BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – With the professional baseball season at its halfway point, four former Runnin' Bulldogs currently sit on professional rosters.
Mason Miller (2021) earned his major league call-up to the Oakland Athletics, while Chandler Redmond (2016-19) and Jeremy Walker (2014-16) sit on the rosters of the Springfield Cardinals (Double-A, St. Louis Cardinals) and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A, Philadelphia Phillies) as of press time. Mason Fox (2016-18) is currently on the roster of the El Paso Chihuahuas (Triple-A, San Diego Padres), but has yet to play this season due to injury.
The third Runnin' Bulldog in program history to play at the major league level, Miller made his debut with the A's on Apr. 19, going 4.1 innings, allowing two runs off four hits and striking out five batters against the Chicago Cubs. Despite his loss against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Apr. 25, Miller struck out six batters, including back-to-back strikeouts of former AL MVPs Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
While Miller currently sits on the 60-day injury list, he has been effective in his short time in Oakland, with 22 strikeouts over 21.1 innings, an ERA of 3.38, and an impressive 0.98 WHIP.
In Springfield, Redmond has been a powerhouse for the Springfield Cardinals, as his 24 home runs are the most in Minor League Baseball. Only Jo Adell and current Los Angeles Angel Trey Cabbage of Triple-A Salt Lake City are the other two MiLB players to have hit 23 home runs this season. His 67 RBIs are tied for first in the Texas League, and Redmond's .556 slugging percentage is fifth in the league.
Walker has been steady out of the bullpen for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, holding a 5-1 record in 47.0 innings of work this season. The right-hander has struck out 36 batters so far, including an outing at Durham on Apr. 12 where Walker stuck out four batters over 2.1 innings. Walker holds an ERA of just 3.45 and has also recorded a pair of starts this season.
Gardner-Webb has had 18 former players drafted by Major League Baseball teams, with three of those, Blake Lali, Walker and Miller, having played at the MLB level.
