Former Padres Prospect Epping signs with Beach Bums

Former Padres prospect Mike Epping will be a Traverse City Beach Bum in 2008 - if no other affiliated teams snatch him up before then that is.  Pictured:  Epping in 2006 with the short season class-A Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League - from MadFriars.com.

Epping, a 5'11" 190-pound native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, finished the 2007 season starting in centerfield for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, which is the triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.  In 2007, Epping took a roller coaster ride through the Padres organization - from extended spring training, to the class low-A Fort Wayne Wizards, to the class high-A Lake Elsinore Storm, and eventually to the class triple-A Portland Beavers.

Epping finished his collegiate career at the University of New Orleans in 2006 as an All-American - hitting an even .400 with 12 doubles, 8 home runs, 58 RBI, and 42 stolen bases in just 55 games.  Epping's .400 average and 42 stolen bases ranked him 23rd and 3rd respectively in NCAA Division I.

He was drafted in the 13th round of the 2006 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres and assigned to the short season class-A Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League.  In Eugene, Epping led the league in runs scored (53) and finished 4th in walks (43) while hitting .265 with 16 doubles, 3 home runs, 19 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 68 games.  Epping also shined defensively and earned himself a ranking as the 5th best defensive outfielder in the Padres' farm system last off-season.

In 2007, Epping was not assigned to a team out of spring training and was kept behind in extended spring training.  A few weeks later he got a call up to the class low-A Fort Wayne Wizards of the Midwest League where he played in 34 games, hitting .217 with 8 doubles, a triple, 4 home runs, 15 RBI, and 5 stolen bases in just 115 at-bats.  Epping's play earned him a promotion to the class high-A Lake Elsinore Storm, but he would only play in 2 games before being promoted to triple-A.  Epping started out well in triple-A, the highest level of professional baseball in the country below the big leagues, hitting .263 with a home run in his first 13 games before hitting a cold streak to end the season.

The combination of Epping, Tim Hutting, and Steve Young will make the Beach Bums one of the most accomplished and experience defensive teams in the Frontier League.  Offensively, Epping will hit in the top third of the lineup - most likely occupying the lead-off spot.  Epping was also a star in the community for the Padres, earning the organization's 2007 Community Involvement Award for helping out with local little leagues.

The Beach Bums Nation has good reason to be excited about this signing - very few players in the history of the Frontier League have had triple-A experience, and now the Beach Bums have two in Mike Epping and Tim Hutting.