Baseball | 6/19/2014 11:24:00 AM

SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Four former standouts of the Cal State San Marcos baseball program are currently in the professional ranks playing for various Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams and an independent league squad.

Former CSUSM ace James Dykstra (2012-13) is currently in North Carolina throwing for the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He's gone 3-6 with a 3.27 ERA in 11 starts and 63.1 innings pitched for the Intimidators, and is currently riding a hot hand. Over his last three appearances, Dykstra is 1-1 with a 0.52 ERA in 17.1 frames.

His banner performance came on May 27, when he led the Intimidators to a shutout victory over the Hickory Crawdads. He spun six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out three. He retired 14 consecutive batters during the outing.

In his most recent work on June 13, Dykstra became the first Intimidator starter to pitch into the eighth inning this season after throwing 7.1 frames in a 2-1 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Dykstra opened with six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, retired 12 straight batters from the third to the seventh innings, and struck out three without allowing an earned run.

Dykstra, who holds the lowest career ERA (2.46) of any CSUSM pitcher, has struck out 50 batters while allowing just eight walks this season.

After spending a season in the independent Frontier League in 2013, Steve Messner (2013) latched on with the Augusta GreenJackets in 2014, the single A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. A teammate of Dykstra's on CSUSM's 2013 A.I.I. championship squad, Messner is 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 18 appearances as a reliever for Augusta. His most recent victory came on June 6 against the Lexington Legends.

Messner made his first professional start in his most recent outing on June 12 against the Savannah Sand Gnats. He struck out five in 4.2 innings of work, but the Sand Gnats were able to tag Messner for six runs – four earned – on eight hits. Overall, as both a reliever and a starter, Messner is 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA.

Johnny Omahen (2008-11) is the longest-tenured former Cougar playing MiLB. Originally drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 25^th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur draft, Omahen spent two years in the Marlins system before latching on with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League in 2013. In 21 starts for the Bums, he went 8-9 with a 3.37 ERA in 115 innings pitched.

He was rewarded for his performance in independent ball when the Arizona Diamondbacks signed him prior to the 2014 season. Omahen has spent time at both the high-A level with the Visalia Rawhide and at the single-A level with the South Bend Silver Hawks.

Omahen went 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 12 appearances and two starts for the Rawhide and was moved to the Silver Hawks on June 4. So far with the Silver Hawks, Omahen is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA and has struck out 31 in 17.0 innings pitched. Overall, the right-hander is 3-2 on the season with a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched.

Anthony Renteria (2011-12), drafted in the 39^th round of the 2012 draft by the San Diego Padres, is currently playing for the Alpine Cowboys of the independent Pecos League in Alpine, Texas. Along with his .256 batting average, Renteria has 24 hits, 13 RBI, six doubles and a pair of home runs.

Please email Matt Berson at mberson@csusm.edu with additions to the list or more information about former CSUSM ballplayers.

JAMES DYKSTRA, SP
Kannapolis Intimidators (A, Chicago White Sox)
South Atlantic League
Kannapolis, N.C.

STEVE MESSNER, RP/SP
Augusta GreenJackets (A, San Francisco Giants)
South Atlantic League
Augusta, Ga.

JOHNNY OMAHEN, RP/SP
South Bend Silver Hawks (A, Arizona Diamondbacks)
Midwest League
South Bend, Ind.

ANTHONY RENTERIA, OF
Alpine Cowboys (Independent)
Pecos League
Alpine, Texas