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Dirks Debuts with Tigers

May 16, 2011 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain) News Release


HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. - Former Fayetteville SwampDogs outfielder Andy Dirks was called up to join the Detroit Tigers on Friday after the Tigers put Magglio Ordonez on the disabled list. Three days later, he found himself in the starting lineup against Toronto.

Batting in the two-hole and starting in left field, Dirks drew a walk from Blue Jays starter Kyle Drabek in his first major league plate appearance Monday night. In his next at-bat, he connected on a two-out single to left but was then picked off first for the third out of the inning. He finished 1-for-2 with a walk on the night.

Dirks spent the summer of 2005 with the SwampDogs, and is the 43rd Coastal Plain League alum to make his major league debut. Furthermore, he is the fourth alum to debut during the 2011 season, and the fifth former Fayetteville SwampDog to reach the show.

The 8th-round draft pick of the Tigers in 2008, Dirks had been on the tongues of every Tigers fan since heating up the field at spring training. Through 34 games with Triple-A Toledo this season, he was batting .328 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, and 25 runs scored.

A solid hitter since he was drafted, Dirks batted .412 for the Gulf Coast League Tigers during the summer of 2008. In 2009, he hit .330 at Single-A Lakeland, and then finished with a .278 average at Double-A Erie and a .375 average in 22 games with the Mud Hens in 2010.

While in Fayetteville, Dirks finished the summer with a .301 average through 51 games. He had seven doubles to go with 12 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He also pitched 13 1/3 innings in relief, going 1-0 with four saves and maintaining a perfect 0.00 ERA. He only allowed seven hits and four walks, while striking out 11 in that time. He also was the starting right fielder for the American CPL All-Stars, and helped the SwampDogs reach the semifinals of the Petitt Cup Tournament that year.

The Coastal Plain League is the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 15th season in 2011, the CPL features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both the players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 800 alumni drafted and 43 alums make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (at cpleague).



Coastal Plain League Stories from May 16, 2011


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