Former Lipscomb Bison baseball player Caleb Joseph’s journey to the majors has seen stops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Arizona since he was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft.
On Wednesday night in Tampa, Joseph made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Joseph, who replaced usual starter at catcher Matt Wieters, batted 0-3 on the night.
Joseph has spent the last seven years playing baseball in various minor leagues with great success since his playing days at Lipscomb. Last season alone, Joseph was named to the mid-season and post-season Eastern League All Star Team and took home the honors of Eastern League MVP and Home Run Derby champion.
Joseph finished the season with a batting average of .299 with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs.
At Lipscomb, Joseph was a key contributor to Lipscomb’s first Atlantic Sun championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, he homered in the Bisons’ upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs.
Joseph is the third Bison to have played in the MLB, joining current Colorado Rockies pitcher Rex Brothers and current Colorado Rockies assistant coach Bo McLaughlin. McLaughlin played for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics in his MLB career.
Joseph’s brother, Corban Joseph, also made a MLB appearance for the New York Yankees in 2013.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics.