NWL1 Eugene Emeralds

Byrd, Bigge Become Newest Draftees Added to Roster

July 6, 2019 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Eugene Emeralds News Release


The Eugene Emeralds, proud Minor League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, have added two more 2019 MLB draftees to the team's current roster.

The Ems' newest additions have both officially arrived in Eugene, with one already having suited up for the Ems last night. Hunter Bigge (RHP), a 12th round pick out of Harvard, and Grayson Byrd (INF/OF), a 24th round pick out of Clemson, are the newest members of the Eugene Emeralds.

Hunter Bigge - RHP

Acquired: 2019 MLB Draft | Round 12 | Pick 372

Last Season w/ Harvard: 7-2 (12 APP | 12 GS), 4.58 ERA, 74.2 IP, 36 BB, 75 K / .313 (41-for-150), 8 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 34 RBI, .365 OB%, .507 SLG%

One of the most unique players in the 2019 MLB Draft, Bigge excelled both on the mound and in the batter's box during his time with the Crimson. The Los Gatos, California native was named First-Team All-Ivy as a DH and Second-Team All-Ivy as a starting pitcher. Drafted after his junior season, Bigge will be utlilized as a pitcher to start his pro career. The right-hander showed the ability to perform on the biggest stages, too, tossing 6.0 innings allowing six hits, two runs, and zero walks with nine strikeouts in Harvard's 2-0 defeat to the nationally-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2019 NCAA Regionals.

Tweet from @HarvardBaseball: Another one! Junior RHP/DH Hunter Bigge has been drafted in the 12th round by the @Cubs! #GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/Iw9fiRa7UL

Grayson Byrd - INF/OF

Acquired: 2019 MLB Draft | Round 24 | Pick 732

Last Season w/ Clemson: .316 (79-for-250), 16 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 59 RBI, .394 OB%, .588 SLG%

A Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a First-Team All-ACC Selection, Byrd led the Tigers in batting average, slugging percentage, multi-hit games (25), home runs, total bases (147), RBI, two-out RBI (29), and at-bats. Byrd was previously drafted in the 39th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, but opted to attend LSU (tranferred to Clemson following freshman season). A versatile player that can play multiple infield and outfield positions a la Ben Zobrist, Byrd comes to the Emerald Valley with MLB pedigree, too, as he is the son of 14-year MLB veteran pitcher Paul Byrd. Byrd made his Emeralds debut on July 5, playing first base and going 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.

Tweet from @ClemsonBaseball: Congrats to @ByrdinFlight4, who was drafted in the 24th round (No. 732 overall) by @Cubs! #ClemsonFamily pic.twitter.com/vT0GzAM6Wk

The Emeralds face off against the Everett AquaSox tonight in the third game of a four-game series. Tonight's game features an Eloy Jimenez bobblehead giveaway, courtesy of Pepsi and KMTR NBC 16, to the first 1,000 fans that enter through the home plate gate. Gates open at 6:00pm and the game between the Emeralds and AquaSox is scheduled to start at 7:05pm with left-hander Chris Allen starting for the Ems.

You can find the full promotional schedule for the 2019 Eugene Emeralds season by visiting www.EmeraldsBaseball.com.

Tickets to Emeralds home games are on sale now at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.

Check out the Eugene Emeralds Statistics



Northwest League Stories from July 6, 2019


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