FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Former Fairfield University Baseball pitcher Austin Pope got the call of his dreams as he was promoted to the Arizona Diamondbacks and will join the team for their Saturday afternoon game. Pope becomes the second Stag ever and the first since Keefe Cato in 1979 to be promoted to the MLB. Pope was an All-MAAC Second Team selection in 2019 and still ranks in the top-10 in program history in ERA and strikeouts per nine innings.
 
"Getting called up to the MLB is a dream come true and I'm thrilled to take the field with this incredible team," Pope said. "It's an exciting time to be a part of this group. After overcoming knee surgery and a challenging year of ups and downs, this moment means everything. I'm grateful for my family, friends, and the full support system of coaches and trainers keeping me grounded and pushing me forward."
 
"Stag Baseball Nation is ecstatic over Austin Pope getting the call to the big league club for this last week run for the wild card," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "He has earned this promotion through his past two successful years in AAA Reno and we are so happy and proud of him the way he has worked to become this level of a pitcher. His family has been so generous and supportive to Fairfield Baseball over the years Austin was a top shelf pitcher in our program. We can't be more excited for them as they enjoy his next big step."
 
Pope was drafted in the 15th round by the Diamondbacks in 2019 after enjoying his best collegiate season by posting a 4-3 record, a 3.16 ERA, and 79 strikeouts in 77 innings. He earned his first All-MAAC selection with a spot on the Second Team after holding hitters to a .201 batting average, which ranked second in the conference.
 
In his Fairfield career, Pope ranks in the top-10 with a 3.60 ERA and fourth with 8.87 strikeouts per nine innings. He also tallied eight wins and 155 strikeouts in 34 appearances.
 
In his minor league career, Pope appeared in over 200 games while posting 20 wins and nine saves. He has also struck out nearly 400 batters in his 300 career innings.
 
Pope becomes the second Stag ever promoted to the Big Leagues and the first in over 40 years. The Diamondbacks are on the verge of the playoff picture, entering play just two games behind the final National League Wild Card spot. Arizona will conclude their three-game series with the Phillies on Sunday at 4pm before hosting the Dodgers for a three-game set.