Oct. 4, 2016
Former University of Notre Dame baseball player Trey Mancini will get his first taste of playoff baseball on Tuesday night, as he is on the active roster for the Baltimore Orioles in their American League Wild Card game at Toronto.
2016 Baltimore Orioles American League #WildCard Game Roster. #Birdland pic.twitter.com/oYgeTEfhGf
– Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) October 4, 2016
The Orioles and Blue Jays square off at Rogers Centre at 8 p.m. on TBS. The teams finished tied for second in the AL East with identical records of 89-73. Toronto earned the right to host the game as a result of winning the season series with Baltimore.
Mancini has made the most of a September call-up with the Orioles, going 5-for-15 in five games with three home runs and a double. He became a viral sensation when he homered for his first career hit with his mother, Beth, in the stands. The hot start continued as he became just the third player in Major League history with a home run in each of his first three starts.
Trey Mancini’s Tuesday:
âš¾️@MLB Debut
âš¾️1st Career HRCan it get any better for the @NDBaseball alum & @Orioles DH?pic.twitter.com/43KNZ3jVGk
– The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) September 21, 2016
IRISH IN PLAYOFFS
Mancini isn’t the only former Notre Dame baseball player looking to make waves in October.
Jeff Samardzija and his San Francisco Giants are in the National League Wild Card Game on Wednesday, Oct. 5, against the New York Mets. Samardzija capped the regular season with a 12-11 record and 3.81 ERA and is in the postseason for the second time in his career after making the division series with the Chicago Cubs in 2008.
Jeff Manship has been instrumental out of the bullpen for the Cleveland Indians en route to the AL Central title. He has posted a 3.12 ERA in 53 appearances for the Tribe, who open the AL Division Series on Thursday at home against the Boston Red Sox.