Brandon Gomes is back with the big club in Tampa.

After starting the 2012 season in Triple A, former Tulane star pitcher Brandon Gomes has returned to the major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Gomes pitched very well for the Rays in 2011, but did not enjoy a very good spring and was sent down. The demotion did not last long. The promotion came fast.

Gomes opened the season at Durham, pitching in five games, pitching six innings, allowing no runs on two hits with eight strikeouts and earning a save. With a struggling bullpen, the Rays wasted no time in recalling Gomes on.

Gomes has struggled in his in his return to Tampa Bay, taking the loss in relief in a 5-4 loss to Minnesota on April 20. Still, Gomes proved that he can pitch effectively in the big leagues in 2011, going 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 38 innings a year ago for the Rays.

Steve Clevenger, who started his college career at SLU, is doing a terrific job in a reserve role for the Chicago Cubs.

Clevenger is 10-for-19 (.526) with four doubles and two RBI as a backup catcher. If he keeps hitting in that fashion, he will hit his way into the Chicago lineup more frequently for Dave Sveum.

Former Northshore High and New Orleans Zephyrs star Logan Morrison is up to .302 with a home run and seven RBI for the Miami Marlins.

Baton Rouge native Jonathan Papelbon is making himself right at home in the National League. Papelbon has a 1.13 ERA with 6 saves in as many save opportunities for the Phillies. Think Boston misses him?

Speaking of former UNO stars, outfielder Joey Butler is making his case for the hitting-rich Texas Rangers. At Triple A Round Rock, Butler has a 10-game hitting streak, going 15-of-40 (.375) over that stretch.

Butler came to New Orleans and helped the Express win 3-of-4 against the Zephyrs, going 7-of-15 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI against the Z's.

Former LSU star D.J. LeMahieu is off to a very good start for Triple A Colorado Springs for the Rockies.

LeMahieu has a seven-game hitting streak (11-of-35) and has hit in 9-of-10 games (.357). He went 3-for-6 with four RBI against Las Vegas on April 24.

Former Jesuit star Jimmy Cesario continues his climb toward the majors. Having played in A ball a year ago, Cesario started 2012 in Double A with Tulsa and is now in Triple A at Colorado Springs with LeMahieu. The second baseman is hitting .200 (3-of-15) in 8 games for the Sky Sox.

In Double A, former Tulane pitcher Preston Claiborne is off to a very good start. Claiborne is 0-1 but has a sterling 1.80 ERA in six games for Trenton in the New York Yankees organization. Claiborne has 14 strikeouts in 10 innings.

Former Riverside and Delgado star Lee Haydel is off to an excellent start for Double A Huntsville in the Southern League for the Milwaukee Brewers. Haydel is hitting .356 (15-of-41) with a home run and three RBI.

Also in Double A, former Hahnville and Tulane star Aaron Loup is off to a very good start out of the bullpen for New Hampshire in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Loup has made seven appearances, allowing no runs and has a save for the Fisher Cats.

In Single A, former LSU pitcher Ben Alsup is off to a very fast start, winning his first three starts. Alsup is 3-0 with a 3.79 ERA for Asheville in the South Atlantic League for the Colorado Rockies.

Former Tiger Jared Mitchell is finally healthy, much to the delight of the Chicago White Sox. For Class A Birmingham, Mitchell has a seven-game hitting streak and is hitting .309 with three doubles, four triples, five stolen bases, a home run, and 17 RBI in just 20 games. Mitchell has the potential to be a four or five-tool player.

Former Tulane star Rob Segedin is off to a good start for Tampa in the Florida State League (Class A) for the New York Yankees. Segedin has a four-game hit streak (7-15/.467) and is hitting .304 with three doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI.

Former UNO and Slidell High star Nick Schwaner has signed to play for the Evansville Otters of the Independent Frontier League for the Evansville Otters. Schwaner played for the Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.

Our HOMETOWN HEROES include all players from Louisiana who are in the major leagues and all players from the Greater New Orleans area high schools and from LSU, Tulane, Nicholls State, Southeastern Louisiana and Delgado.

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MAJOR LEAGUES

SCOTT BAKER--Minnesota Twins (Captain Shreve) **DL—Elbow surgery. Out for yr.

BRIAN BOGUSEVIC—Houston Astros (Tulane) .185, (10-for-54), 2-3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

REID BRIGNAC--Tampa Bay Rays (St. Amant) .118 (2-for-17), 1 RBI

CLAY BUCCHOLZ--Boston Red Sox (McNeese State) 1-1, 9.00 ERA

STEVE CLEVENGER—Chicago Cubs (SLU) .526 (10-for-19), 4 doubles, 2 RBI

LOUIS COLEMAN—Kansas City Royals (LSU) 0-0, 4.26 ERA, 4 app., 6.1 inn., 4 K's

CHARLIE FURBUSH—Seattle Mariners (LSU) 0-1, 4.91 ERA, 3 app.

CHAD GAUDIN—Miami Marlins (Crescent City) 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 games, 5.2 inn.

BRANDON GOMES—Tampa Bay Rays (Tulane) 0-1, 27.00 ERA, 2 appearances

AARON HILL—Arizona Diamondbacks (LSU) .238 (15-for-63), 3 HR, 3-2B, 9 RBI

JONATHAN LUCROY--Milwaukee Brewers (ULL) .286, 1-2B, 1-3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI

WADE MILEY—Arizona Diamondbacks (Loranger/SLU) 2-0, 1.84 ERA, 14.2 inn., 9 hits

LOGAN MORRISON—Miami Marlins (Northshore) .302 (13-of-43), 1 HR, 7 RBI

MICAH OWINGS—San Diego Padres (Tulane) 0-2, 2.25 ERA, 5 appearances

JONATHAN PAPELBON—Philadelphia Phillies (B.R.) 0-0, 1.13 ERA, 6 saves

JUAN PIERRE—Philadelphia Phillies (Alexandria) .333 (18-of-54), 3 SB, 1-3B, 4 RBI

RYAN THERIOT—San Francisco Giants (Broadmoor, LSU) .182 (4-of-22)

RICKIE WEEKS--Milwaukee Brewers (Southern) .188 (13-for-69), 4-2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI

BRIAN WILSON--San Francisco Giants (LSU) 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 2 games—DL (Elbow)

AAA

RYAN ADAMS—Norfolk (Jesuit) .167 (11-of-66), 6-doubles, 6 RBI

CHAD BECK—Las Vegas (ULL) 1-0, 2.16 ERA (7 appearances)

JOEY BUTLER—Round Rock (UNO) .315, 7-2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 10-game hit streak

JIMMY CESARIO—Colorado Springs (Jesuit) .200 (3-of-15) in 8 games

MATT CLARK--Tucson (LSU) .190 (12-of-63), 1 double, 1 HR, 5 RBI

BRAD EMAUS—Colorado Springs (Tulane) (D.L.) Thumb injury

DANNY FARQUHAR—New Hampshire (ULL) 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 6 games, 10 K's, 8.2 inn.

JOHNNY GIAVOTELLA—Omaha (Jesuit, UNO) .250 (20-of-80), 3-2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI

MARK HAMILTON—Memphis (Tulane) DISABLED LIST

BEAU JONES—New Orleans (Destrehan) 0-0, 5.23 ERA, 8 games, 10 K's 10.1 inn.

D.J. LEMAHIEU—Colorado Springs (LSU) .333, 4 doubles, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 6 SB, 19 G

TOMMY MANZELLA--Reno (Hannan, Tulane) .091 (3-33 in 13 games), 1-2B, 1 RBI

BRIAN TALLET—Tucson (LSU) 0-1, 9.53 ERA, 7 games

AA

PRESTON CLAIBORNE—Trenton (Tulane) 0-1, 1.80 ERA, 1 SV., 14 K's in 10 inn.

BRAD HAWPE—Frisco (LSU) .268 (11-of-41), 3 doubles, 2 HR, 4 RBI

LEE HAYDEL--Huntsville (Riverside, Delgado) .366 (15-of-41), 1-3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

BLAKE MARTIN—New Britain (LSU) 0-1, 2.70 ERA, 7 games, 7 K's, 6/2 inn.

AARON LOUP—New Hampshire (Hahnville, Tulane) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 games, 1 save

EDGAR RAMIREZ--Binghamton (LSU) 0-0, 4.00 ERA, 5 games

RYAN VERDUGO—Omaha (LSU) 2-0, 4.15 ERA, 4 games, 18 K's, 17.1 inn.

CRAIG WESTCOTT—Richmond (Hannan, Delgado) 0-2, 6.43 ERA, 4 starts

JOSH ZEID—Corpus Christi (Tulane) 1-0, 6.75 ERA in 3 games, 4 inn., 4 K's

A

BEN ALSUP—Asheville (LSU) 3-0, 3.79 ERA, 3 starts, 19 inn., 16 K's

JUSTIN BOUDREAUX—Great Lakes (Dutchtown/SLU) .164 (9-of-55), 5 RBI

CLINT DEMPSTER—Beloit (Thibodaux, Nicholls State) 1-1, 3.68 ERA, 6 games

SAM HONECK--Savannah (Tulane) .133 (2-of-15), 1 double

LEON LANDRY—Rancho Cucamonga (Baker/LSU) .318, 4-2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 SB (DL)

CHANDLER LAURENT—Modesto (Fontainebleau, Delgado) .140, 2-2B, 6 RBI

LUCAS LEBLANC--Greenville (Central Lafourche, Delgado) .267, 3-2B, 1 RBI

JARED MITCHELL--Winston-Salem (Westgate/LSU) .309, 3-2B ,4-3B, 1 HR, 17 RBI

SEAN OCHINKO--Dunedin (LSU) .257 (9-of-35),5-2B, 3 RBI

RYAN O' SHEA—Frederick (Mandeville, UNO) DISABLED LIST

MATTY OTT—Greenville (Holy Cross, LSU) 2-1, 2.53 ERA, 4 gamesK

JOSH PRINCE--Huntsville (Tulane) .188 (13-of-69), 1-2B, 2-3B, 5 RBI, 4 SB

ANTHONY RANAUDO--Salem (LSU) 7-Day DISABLED LIST

TAYLOR ROGERS—San Jose (Tulane) 2-1, 3.10 ERA, 4 starts

AUSTIN ROSS--Brevard (LSU) 0-0, 1.54 ERA in 3 starts—7 Day DISABLED LIST

ROB SEGEDIN--Tampa (Tulane) .304, 3-2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI

RYAN SCHIMPF--Dunedin (St. Paul, LSU) .214 (12-of-56), 4-2B, 2-3B, 8 RBI