Aug. 31, 2010

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Jason Wheeler, who will be a junior this year on the LMU baseball team, and his brother, Ryan Wheeler, a former Lion currently playing in the Arizona Diamondback organization, both experienced a great deal of success this summer playing baseball.

The younger Wheeler was recently named Northwoods League Pitcher of the Year for his efforts on the hill for the St. Cloud River Bats. The lefty sported a league-best 1.35 ERA with a league-high eight victories and 74 strikeouts en route to the selection. Overall, he went 8-1 while holding opponents to a .191 average against. Serving as a reliever to begin the season before taking over a starting role, Wheeler garned a spot on both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams.

Ryan started the year playing for Class-A Visalia before being promoted to Double-A Mobile on August 16. Wheeler hit .284 over 113 games with Visalia, collecting 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 57 RBI. So far at Mobile, the left-handed hitting third baseman has batted .235 over 34 at bats with one home run and two RBI. Named 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Position Player of the Year, Wheeler has batted .308 with 46 doubles, six triples, 16 round-trippers and 100 RBI over the course of his minor league career.