Baseball: Catching up with local prospects

Palmetto's Granden Goetzman is playing high Single-A baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays' affiliate in Port Charlotte.

A rundown at how some of the locals are faring in professional baseball:

MICHAEL OHLMAN, LAKEWOOD RANCH: An 11th-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2009, Ohlman is on the organization's 40-man roster and playing with its Double-A team in Bowie, Md. He's hitting .241 in 87 games with the Baysox with 26 RBIs, 21 doubles and two home runs. A catcher, Ohlman has thrown out 27 percent of runners trying to steal.

CORRELLE PRIME, MANATEE: The former Hurricane has found his power stroke with the Colorado Rockies' Single-A team in Asheville, N.C., slugging 16 home runs in 98 games with the first-place Tourists. Prime is tied for third in the South Atlantic League in home runs and second in RBIs (68) while slugging .469. Asheville is 29-10 in the second half and leads the league's South Division by 5 1/2 games.

CORD SANDBERG, MANATEE: Sandberg is hitting .237 with the Philadelphia Phillies' low short-season New York-Penn League team in Williamsport, Pa. He has three home runs, three doubles and three triples with 16 RBIs in 38 games and is 6-for-7 in steal attempts.

MICHAL SUCHY, SOUTHEAST: The area's newest pro after the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him during the fifth round of this year's draft, Suchy is with the Pirates' New York-Penn League team in Jamestown, N.Y. The former Seminole is hitting .241 but has a .345 on-base percentage thanks to his 19 walks and four hit-by-pitches in 38 games. Suchy has no home runs but five doubles and three triples.

GRANDEN GOETZMAN, PALMETTO: Bedeviled by injuries early in his career, Goetzman took advantage of his good health with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, a low Single-A affiliate with the Tampa Bay Rays. Goetzman batted .315 with 31 RBIs and seven home runs and 20 doubles in 60 games at Bowling Green, earning a promotion to the team's high Single-A affiliate in Port Charlotte. Goetzman is hitting .184 in 27 games with the Stone Crabs.

JON  GRIFFIN, LAKEWOOD RANCH: The former Mustang and State College of Florida product made national headlines by hitting four home runs in a game and five in as many at-bats. Playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Double-A team in Mobile, Ala., Griffin has hit 14 home runs while batting .236 with 48 RBIs in 88 games.