SIU baseball alum Sam Coonrod makes MLB debut

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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Southern Illinois baseball alumnus Sam Coonrod made his Major League Baseball debut on Sunday afternoon. Pitching for the San Francisco Giants, Coonrod pitched a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning in relief during the Giants 6-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Originally selected by SF in the 5th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, 26 year-old Sam Coonrod has been called up to the big leagues today. #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/XlmpaE3bsg
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) May 26, 2019

Coonrod is the 25th Saluki Baseball alum to play in Major League Baseball. Most recently, Jason Frasor wrapped up a 12-year MLB career in 2015, which included pitching in the 2014 World Series with the Kansas City Royals.

Coonrod pitched a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning, which culminated in Coonrod's first career MLB strikeout.

Welcome to the big leagues, Sam Coonrod!#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/MLNp2EeuA9
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) May 26, 2019

Coonrod was a fifth-round MLB Draft pick by the Giants in 2014. He progressed quicly through the minor leagues until Tommy John surgery forced him to miss nearly the entire 2018 season. He was added to the Giants 40-man roster for the 2019 season and began the year in Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a remarkable 30 strikeouts in just 18 innings to start the season. In his five most recent appearances prior to being called up, Coonrod allowed no runs on just two hits over 4.2 innings, striking out nine while walking just one.

"He's been throwing the ball very well," San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Maria Guardado in a story on SFGiants.com. "He's mainly a one-inning guy, but he could go a couple for us. We need some help with our bullpen situation."

Coonrod, the final recruit of the late Dan Callahan, is one of 11 Salukis to be drafted in SIU head coach Ken Henderson's nine seasons leading SIU. He is one of seven pitchers drafted after working with Henderson and SIU associate head coach and pitching coach P.J. Finigan since 2011.

Coonrod joins an illustrious list of former Salukis to play Major League Baseball that includes Dave Stieb, Steve Finley, Jerry Hairston Jr, Jim Dwyer, Al Levine, and current San Francisco Giants television play-by-play announcer Duane Kuiper, among many others.

SALUKIS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES (alphabetical)

Jim Adduci (1983-89)
Sean Bergman (1983-2000)
Sam Coonrod (2019-pres.)
Jim Dwyer (1973-90)
Mike Eden (1976-78)
Neil Fiala (1981)
Steve Finley (1989-2007)
Jason Frasor (2004-15)
Rich Hacker (1971)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (1998-2011)
Joe Hall (1994-97)
Rickey Keeton (1980-81)
Duane Kuiper (1974-85)
Al Levine (1996-2005)
Bill Lyons (1983-84)
Jim Panther (1971-73)
Skip Pitlock (1970-75)
Ray Rippelmeyer (1962)
Dewey Robinson (1979-81)
Mike Rogoozinski (1973-75)
Bill Stein (1972-85)
Dave Stieb (1979-98)
Danny Thomas (1976-77)
George Vukovich (1980-85)
Joe Wallis (1975-79)

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