Mitch Moreland goes 2-for-4 in big league debut

12:17 AM CDT on Friday, July 30, 2010
By DREW DAVISON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON

It caught Mitch Moreland by surprise. After all, he wasn't expecting a life-changing phone call at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday. Triple-A Oklahoma City manager Bobby Jones delivered the news to Moreland, informing him that the Rangers were calling him up.

The Rangers decided to go with Moreland with Ian Kinsler headed to the disabled list. "It's the best feeling in the world," said Moreland, who grew up in Amory, Miss. "I've dreamed of this since growing up and, ever since I could walk, this is what I wanted to do."

Moreland started at first base instead of Chris Davis on Thursday and singled in his first career at-bat. He went 2-for-4.

Moreland was able to fly in his parents and sister to be on hand for his big league debut.

Moreland, who played primarily in the outfield in the minors, will play only first base with the Rangers. His last 12 starts at Triple-A were at first base, and the team feels he is capable of playing it at the major league level.

"I know he is a player, and he's swung the bat well," manager Ron Washington said. "When we knew we weren't going to have Kinsler, we went down and got the best player down there. And that was Moreland."

Moreland comes to the Rangers after hitting .289 with 12 home runs, 29 doubles and 65 RBIs in 95 games with the RedHawks. Over his last 45 games, Moreland has hit .345 with nine home runs, 13 doubles and 40 RBI's.

MAKE THAT TEN!!!!!!

Dans alumni Jet Butler (Mississippi State) was taken in the 26th round by the New York Mets. A shortstop from Pensacola, Fl, Butler played for the Dans in 2007. Congratulations Jet!

DANS TAKE SEC BASEBALL HONORS

Shortstop Austin Nola (LSU-Dans 2009) and Brett Huber (Ole Miss-Dans 2009) have been named All-SEC 2nd Team. Huber has also been named to the SEC All Freshman Team along with Chris Stratton (Mississippi State - Dans 2010). Congrats!

BOWEN INKS WITH REDS

Dans alumni Ricky Bowen (2007 - Miss State) has signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization and will report to their Billings Montana (Pioneer League) team. Bowen was selected by the Reds in the 43rd round of this year's player draft.

DANS SHINE ON OPENING WEEKEND

College baseball has begun, so rumors are true, there will be a spring! #1 ranked LSU swept Villanova this weekend. Dans alum, Ryan Schimpf (Dans 2007) finished the series 7-for-10 with six RBI and four stolen bases. In the final game, he homered to lift top-ranked LSU to a 6-3 victory. Head coach Paul Mainieri said of Schimpf, ”No one on our team works harder than he does and no one is more of a team player the him. I normally don’t call him spectacular, but that home run he hit was pretty spectacular.” LSU starter Austin Ross (Dans 2008) worked out of a bases loaded jam in the 6th inning to finish the game, allowing only one run on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

In Pepperdine’s win over Cal State Northridge on Sunday, 2 Dans played a major defensive role. With a go-ahead runner on third, the Waves 1st baseman collected a routine grounder, tagged the bag, and whipped a throw to catcher Trent Diedrich (Dans 2007) who tagged out the runner attempting to score from third for a double play. Diedrich also drove in the game’s first run with a 2-out double. Tyler Hess came in, in the 6th inning. With the score tied 1-1, a runner at 3rd, and 1 out, the runner was left stranded by Hess following back-to-back strikeouts.

From Mississippi State, who finished the weekend 3-0, Jet Butler (Dans 2007), hit a walk-off, three-run home run, lifting the Bulldog to a 9-7 win over North Florida.

Free live game stats are available over the internet on each team’s college baseball site.

NAPPIE CONTINUES HOT HAND

Jason Nappi, 2007 Danville Dan, continues to hit at a blistering pace for his Mississippi State Bulldogs, sporting a .519 batting average through seven games. One of Nappi's 3 home runs includes a grand slam, to give his team the lead and eventual win, against UAB (University of Alabama Birmingham). Jason's current stats include 11 runs, 14 hits, 3 doubles and 9 RBI's.