Trey Wingenter Makes Major League Baseball Debut
MILWAUKEE, Wis.- Trey Wingenter is living “His Dream” as he recently made his Major League Baseball debut pitching one perfect inning in relief for the San Diego Padres in an 11-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The 24-year old was called up to “The Show” three days earlier from the Padres’ AAA El Paso team, which is in first place in the Pacific Coast League Southern Division.
His appearance on the big stage is a far cry from his days in Madison when he was a catcher, but was asked to try the position as pitcher. Upon his move from behind the plate onto the mound, Wingenter worked feverishly to perfect his pitching talents. Once he did, he became a terror for opposing batters.
At Bob Jones high he was a perfect 9-0 as a senior where he posted a 0.47 ERA and struck out 114 batter in 60 innings of work and three no-hitters. He was a 36th round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners and later in the 2015 Draft by San Diego. In between, he attended Auburn University where he played for the Tigers.
After bouncing around the Padres’ farm system for three and a half years, including this season with the Chihuahuas where he was 3-3 with a 3.45 ERA and four saves and pitching 44 innings within 40 games, Wingenter finally received that call he had been waiting for since he was a small boy dreaming of taking to the field in a major league baseball park.
After joining the Padres in Milwaukee, he waited his turn to be called from the Padres’ bullpen. At 10:15 p.m. he got the nod to make his way to pitcher’s mound for his debut.
He didn’t disappoint.
The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder faced a trio of National League All-Stars in Lorenzo Cain, the National League’s top hitter Christian Yelich and Jesus Aguilar. He struck out one and had the remaining two batters hit into an out to end the game a mere 15 minutes later.
The next night, the former Patriot was called into pitch in an 8-4 loss to the Brewers and again he marveled those in attendance by zipping through three consecutive batters, two of which he struck out.
The Padres won the game, but Wingenter won his battle to reach his goal he set when a baseball was huge in his hand the baseball bats felt like lumber in his hands. His dream now fulfilled, Wingenter can take a deep breath, relax and prepare for another day on pitcher’s mound as a player in Major League Baseball.
