Texas Border Business
NEW YORK – Right-handed pitcher Dusten Knight, who played for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley legacy institution The University of Texas Pan American baseball team from 2012-13, made his major league debut for the Baltimore Orioles against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
Knight pitched the eighth inning of a 10-3 loss, retiring the final three batters he faced. Knight got three-time All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Judge to groundout before striking out two-time All-Star Joey Gallo to end the inning.
Knight is the fifth alum to ever reach the major leagues as a player. The previous four include third baseman George Williams, who played for the Oakland A’s from 1995-97 and the San Diego Padres in 2000, catcher Dan Firova, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1981-82 and the Cleveland Indians in 1988, infielder Wayne Tyrone, who played for the Chicago Cubs in 1978, and outfielder Jim Tyrone, who played for the Cubs in 1972, 1974 and 1975 as well as the A’s in 1977.
Knight earned his call up on Wednesday after pitching with the AAA Norfolk Tides this season, going 1-1 with seven saves and a 1.30 ERA. In 25 appearances, he pitched 27.2 innings, striking out 27 while holding opponents to a .189 batting average.
Knight was initially drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 28th round (852nd overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft.
He pitched in the Giants system for six seasons, advancing as far as AAA Sacramento in 2017.
He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 2018 Rule 5 Draft and started the 2019 season with AA Pensacola, going 1-0 with five saves and a 1.59 ERA, striking out 14 while allowing four hits and three walks in 11.1 innings. In May, Knight moved on to the Diablos Rojos (Mexican League) before joining the starting rotation of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Atlantic League, Independent) in July.
Knight then signed a minor league contract with the Orioles in Feb. 2, 2021.
As a senior in 2013, Knight ranked eighth in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (11.08), 45th in total strikeouts (96) and 44th in complete games (four), one of which was a shutout. The 96 strikeouts tied for the 11th highest single-season total in program history. Overall, Knight went 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA. In 15 games (13 starts), he pitched 78 innings, averaging six innings per start, while allowing just 68 hits (7.8 per nine innings) and 39 walks (4.5 per nine innings) while recording a strikeout to walk ratio of 5:2. Opponents hit .235 against Knight, including .222 in 108 bats by lefties, and .243 in 181 at-bats by righties. He pitched similarly from the wind up and the stretch, holding opponents to .233 with the bases empty and .238 with runners on base. He also kept the ball down; recording 75 groundouts compared to 51 fly outs, the second-best ratio on the team. None of the fly balls against Knight became sacrifice flies.
Knight pitched his second complete game and first shutout of the season in game one of a doubleheader at North Dakota on May 4, striking out a career-high 14 while allowing four hits and four walks, punctuating a stretch of four starts in which Knight went 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA. In 25 innings, he allowed one run on 13 hits and nine walks while striking out 36.
Knight pitched complete games in each of his last two starts, firing a two-hitter against Utah Valley on May 17 and tying his career-high with a season-high nine innings while striking out eight against eventual Great West Conference (GWC) champion Houston Baptist in the second round of the GWC Tournament.
Knight earned several honors throughout the season, including sharing a GWC Pitcher of the Week award, All-GWC Second Team honors, and All-GWC Tournament Team honors.
As a junior in 2012, Knight struck out 69 in 67.0 innings.
Knight is one of five alumni known to currently be playing professional baseball, along with Andy Atwood (2019-21), who playing with the Great Falls Voyagers (Pioneer League) … Christian Sepulveda (2019-21), who is playing for the Billings Mustangs (Pioneer League), Logan Landon (2014-15), who is playing for the Reading Fightin Phils (AA Northeast), and Roger Bernal (2009-12), who is playing for the Generales de Durango (Mexican League).
