MIAMI (WLBT) – Former Ole Miss pitcher Gunnar Hoglund made a historic start to his MLB career on Friday in his first callup to the show.
Hoglund was given the start on the mound for the Las Vegas Athletics against the Miami Marlins on May 2 in his Major League debut, flashing signs of what he once did in the blue and red of Ole Miss.
Treating the occasion like a vet, it was a lights-out performance in Miami for the rookie, who had done something no other A’s pitcher has done since 1943: allowing one run in six innings pitched while allowing zero walks in his Major League debut and only the fourth since 1915. He also recorded seven strikeouts.
“Just a big weight off my shoulders,” Hoglund said after his historic debut. “You know, once I got the call this week, it was just surreal. And, you know, I just couldn’t wait to just get on the mound and toe the rubber. I was just hoping tonight to show what I was capable of doing, and I think I did that.”
The 25-year-old led the A’s to a 6-1 victory.
Hoglund’s special night was topped off by having his family in attendance.
“It’s special. All those people that came and watched me tonight, they’ve all played a part in me getting to this point now. … Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
Hoglund had a 10-5 record on the mound as a Rebel from 2019-2021, pitching 154 innings while totalling 186 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.68 in his collegiate career.
He becomes the second former baseball player representing Mississippi to have made their MLB debut with the A’s, as Brandon native and former Mississippi State pitcher JT Ginn made his first start and recorded his first win last season in the Athletics’ final home game in the Oakland Coliseum.
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