Minor League Baseball news around the Carolina Mudcats and updates on Johnston County natives Jerry Sands and Chris Archer.

Clayton native Chris Archer will start the 2011 season with the Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits, the Ray's Double-A franchise. Archer was moved from the Chicago Cubs' franchise to the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system during the off-season in a trade.

Johnston County natives John Raynor and Jerry Sands are both still in big league camp with the Florida Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively with less than 10 days before the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season.

Three Johnston County natives will be in Major League camps as preparations for the 2011 pro baseball season begins.

John Raynor of Benson is in camp with the Florida Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. Raynor, a 27-year-old outfielder, started the 2010 season on the Pirates' major league roster but was optioned back to the Marlins under Rule V draft guidelines and spent the rest of the 2010 season at Triple-A New Orleans. The South Johnston High graduate battled a groin injury that kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months.

Clayton native Chris Archer is on the move again. Archer was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays' organization this weekend, just days after being named the top prospect in the Cubs' organization by Baseball America. Archer, a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher, was also named the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the 2010 season.

Clayton High School graduate Chris Archer has been rated as the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs' minor league organization by Baseball America. The right-handed, 6-foot-3 pitcher went a combined 15-3 at High-A and Double-A in 2010 with a 2.80 ERA, including a 1.80 ERA at Double-A.

Clayton High School graduate Chris Archer has been named the Chicago Cub's Minor League Pitcher of the Year, the organization announced this week.

Between High-A Daytona and Tennessee, Archer went 15-3 with a 2.34 ERA this year. Promoted to Double-A on June 28, Archer would toss 31.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to begin his time with the Smokies. In 13 starts for Tennessee, he went 8-2 with a 1.80 ERA.

The Tennessee Smokies rallied after losing the series opener to take the Southern League Northern Divisional Series from the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Sunday night. The Smokies topped West Tenn 5-2 on Sunday.

Tennessee will begin the Southern League Championship Series Tuesday night at home against Jacksonville. Clayton's Chris Archer is the projected starter for the Smokies in Game 1 of the series. He went 15-3 in the regular-season but took the loss in Game 1 of the playoffs.

Clayton's Chris Archer had his toughest outing of the season Thursday night in the Southern League playoffs opener. Archer took the loss for Tennessee in an 8-3 loss to West Tenn in Game 1 of the Northern Divisional Playoffs. The right-hander worked three-plus innings, allowing six earned runs and eight hits.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is set for tonight at Tennessee.

Clayton native Chris Archer, a Chicago Cubs' farmhand pitcher, will get the start Sunday at Five County Stadium against the Carolina Mudcats. First-pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Archer is expected to pitch just two innings, according to Stacey Houser, his former coach at Clayton High School.

Archer's team, the Tennessee Smokies, will start the Southern League playoffs on Thursday and the Smokies want him well-rested for his Game 1 start.

The right-hander has been one of the Southern League's best since getting the mid-season call up from Single-A. Archer is 8-2 for Tennessee with a 1.85 ERA. Overall during the 2010 season, he's 15-3 with a 2.37 ERA.