Diamond Dawgs in the Show Update: April 3

Another Major League Baseball season has arrived with more Diamond Dawgs making their names on the biggest stage.

On opening day, State was tied with Vanderbilt for the most players on main rosters with 11 but that number went to 12 this week with the addition of Justin Foscue to the Texas Rangers roster. Injuries have plagued several former Diamond Dawgs early this year, but they’re on the road to recovery and it should be an exciting year of baseball on the way.

Kendall Graveman enters year 10 in the league as the eldest Dog still playing pro baseball but is expected to miss all of 2024 after having shoulder surgery. The same could be said for Brandon Woodruff who missed several months last year with a shoulder injury and could miss this whole season.

State had two former Bulldogs make debuts in the league last season as J.P. France was the talk of the Houston Astros after his solid season in the rotation. Jordan Westburg also made waves with the Baltimore Orioles and is primed for a big year.

Three former teammates are playing on the same team this year as Chris Stratton, Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe are all playing for the Kansas City Royals. It’s the first time the trio has been together on the same team since the Diamond Dawgs won the SEC Tournament in 2012 and finished the year in a Regional at Florida State. Dakota Hudson also has a new team moving to Colorado.

Brent Rooker had his breakthrough season with the Oakland A’s last year and is hopeful for a big season while Nate Lowe earned a Golden Glove for his work with the World Champions Texas Rangers at first base.

More reinforcements could be on the way this year for State as well with others champing at the bit in Triple A.

In week one, France and Hudson got starts on the mound, Justin Foscue heard the call to the Rangers’ main roster and Jordan Westburg had his first-career walk-off home run.

Let’s get to the stats.

RHP Kendall Graveman, Houston Astros  

Last Week:  N/A (Out for season with shoulder injury)

Season: N/A

Career: 10 seasons, 37-43, 3.95 ERA, 279 app., 80 starts, 24 saves, 651.2 IP, 648 H, 312 R, 286 ER, 219 BB, 494 K

RHP J.P. France, Houston Astros

Last Week:      0-0, 1 S, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K

                        Vs. New York Yankees, March 31 

Season:  Same

Career: 2 seasons, 11-5, 3.87 ERA, 25 App., 24 S, 142.0 IP, 144 H, 67 R, 61 ER, 48 BB, 106 K

RHP Chris Stratton, Kansas City Royals  

Last Week:      0-0, 2 app., 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

                        Vs. Minnesota Twins, March 28 – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

                        Vs. Baltimore Orioles, April 1 – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Season: Same

Career: 9 seasons, 37-24, 4.44 ERA, 304 app., 42 starts, 12 SV, 547.0 IP, 556 H, 294 R, 270 ER, 218 BB, 505 K

RHP Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

Last Week: N/A (Placed on 60-day Injured List on February 21 with injured right shoulder)  

Season: N/A

 Career: 8 seasons, 46-26, 3.10 ERA, 130 appearances, 115 starts, 1 save, 680.1 IP, 535 H, 243 R, 234 ER, 176 BB, 788 K

RHP Dakota Hudson, Colorado Rockies  

Last Week:      0-1, 1 S, 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

                        Vs. Chicago Cubs, April 1 – Loss

Season:  Same  

 Career: 7 seasons, 38-21, 3.80 ERA, 115 app., 80 starts, 1 save, 476.0 IP, 443 H, 224 R, 201 ER, 217 BB, 317 K

LHP Ethan Small,  San Francisco Giants

Last Week: N/A (Placed on 60-day Injured List on February 6 with right oblique strain)

Season: N/A

Career: 3 seasons, 0-0, 8.71 ERA, 4 App., 2 S, 1 SV, 10.1 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 10 BB, 13 K

OF Hunter Renfroe, Kansas City Royals     

Last Week:      4 G, .000 BA, 5 K

                        Vs. MIN, March 28 – 0-3, 1 K

                        Vs. MIN, March 30 – 0-4, 3 K

                        Vs. BAL, April 1 – 0-4

                        Vs. BAL, April 2 – 0-4, 1 K

Season: Same

Career: 9 seasons, 845 G, .238 BA, 702 H, 405 R, 162 2B, 4 3B, 177 HR, 454 RBI, 245 BB, 826 K, 14-18 SB, .298 OBP, .475 SLG

2B Adam Frazier, Royals

Last Week:      5 games, .273 BA, 3 H, 2 RBI

                         vs. MIN, March 28 – 1-3

                        vs. MIN, March 30 – 1-2

                        vs. MIN, March 31 – 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 K

                        vs. BAL, April 1 – 0-2

                        vs. BAL, April 2 – 0-0

Season:  Same

 Career: 9 seasons, 967 G, .269 BA, 853 H, 433 R, 169 2B, 27 3B, 56 HR, 319 RBI, 260 BB, 453 K, 52-84 SB, .331 OBP, .392 SLG

1B Nate Lowe, Texas Rangers

Last Week: (Placed on 10-day IL on March 28 with right oblique strain)

 Season: N/A

 Career: 6 seasons, 543 G, .273 BA, 542 H, 271 R, 98 2B, 8 3B, 73 HR, 259 RBI, 242 BB, 546 K, 12-14 SB, .355 OBP, .441 SLG

2B Justin Foscue, Rangers

Last Week: N/A

Season: N/A

OF Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics

Last Week:      4 G, .143, 2 H, 1 2B, 1 BB, 11 K

                        Vs. Cleveland Indians, March 28 – 0-4, 3 K

                        Vs. CLE, March 30 – 0-4, 1 BB, 4 K

                        Vs. Boston Red Sox, April 1 – 0-3, 2 K

                        Vs. BOS, April 2 – 2-5, 1 2B, 2 K

Season:  Same

 Career: 5 seasons, 222 G, .228, 164 H, 91 R, 34 2B, 1 3B, 40 HR, 92 RBI, 68 BB, 269 K, 4-4 SB, .312 OBP, .445 SLG

2B Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

Last Week:      5 G, .250, 4 H, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 K

                        Vs. Los Angeles Angels, March 28 – 1-3, 1 RBI

                        Vs. LAA, March 30 – 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K

                        Vs. LAA, March 31 – 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K

                        Vs. KC, April 1 – 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

                        Vs. KC, April 2 – 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B

Season: Same

Career: 2 seasons, 73 G, .259, 58 H, 30 R, 18 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 17 BB, 59 K, 4-5 SB, .310 OBP, .411 SLG