SACRAMENTO, Calif. — No matter the color of the uniforms, the Sacramento State green and gold will be well-represented in the 2024 Major League Baseball postseason as three former Hornet standouts will help lead their teams in the chase for a World Series title.
Infielder Rhys Hoskins and left-handed pitcher Sam Long are on the active rosters for the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals, respectively, while outfielder James Outman, who was recalled by the Los Angeles Dodgers on the final day of the regular season, is on the team's 40-man roster and could be activated for the team's postseason run.
Hoskins, who became the first Sacramento State baseball alum to appear in the MLB's postseason, will be making his second trip to the playoffs after helping Philadelphia reach the World Series in 2022. He finished with six home runs and 12 RBI for the Phillies in 17 games against St. Louis, Atlanta, San Diego, and Houston.
A fifth-round selection of Philadelphia back in 2014, Hoskins slugged 26 home runs and drove in 82 in his first season with Milwaukee.
The Brewers open the postseason against an opponent to be determined in the best-of-three Wild Card series at home on Tuesday (Oct. 1) at 2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.
Long will be making his first career postseason appearance after making his Major League debut with San Francisco in 2021 and pitching two seasons for the Giants before spending the 2023 campaign with Oakland.
Selected in the 18th round by Tampa Bay in 2016, Long appeared in 43 games on the mound for Kansas City in 2024, posting a 3-3 record and a 3.16 ERA in 42.2 innings. He struck out 44 against 17 walks and held opponents to a .218 average.
The Royals also begin their postseason run in the Wild Card Series, traveling to Baltimore on Tuesday (Oct. 1) at 1 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
Meanwhile, Outman would be appearing the postseason for a second time in his career after appearing in three games against Arizona in the National League Division Series. He and his Dodger teammates will await their opponent for the best-of-five National League Division Series, which begins Saturday (Oct. 5).
Outman split time between Los Angeles and Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024, appearing in 53 games with the Dodgers and hitting .279 with 17 home runs, 15 doubles, and 46 RBI in 69 games with OKC.
Los Angeles clinched its 11 National League title in 12 seasons and has home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
