University of Houston Athletics
Big League Bound: Hernandez Gets Called Up
9/11/2023 3:28:00 PM | Baseball
Former Cougar, 2016 draft pick called up to San Diego
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – University of Houston baseball alum Nick Hernandez has been officially called up to the San Diego Padres Major League Baseball roster, announced on Monday by the Padres.
A 2016 eighth-round draft pick by the Houston Astros, Hernandez played just the 2016 season in scarlet and white, helping the Cougars to a 36-23 record and an American Athletic Conference runner-up finish in the league tournament.
The right-handed pitcher turned in an All-Conference season for the Cougars after producing 11 saves, becoming the sixth Cougar with 10+ saves in a season in school history.
The Missouri City, Texas, native finished his career at Houston with a 3-0 record and a 1.40 ERA in a team-high 29 appearances. Hernandez struck out 67 batters in 51.1 innings.
In 2023, the righty has put together a 3.60 ERA in 46 games at two levels. Hernandez has struck out 81 batters in 60.0 innings with a strikeouts-per-nine ratio of 12.2 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.05. He has turned in a strong 2023 season to date, limiting opponents to a .207 average in 54.1 innings. In 11.1 innings in the month of July, he held opponents to a .154 average and did not allow a run in eight of his nine appearances.
Hernandez's professional career started with the Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats in 2016 before a promotion to the Single-A Quad Cities River Bandits. The righty then started the 2017 season in High-A ball with the Buies Creek Astros before a promotion to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks and the 2019 season with the High-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers and Corpus Christi. He spent the 2018 and 2020 seasons not recording an outing for various reasons.
In 2022, Hernandez saw action at the Double-A and Triple-A levels before a Dominican Winter League stint with the Aguila Cibaenas.
He signed a minor league free agent contract with the Padres this offseason and started in San Antonio with the Padres Double-A affiliate before a July 23 promotion to El Paso, San Diego's Triple-A team.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN THE DUGOUT CLUB
Fans are invited to join The Dugout Club to directly support Houston Baseball. Members provide financial support directly to Houston Baseball for needs beyond operating budget. For more information about the Dugout Club, text UHBASEBALL to 71777, call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4684) or click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Baseball. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at @uhcougarbb.
A 2016 eighth-round draft pick by the Houston Astros, Hernandez played just the 2016 season in scarlet and white, helping the Cougars to a 36-23 record and an American Athletic Conference runner-up finish in the league tournament.
The right-handed pitcher turned in an All-Conference season for the Cougars after producing 11 saves, becoming the sixth Cougar with 10+ saves in a season in school history.
The Missouri City, Texas, native finished his career at Houston with a 3-0 record and a 1.40 ERA in a team-high 29 appearances. Hernandez struck out 67 batters in 51.1 innings.
In 2023, the righty has put together a 3.60 ERA in 46 games at two levels. Hernandez has struck out 81 batters in 60.0 innings with a strikeouts-per-nine ratio of 12.2 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.05. He has turned in a strong 2023 season to date, limiting opponents to a .207 average in 54.1 innings. In 11.1 innings in the month of July, he held opponents to a .154 average and did not allow a run in eight of his nine appearances.
Hernandez's professional career started with the Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats in 2016 before a promotion to the Single-A Quad Cities River Bandits. The righty then started the 2017 season in High-A ball with the Buies Creek Astros before a promotion to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks and the 2019 season with the High-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers and Corpus Christi. He spent the 2018 and 2020 seasons not recording an outing for various reasons.
In 2022, Hernandez saw action at the Double-A and Triple-A levels before a Dominican Winter League stint with the Aguila Cibaenas.
He signed a minor league free agent contract with the Padres this offseason and started in San Antonio with the Padres Double-A affiliate before a July 23 promotion to El Paso, San Diego's Triple-A team.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN THE DUGOUT CLUB
Fans are invited to join The Dugout Club to directly support Houston Baseball. Members provide financial support directly to Houston Baseball for needs beyond operating budget. For more information about the Dugout Club, text UHBASEBALL to 71777, call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4684) or click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Baseball. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at @uhcougarbb.
– UHCougars.com –
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