CLEVELAND — Former Truett McConnell baseball player Chris Carden signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an undrafted free agent Wednesday. The Fayetteville native finished his TMU career this past season.
Carden played in all 61 games for the Bears in 2017, racking up a .367 batting average with 16 doubles, nine home runs and 55 RBI. He also amassed a 9-2 record in 23 appearances with a 3.91 ERA. He threw 101.1 innings while striking out 106 batters and walking just 27.
Carden is the second player in as many years to be picked up by a Major League team. Jared Oliver was drafted in 2016 to the Boston Red Sox.
Fogarty was also named one of nine ABCA/Rawlings-NAIA Gold Glove Award winners as announced by the national office Wednesday afternoon. Fogarty is the first TMU player to be awarded with a national Gold Glove since the institution joined the NAIA in 2009.
The award is voted on by the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association All-America Committee based upon player's defensive success. This is the 11th season for the award.
Fogarty committed just one error in 53 games for the Bears this season, posting a fielding percentage of .989.
