HOUSTON -- Former High Point University baseball standout Andre Scrubb made his Major League Baseball debut Tuesday evening (July 28), pitching in relief for the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 
"Andre Scrubb is just an incredible story and is a testament to where perseverance and personal initiative can take you in life," Panthers head coach Craig Cozart said of his former pitcher. "Being called up to the Big Leagues with the Houston Astros and reaching the pinnacle of the baseball world is amazing. We are so happy for Andre, his wife Rianna, and their family!"
 
Scrubb was thrown right into the thick of things to start his career, entering the game in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded for the Dodgers and one out. After conceding a walk, Scrubb induced a 4-6-3 to get the Astros out of the inning. His sixth inning was masterful, needing just 10 pitches to retire the side in order, notching his first two career Major League strikeouts in the process. Scrubb ended his debut with 2.2 innings pitched and zero earned runs, giving up two hits and striking out as many.
 
Scrubb became just the fourth Panther to make his way to the Major Leagues in HPU's history, joining Dick Culler (1936), Cody Allen (2012), and Jaime Schultz (2018). He is tied for 10th on HPU's all-time wins (16) and strikeouts (189) lists and his 94 strikeouts during the 2016 campaign are the seventh-most in a single season for any HPU pitcher.
 
"Andre is the third player to make it to the Big Leagues from our program in the last eight years," Cozart continued. "That is a tremendous credit to the support we get from HPU Athletics and the development we achieve within our program. We look forward to watching all of our former players continue to succeed at the next level."