McNeese duo on MLB division series rosters

LAKE CHARLES – A pair of former McNeese Cowboys baseball players take to the MLB playoffs in the division series in Jace Peterson and Grant Anderson with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers respectively.

“There’s nothing quite like postseason baseball and it’s even more exciting when you know some of the guys involved,” said McNeese baseball head coach Justin Hill. “I’m happy for Jace and Grant and look forward to watching them compete in the division series.”

Peterson joined the Diamondbacks on October 3 ahead of the wild card series where the team swept the Brewers 2-0 to advance in the postseason. Next up are the Los Angeles Dodgers for a best-of-five matchup.

He played for the Oakland Athletics for 93 games before getting traded to the Diamondbacks for the remainder of the season, collecting 17 hits in 93 at-bats and five runs. Five of his hits came in the form of extra bases with three doubles and two triples. Peterson has 79 total hits on the season.

Peterson was a part of the Milwaukee Brewers’ postseason runs in 2020 and 2021, playing three total games for the team.

During his career with the Cowboys, Peterson slashed .346 behind the plate, starting 132 of 146 games played while collecting 183 hits. He scored 149 runs for the blue and gold while driving in 92 RBIs. He was drafted in 2011 by the San Diego Padres.

Anderson was activated by the Rangers on October 3 ahead of the wild card series against the Rays in which the Rangers swept 2-0. He’ll be with the team as they face the Baltimore Orioles in a best-of-five series.

In his first appearance as a rookie in May 2023, Anderson struck out seven of nine batters, earning eight outs, out of the bullpen.

He has made 26 appearances on the season while earning a 2-1 record on the mound over 35.2 innings pitched. On the mound, Anderson was able to strike out 30 batters and limit opponents to a .277 average at the plate.

While at McNeese, he compiled a 12-8 record over 61 appearances and 10 starts, all in his junior season. He amassed 143 strikeouts on the mound and was selected in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners.

The ALDS and NLDS both begin on Saturday with the Rangers starting at 1 p.m. ET and the Diamondbacks at 9:20 p.m. ET.