawkeyes, Savary was able to earn himself a number of looks from pro scouts throughout the season. Advertisement Given his 13th-round selection, does not have a listed approximate pick value for Savary. While Savary has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining for a potential senior year, he could elect to return to the Hawkeyes by not signing with the Guardians. If Savary were to sign a professional contract with Cleveland, he would finish his three-year Iowa baseball career with an impressive 12-3 record and a 4.14 ERA on 141 1/3 innings pitched through 19 starts in 45 appearances to go along with 147 strikeouts (a rate of 9.36 strikeouts per nine innings). Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa baseball pitcher Aaron Savary selected by Guardians in MLB draft
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ole Miss baseball's Luke Hill picked by Cleveland Guardians in 2025 MLB Draft
Ole Miss baseball infielder Luke Hill has been picked in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Cleveland Guardians picked Hill, Ole Miss baseball's shortstop, in the fourth round of the MLB Draft with the No. 132 overall pick on July 14. Hill was the second Rebel selected in the draft behind pitcher Mason Morris. Advertisement Hill developed into a top draft prospect after transferring to Ole Miss from Arizona State as a sophomore in 2024. He has experience at third base, shortstop and second base. Hill was named to the All-SEC second team in 2025. He started 63 games for the Rebels in 2025 and batted .336. He had the best batting average of any Rebel. He also took more walks (46) than strikeouts (43). Part of Hill's biggest impact to Ole Miss was in the offseason before 2025. Teammates credited him as a key player in holding Ole Miss baseball's roster together after stars Liam Doyle and Andrew Fischer transferred to Tennessee. Hill has the ability to return to college baseball. His projected slot value is $561,400. Advertisement Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@ or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Cleveland Guardians draft Ole Miss baseball infielder Luke Hill
