Former Cowboy pitcher to start for Detroit Tigers Friday
Andrew Oliver
June 23, 2010
Former Oklahoma State standout Andrew Oliver will make his Major League Baseball debut Friday with the Detroit Tigers.
Oliver, who played for the Cowboys from 2007-09, replaces Rick Porcello on Detroit's roster and will be the Tigers' starting pitcher for Friday's game at Atlanta.
A second-round draft pick last year, the 22-year old Oliver has made 14 starts for the Erie SeaWolves of the Double-A Eastern League this season and is 6-4 with a 3.61 ERA. In 77.1 innings, the southpaw has racked up 70 strikeouts.
"(Oliver is) a very talented young pitcher who's got a real good arm," Detroit team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski told Jason Beck of MLB.com. "He continues to improve his secondary pitches, throws strikes. He's worked on some things that have been good for him. He's worked on his change. He's worked on his breaking ball. He's incorporated a two-seam fastball. So he's done a lot of things to make himself better. He's a quick learner."
In three seasons at OSU, Oliver compiled an 18-9 mark and 235 strikeouts, good for 10th on the Cowboys' career list.
Oliver becomes the eighth former Cowboy to appear on an MLB roster during the 2010 season.
