Ball State University Athletics
Former Ball State Baseball Player Making Noise in the Majors
April 12, 2016 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. – After 751 minor league games, former Ball State Cardinals baseball player Jeremy Hazelbaker made his Major League Baseball debut last week for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 28-year-old signed a minor league contract with St. Louis in May 2015 and finally made the club's 25-man roster this year.
Hazelbaker, a Muncie native, made his first MLB appearance in the season opener on April 3 in a pinch-hit situation against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made his first start on April 5 against the Pirates where he went 1-for-3 with a solo home run.
After a long road, Hazelbaker is finally making noise in the majors after being a 2009 fourth-round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox. He is 10-for-19 (.526) at the plate through his first seven games. In the Cardinals' home opener on April 11, he went 4-for-4, with a triple and a double. He also had a diving catch in left field that helped the Cards to a 10-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The outfielder was a part of the Ball State Cardinals team from 2007-09. In his final year at Ball State, Hazelbaker brought in multiple awards. He was named first team All-Mideast Region, second team All-America by ABCA/Rawlings, third team All-America by Baseball America and first team All-Mid-American Conference. He started all 50 games in center field, earning his third letter. Also in the 2009 season, he led the team and the MAC with a .429 batting average along with 77 runs, 87 hits, eight triples, and a .550 on-base percentage.
Hazelbaker's name is mentioned throughout the Ball State record books. He ranks fifth overall with a single-season batting average of .429. He holds the fourth overall spot in single-season hits with 87. He is first overall in triples in a season (eight), runs scored in a season (77) and on-base percentage (.550).
The 2016 Ball State baseball team (21-12) has won six games in a row and returns to action tomorrow at Indiana at 6 p.m.
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