ANDERSON, S.C. - A little less than a month into the season, former Trojan hurler Landon Beck continues to flourish with the the St. Louis Cardinals' Class A Midwest League's Peoria Chiefs.
The hard-throwing right-hander is one of 14 pitchers currently active on the Chiefs' roster and has recorded one of three saves posted by the relief staff. Beck has made six appearances for the Chiefs, who are 9-11 on the season. He has tossed 7 2/3 innings, while allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, including two runs on a pair of hits five days ago in an 11-inning loss to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
A native of Hartwell, Ga., Beck (0-1) has fanned 12 batters on the season, while issuing just three free passes and has an ERA of 3.52. He began the season by tossing five scoreless innings in three appearances in a seven-day span and surrendered just two hits and striking out seven, including a season-high five in two innings of relief in a 2-0 win over Quad Cities in mid-April. He followed up three days later by earning a save in Peoria's 5-3 win over Wisconsin.
Beck was in the Chiefs' starting rotation last August and transitioned to the bullpen when the 2016 season began, April 7. With State College and Peoria he was 2-6 last season in 13 games and 11 starts with one save. He was selected by the Cardinals in the 25th round of the 2014 draft.
Beck began his professional career with the Johnson City Cardinals in the Coastal Plains League and worked his way up to the New York-Penn League's State College Spikes.
