By Daniel Johnson, Sports Editor
Jameson Maj is one step closer to his life long dream.
The former ACU record-breaking closer signed with the St. Louis Cardinals Aug. 15 and is playing for the Batavia Muckdogs, a short season minor league ball club based out of Batavia, New York that feeds college draftees into the Cardinal’s system.
“It was weird because it’s a new stage of my life,” Maj said. “I was going to school then I signed, and next thing I know I’m flying out of Abilene at 5:30 in the morning to go to New York.”
Maj was drafted by the defending World Series champions in the major league baseball amateur draft in the 45th round of the 50-round draft in early June, but the all-American did not sign with the Cardinals until the middle of August.
Maj said he did not sign immediately because he was waiting to see if the Cardinals would offer him any more money. They didn’t so Maj signed before the Aug. 15 deadline passed.
“I thought they were gonna up the money a little bit,” Maj said.
A 2007 first team all-American selection on the American Baseball Coaches’ Association and Daktronics, Maj is one of the best closers the ACU baseball program has ever seen. Although he only played one season as a Wildcat, he led the NCAA with 20 saves in 2007 which tied the NCAA Division II record for saves in a season and broke the ACU single-season and career saves records. He finished the 2007 season with a team-leading 1.00 ERA in 54 innings of work.
Maj also received conference and regional honors for his record-breaking season with the Wildcats. He was named Pitcher of the Year in the Lone Star Conference and first team all-Region.
Maj was also dominant during the summer, playing in the Texas Collegiate League for the Denton Outlaws. Maj recorded four saves, 26 strikeouts and had a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings of work.
He is the fifth ACU baseball player in the history of the program to be drafted by a major league team.
“We’re excited for him to have a chance to go play at the next level,” said head baseball coach Britt Bonneau. “It just shows you, one, where our program is and two, how special it was to have a guy like that.”
Maj said he hasn’t had an opportunity to pitch in a game for the Muckdogs yet, but he is just glad to be one step closer to playing major league baseball.
“If I wouldn’t have gotten drafted I would have been extremely disappointed,” Maj said. “I’m just glad it happened, so I can go on with what has originally been my dream my whole life-to play major league baseball.”
