Stauffer Set To Start Sunday For Padres
Former Spider standout and first round draft pick called up from Triple-A Portland to face Astros.
July 29, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Former Spider standout and first-round draft pick Tim Stauffer returns to the majors Sunday, replacing the big leagues' injured earned run average leader for the San Diego Padres.
Stauffer will take the mound at Houston (2:05ET), spelling Chris Young (9-3, 1.82) who has been placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. Stauffer, the fourth overall pick in 2003, was pitching at Triple-A Portland, where he was 5-4 with a 5.34 ERA.
Stauffer finds himself in the midst of two hotly-contested National League playoff races. The Padres (55-48) are a game-and-a-half behind Los Angeles and Arizona in the NL West and the wild card standings.
A year ago, Stauffer was summoned for a similiar appearance and gave the Padres a critical late-season quality start, twirling six innings against the rival Dodgers and allowing just one earned run on three hits while picking up the victory.
Stauffer is 4-6, 5.07 in 16 career major league appearances.
As a sophomore in 2002, the righthander led Richmond to its first NCAA SuperRegional berth as the Spiders won a school record 53 games. Stauffer set single-season records for wins (15), complete games (13), and innings pitched (146) in '02. He is the program's all-time leader in strikeouts (362) and complete games (24) while placing second in ERA (2.32) and third in wins (31).
Stauffer is the highest drafted player in Spider baseball history.
