He wore No. 28 during his days as an All-American pitcher at Mississippi State. But Thursday night at Baltimore’s Camden Yards, left handed pitcher Eric DuBose became No. 32 –the 32nd Mississippi State baseball player to play Major League baseball. DuBose, 26, originally from Gilbertown, Ala., joined MSU’s illustrious collection of Bulldogs in the Majors with a ninth-inning relief appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays.
He struck out one and allowed one hit in an inning of shutout relief work in the Orioles’ 9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. After pitching most of the 2002 season with Baltimore’s Class AA Bowie (Md.) team, DuBose received his first Major League call-up earlier in the week and made his Major League debut Thursday night in the final game of a four-game series against Toronto.
A first-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in 1997, DuBose becomes the fifth former Diamond Dawg active in the majors.
He joins first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and pitcher Jay Powell with the Texas Rangers, pitcher Matt Ginter with the Chicago White Sox and outfielder Adam Piatt with the American League Western Division-leading Oakland Athletics.