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Princeton University Athletics
Young Leads Princeton Pro Baseball Report
August 25, 2004 | Baseball
Aug. 25, 2004
Princeton, N.J. - In his Major League Baseball debut, Chris Young '02 pitched 5.2 strong innings for the Texas Rangers, giving up three earned runs on just four hits in a no decision. Young is one of eight recent Princeton grads currently playing professional baseball. The Rangers went on to win the game over the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the ninth to stay 1.5 games behind Oakland in the American League West and one game behind Anaheim and Boston, who are tied atop the wild card standings. Young did not give up any hits through three innings before coughing up three runs on two home runs in the fourth. The 6-10 righty struck out three. Young is the first Princetonian to appear in a Major League game since Bob Tufts in 1983 and the first Tiger to start a game, at any poisition, since Dave Sisler in 1961. Young also holds the honor of being the 23rd Princetonian to play in a big league game. Young began this season in Class AA ball in Frisco, Texas. He made 18 starts there and compiled a 6-5 record wth a 4.48 ERA in a hitters league, prompting his promotion to AAA Oklahoma. Since his promotion to AAA, Young has made five starts and has posted a 3-0 record with a 1.48 ERA. He has struck out 34 batters in just over 30 innings. Additionally, there are seven former Tigers in the Minor League's hoping to reach the big league like Young. That group is led by Thomas Pauly '04. Pauly was selected 51st overall by Cincinnati in the 2003 MLB Draft, and at the time was the highest Tiger ever selected. After pitching in low A last season in Dayton, he has spent the entire 2004 season pitching with the Class A Potomac Cannons. He has developed into the ace of the staff and is 8-6 with a 3.00 ERA. He has 122 strikeouts in 180 innings pitched. Scott Hindman '03 is currently in the Anaheim organization and has been on the disabled list after starting the season in Class A Cedar Rapids. He was 1-1 with a 6.69 ERA in 35 innings pitched, used predominantly in a relief role. Pat Boran '02 has spent most of the season in Class A Sarasota, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. He has also appeared in a few games in the Gulf Coast League. He is batting .221 in 41 games in Sarasota. Tim Lahey '04 was the first of five Tigers drafted in the 2004 draft to sign with the team that drafted him. After being chosen in the 20th round by Minnesota, he signed and reported to Rookie Ball in Elizabethton, Tenn. He has appeared in 23 games and is currently batting .194 with two home runs. Steve Young '04 was the next to sign. He was selected in the 16th round by Detroit and has been playing everday for their Gulf Coast League rooke league team. He has played in 42 games, is batting .281 and has four doubles and two homers to his credit. Senior B.J. Szymanski was chosen 48th overall and is the highest Princetonian ever selected. He signed with Cincinnati, forgoing his senior baseball and football seasons and reported to Rookie Ball in Billings, Mont. He has palyed in 22 games and has a .259 battign average with 19 RBIs and three home runs. The last to sign was senior Ross Ohlendorf who also passed on his senio season when he sogned ithe Arizona Diamondbacks. He has been in A ball for a few weeks now in Yakima, Wash., and is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in five starts. He has pitched 19 inningd and struck out 12. Seniro Will Venable was also selected but he has not signed and will return to Princeton to compete in basketball and baseball his senior year.