LSU Gold

Cresse Promoted to Class-AA After 17th Homer

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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Cresse Promoted to Class-AA After 17th Homer

ADELANTO, Calif. — After hitting his 17th home run in just 170 at bats with the Class-A High Desert Mavericks, former LSU catcher Brad Cresse was promoted to the Class-AA El Paso Diablos of the Texas League, his mother told LSUsports.net Sunday.

The catcher from Seal Beach, Calif., hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning of a 5-3 loss to the San Bernardino Stampede on Friday before hitting his 17th in a 12-3 loss Saturday night in San Bernadino.

He was notified of the promotion after the game and will report to El Paso on Tuesday.

Cresse, 22, took only 47 games (49 days) at the “High-A” level before being promoted to Class-AA. He left the Mavericks with the team lead in home runs, batting average (.329), slugging percentage (.665) and on-base percentage (.408).

The Diablos (34-16 in second half) lead the four-team Western Division of the Texas League by three games over the Round Rock (Texas) Express after losing two straight on Friday and Saturday.

Another former Tiger who plays in the Texas League is Giants’ No. 2 prospect Kurt Ainsworth of the Eastern Division’s Shreveport Captains. Ainsworth (7-9, 3.67 ERA in 24 games and 132 1/3 innings) is the projected starter for Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. game against El Paso.

Shreveport has lost eight straight and is in last place in the four-team Eastern Division.

Cresse had the game-winning hit in LSU’s 2000 College World Series Championship victory over Stanford on June 17. He debuted with the Mavericks on June 25.