Seneca grad to pitch for San Diego Padres
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Seneca Valley graduate and right-handed pitcher Cory Mazzoni has been called up by the San Diego Padres.
Mazzoni, 25, had been pitching out of the bullpen for Class AAA El Paso, recording 13 strikeouts and only one walk in his first six appearances this season. He was has a 1.08 earned run average.
Mazzoni received the news late Saturday night and flew to San Diego immediately. He was there in time for the Padres’ home game Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but did not pitch.
The Padres are at home tonight against Houston.
“I had to wake up my parents and girlfriend on the East Coast ... It was like 2:00 in the morning there,” Mazzoni told padres.com. “This hasn’t sunk in. I haven’t even stepped outside yet.”
“We needed an arm and Cory was throwing the best at El Paso,” Padres manager Bud Black told the website.
The Padres acquired Mazzoni from the New York Mets in March for pitcher Alex Torres. A second-round pick by New York in 2011, Mazzoni was threatening to make the big club out of spring training last year when he suffered a triceps injury.
He returned to pitch in Triple-A for New York, but was never called up to the major league club. Mazzoni’s first appearance with the Padres will be his major league debut.
Mazzoni has a 24-12 career record in five minor league seasons, sporting a 4.02 ERA. He has 284 strikeouts and 79 walks in 308 career innings pitched.
He was drafted in the 26th round by the Washington Nationals out of high school, but opted for a scholarship to North Carolina State University out of high school.
Mazzoni becomes the first Seneca Valley player — and Butler County athlete — to reach the major leagues since Zach Jackson pitched for Milwaukee and Cleveland from 2006-09.
