Austin Warren Dazzles in MLB Debut
The former Seahawk got out of a jam to begin his Big League career.
The UNCW Baseball family is running on extra coffee and a boost of optimism this morning, just hours after an electric Major League debut for pitcher Austin Warren.
It was 12:10 a.m. Eastern when the former Seahawk reliever was thrown directly into the fire for the Los Angeles Angels, getting the ball with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning.
Facing Oakland outfielder Ramon Laureano (.245, 14 HR, 39 RBI), Warren jammed him to force a weak blooper to the right side, and after covering first base to get the out, the newest Angel could finally breathe.
“It’s not what I wanted to do, but when he came in from the bullpen and I handed him the ball, he was really calm and confident,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “I walked into the dugout and I said to the guys, I said, ‘He’s all right; he’s going to be OK.’
“Then he just proceeds to throw first-pitch, nasty slider, strike-one and then he jams him to get out of the inning; that’s a beautiful thing. Then, he had a really nice next inning too. … very impressive in his approach, I really liked it a lot.”
The quick cut to his celebrating family was a good representation for what everyone who loves the Seahawks was experiencing back here in North Carolina.
Warren is everything right about sports and everything right about UNCW Baseball.
A two-way player throughout his time at Fayetteville’s Terry Sanford High School and early on at Wake Tech, it wasn’t certain Warren would even become a Division I college player.
That changed when he found his groove as a pitcher during his second season at WTCC and UNCW took a chance on a guy many passed on because of his 5-11, 170-pound frame.
It became clear very quickly that what Warren lacked in size, he made up for with heart, grit and a devastating slider, making 52 appearances as a Seahawk, striking out 116 over 98.1 innings.
Most memorable, of course, was his 2018 CAA Tournament run, striking out 12 over 8.2 innings of scoreless relief, throwing 117 pitches over four days, as he willed UNCW to a title from the mound.
It’s easy to root for a guy that keeps overcoming doubts about his size and ability.
It’s even easier to root for that guy after he delivers an unforgettable performance and a memory that will stick with you forever.
Add to that an awesome family that has followed along and been incredibly supportive every step of the way? Their pride in Austin is infectious, and you can’t help but smile as you watch them hanging on every second of his time on the field.
Here’s a collection of what folks around the UNCW Baseball family had to say:
Not only did his performance register among the UNCW family, but folks took notice around the baseball world and beyond: