Colorado Rockies purchase contract of former C-N standout Hughes
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman baseball alum Grif Hughes has earned another opportunity with a Major League Organization. The left-handed pitcher had his contract purchased by the Colorado Rockies earlier today.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman baseball alum Grif Hughes has earned another opportunity with a Major League Organization. The left-handed pitcher had his contract purchased by the Colorado Rockies earlier today.
"Very happy for Grif and his family," Carson-Newman head baseball coach Tom Griffin said. "We are proud of him and thrilled to see him take this next step in his baseball journey. His growth during his time here at Carson-Newman and with Evansville is a testament to his perseverance, work ethic and character.
Seeing him sign in a Major League Organization again is not only a milestone for his career, but also a moment of pride for our entire program. We can't wait to follow his progress and know that he'll continue to represent Carson-Newman with the same integrity and grit that made him such a special part of our team."
This will be Hughes' second venture with a major league organization. After signing with the Toronto Blue Jays organization last June, the lefty made six appearances with the FCL Blue Jays, posting a 2.84 ERA in 12 innings and helped lead them to a FCL Championship. After the FCL rookie season, he earned a promotion to Toronto's Single A affiliate Dunedin. In A ball, Hughes made five appearances and totaled 12 innings, allowing 12 runs.
Hughes returned to the Evansville Otters this spring for his third season and needed just one outing to make his case to be back with a MLB organization. He led the Evansville Otters to their fourth no-hitter in team history, spinning six hitless innings with eight strikeouts in his first and only outing with the Otters. To no surprise, Hughes was named the Frontier League Pitcher of the Week after that performance.
The 24-year old left-handed pitcher is C-N's first player to join affiliated ball since Ethan Goforth spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 and 2021. He is the first pitcher in a MLB Organization since Will Gardner in a similar time frame. Gardner began his journey in 2017, and made it as high as Double A with the Pirates.
Hughes spent four seasons with Carson-Newman (2021-24) and his impact grew each season. Over four years, the left-hander posted a career earned-run average of 5.47, totaling 120 innings on the mound in 63 appearances. He concluded his career with a 15-6 record and recorded three saves.
After making just one appearance in his freshman season, the southpaw would go on to make 62 appearances over his next three seasons. In 2022, Hughes made 18 appearances, posting a 8.84 ERA in 18.1 innings of work with 24 strikeouts.
His junior year saw him take another step forward, tossing 43.1 innings over 24 appearances. He posted a 5-2 record with 52 strikeouts with a 5.61 ERA.
Hughes saved his best for last, posting career numbers across the board as a senior. The Knoxville, Tenn. native finished the year with a 3.86 ERA over 58.1 innings with 71 strikeouts, all career-highs. His nine wins on the mound are tied for eighth-most in a season in program history. Carson-Newman won 14 of the 20 games that Hughes pitched in.
