Mizzou Baseball in the Minors

■ Transactions:

• 7/14: Colorado Springs Sky Sox placed RHP Andrew Johnston on the temporarily inactive list.
  
  
• 7/14: Sacramento River Cats released RHP Doug Mathis.

■ Blue Springs grad honored by Texas Rangers (examiner.net)

Nick Tepesch, who led Blue Springs High School and the Blue Springs Rod’s Sports Athletics American Legion team to state championships his senior year, was named the June Pitcher of the Month for the Texas Rangers organization.

“It’s a pretty cool honor,” Tepesch, 22, said by phone Wednesday afternoon as his Hickory Crawdads minor league baseball team prepared for a game in West Virginia. “The minors are pretty much what I expected – a lot of good competition and long bus rides. But getting this honor is really special, especially when you consider it includes all their minor league teams.”

■ Gibson climbing the ladder with help from former Tigers (komu.com)

Gibson also looks to Crow for more than just the difference between Double-A and Triple-A.

"Whether it's something as easy as being a professional or acting a certain way around the locker room, or advice on the field, it's nice to have a guy that has been there and done that," he said.

■ Frey elevates his game at Reno (bnd.com)

Since June 21, Evan Frey's average has jumped from .279 to .316. After a relatively cool May that saw him post a .257 average, the 25-year-old left fielder heated up in June and July by hitting .350 with 16 RBIs and 10 extra-base hits.

"Once I moved up to Triple A, it was a fresh start for me," said Frey, a former standout at Edwardsville High and the University of Missouri selected by Arizona in the 10th round of the 2007 draft. "I'd been struggling in Double A and once I got around some new parks and some new scenery it really helped me out."