Shockers baseball players in the major leagues

Once a Shocker, always a Shocker — until you get hired to play professionally.

It’s interesting to see how former Wichita State athletes fare at the next level, so here’s a look at a handful of former Shocker baseball players who could make an impact in the coming MLB season.

Conor Gillaspie – Older brother of WSU star, Casey Gillaspie. Conor plays third base for the Chicago White Sox.

He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2008 draft, but saw limited playing time until he was traded to the White Sox before the 2013 season. In 2013, Gillaspie started 107 games at third base, batting .245 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.

Gillaspie’s outlook for the upcoming season is uncertain at best. After mediocre output from White Sox third basemen in 2013, the team traded for 22-year-old third baseman Matt Davidson, who is expected to secure the starting spot in spring training.

Brian Flynn – A left-handed pitcher from Owasso, Okla., Flynn was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round of the 2008 draft, but decided not to sign and attended college instead.

He played at WSU for three years before being drafted again in 2011, this time by the Detroit Tigers in the eighth round. In 2012, Flynn was traded to the Miami Marlins.

He pitched well in the minor leagues last season, posting a 2.80 ERA for the Marlins’ minor league squad. Flynn’s first major league action was in late 2013, where he struggled in the limited time he had.

Despite struggles in the majors last season, Flynn is competing for the final spot in the Marlins’ starting pitching rotation for the upcoming season.

Mike Pelfrey – A Wichita native and Wichita Heights High School product, right-handed pitcher Mike Pelfrey has been a solid starter in the majors for years.

Drafted in 2005, Pelfrey spent his early career with the New York Mets. His most successful season thus far was in 2010, where he had a record of 15-9 and an ERA of 3.66. In 2012, he signed with the Minnesota Twins.

In 2014, Pelfrey will likely maintain a starting spot in the Twins’ rotation.

Andy Dirks – In 2008, Dirks was drafted by the Detroit Tigers and played for the organization ever since.

Dirks has been the Tigers’ primary left fielder for the majority of his career.

In 2012, he hit the ball well, posting a .322 batting average. His offensive performance dropped off in 2013, but he became an elite fielder. He was named a Gold Glove finalist before losing out to Kansas City Royals left-fielder Alex Gordon.

Dirks recently underwent back surgery and is expected to miss 12 weeks, including the first eight weeks of the season.