Local professional baseball players set for new season

There is no lack of baseball talent in Lenawee County, whether its at the high school level or in the college ranks.

There are now seven minor leaguers who have ties to Lenawee, whether it be their homes growing up or only during four years of college.

Here's a look at where each will begin the 2023 season:

Ryan Dorow, Adrian College, infielder - Injured

The 2017 30th round pick of the Texas Rangers remains within the organization he started with, but he suffered a setback a few weeks ago in spring training.

Dorow will begin his sixth season, seventh year counting lost 2020 season, injured as he separated his shoulder on a play at the plate during a spring training game.

Dorow, who can play second, shortstop and third base and has previously won the Rangers' Minor League Defender of the Year and was a High-A Carolina League All-Star in 2019, has climbed the ranks and even made his MLB debut in 2021.

Last season was up and down from him performance wise as he hit .237 in Triple-A Round Rock with six home runs and 44 RBIs.

During his career, he's batted .255 with 45 home runs, 230 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. When he returns, it'll most likely be back in Triple-A, where he's been most of the last two seasons.

Tommy Parsons, Adrian College, pitcher

The former Bulldogs' ace will return to Triple-A Memphis where he's pitched each of the last two seasons and for the final start of his 2019 season.

Parsons skyrocketed through the St. Louis Cardinals farm system after being selected as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

In 2019, his first full minor league season, the only pitcher to throw more minor league innings was Detroit Tigers one-time top prospect, Casey Mize.

Since joining the Redbirds, Parsons has come back down to Earth and has bounced between pitching out of the bullpen and starting, but he still shows flashes of what he did when he first began his professional career.

He finished the 2022 season strong, with five starts in the month of September where he went 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA with 10 walks and 28 strikeouts while his batting average against was .196.

Overall, in four minor league seasons, Parsons is 30-20 with a 4.10 ERA. He's thrown 432 innings with 371 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks/hits per innings pitched) of 1.19.

Dugan Darnell, Adrian College, pitcher

The former third baseman turned closer signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies in February of 2021 and had a stellar first season.

Year 2 as more of a struggle for Darnell as he went 4-1 with a 5.29 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 33 walks in Double-A Hartford.

Between High-A and Single-A ball in his first season, Darnell went 4-3 with an astounding 1.95 ERA with 80 strikeouts and only 10 walks.

Darnell made two appearances in the Cactus League for the Rockies and got two outs, gave up one hit and struck out one.

He has yet to be assigned for the 2023 season.

Sam Benschoter, Tecumseh, pitcher

Former two-time Lenawee County Pitcher of the Year, Benschoter faced some struggles last season as he dealt with vertigo and missed time.

When he came back, he looked more like he did prior to his health issues and pitched well.

In August he posted a 2.45 ERA in Single-A Daytona and High-A Dayton.

He finished the season with one final start with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and will also begin the 2023 season with the Lookouts.

Cameron Wagoner, Tecumseh, pitcher

Another two-time Lenawee County Pitcher of the Year along with Benschoter, Wagoner began his professional career last season after being drafted in the 11th round by the Milwaukee Brewers

Wagoner will begin this season in the Midwest League with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers after having an outstanding first few months of professional ball last season.

In eight innings of rookie ball, he allowed three runs on four hits while striking out eight and walking one.

He capped his first season with the Low-A Carolina Mudcats where he went 2-0 with three appearances, one start. He tossed 11.2 innings and gave up one run, on 12 hits and one walk while striking out 16.

Pierce Banks, Adrian College, pitcher

Banks started the season last year in independent ball before getting a minor league contract from the Minnesota Twins.

Banks made his professional debut in July and appeared in nine games, making one start, between the rookie Florida Coast League and the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the High-A Midwest League.

He went 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA with 16 strikeouts in his first season. He has yet to be assigned for the 2023 season.

Mo Hanley, Adrian College, pitcher

Hanley hasn't pitched in a game since April 10, 2021 for Adrian College when he was pulled after recording two outs in his start against Hope College.

Hanley had Tommy John surgery not too long after and despite the injury and playing only Division III ball, the Los Angeles Angels selected the lefty in the 13th round of the 2021 draft.

Hanley has been working to get fully healthy and should make his minor league debut this season, hopefully earlier in the season than later.

Monroe County is also home to three strong products as well, including one major leaguer.

Bryce Windham, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, catcher

Windham has climbed the ranks within the Chicago Cubs organization, including getting a non-roster invite with the Cubs this spring training.

Windham made four appearances in the Cactus League, doing enough to get the nod to start the 2023 season in Triple-A Iowa as the Cubs selected to begin the season with three catchers on the big league roster with veterans Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart, as well as Luis Torrens.

Windham spent all of last season in Double-A Tennessee where he hit .202 with four home runs, 31 RBIs and two stolen bases. Throughout three minor league seasons in four years (no 2020 season), he's hitting .252 with seven home runs, 80 RBIs and nine steals.

His strongest weapon is his play behind the plate as pitchers throughout the Cubs organization have noted how they like pitching to Windham.

Joey Wiemer, Temperance Bedford, outfielder

What to do with Joey Wiemer was one of the final decisions the Milwaukee Brewers brass had to make this spring training.

They got a good look at him, he made the second-most appearances this spring for the Brewers, batting .262 with two home runs and four RBIs while stealing 10 bases.

It looked for a bit like Wiemer would make the Opening Day roster, but he will begin the season at Triple-A Nashville.

John Schreiber, Gibraltor Carlson, pitcher

Schreiber has found his home in the Boston Red Sox bullpen after two tough seasons with the Tigers, Schreiber was a bright spot for the Red Sox last year.

The Northwestern Ohio product out of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, Schreiber posted a 2.22 ERA in 65 innings. He recorded eight saves and a 4-4 record and striking out 74 while walking 19.

The question with Schreiber is where will he end up in the bullpen? Will he close, first out of the pen in the middle innings, or setup in the seventh or eighth innings.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Local professional baseball players set for new season