MSSU product Stevenson gets promoted; homers in second game at Low-A
Aug. 11—Former Missouri Southern baseball standout Tommy Stevenson didn't have to wait long to get a promotion in professional baseball.
Stevenson, who made his pro debut with the Arizona Complex League Athletics on Aug. 4, was transferred to Oakland's Low-A affiliate Stockton Ports on Monday.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound catcher/first baseman quickly showed why he slugged a whopping .801 with MSSU this spring.
Stevenson, 21, belted a towering two-run shot out to left field to lift Stockton past the San Jose Giants 9-2 on Wednesday — in just his second game since joining the Ports of the California League.
T6: Tommy Stevenson making a splash with his first career home runPorts 9 Giants 1 pic.twitter.com/lhlokf9ODk
— Stockton Ports (@stocktonports) August 10, 2022
The Kirkwood High School product will likely be keeping that ball for some time as it was his first pro home run. Stevenson was selected by Oakland in the 19th round of last month's draft and received a reported $100,000 signing bonus to be wooed away from MSSU for his junior season.
VANWEY TOSSES ZEROS
From one coast to another, VanWey has picked up where he left off in pro ball from MSSU.
The righty, sporting a three-pitch mix, joined the Florida Complex League Astros on July 28. He made his pro debut on Aug. 5 and punched out two batters over a scoreless inning.
VanWey also racked up three strikeouts in two shutout innings on Tuesday. So far, he has not allowed a hit in two appearances with the FCL Astros.
The Webb City product signed with Houston as an undrafted free agent on July 20.
