Bash Signs On With Blue Jays After Impressive Showing in the Independent League
6/21/2021 1:30:00 PM | Baseball
A former standout at California Baptist University, Bash earned another shot in Minor League Baseball after a great showing with the Missoula PaddleHeads, an independent baseball team in the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball but is an MLB Partner League.
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— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) June 21, 2021
Congratulations to Andrew Bash for signing on with the @BlueJays. It will be his second stint in @milb after he put together an impressive run in the independent league with the @GoPaddleHeads.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Ocju90IAgf
"We want to wish the best of luck to Andrew Bash and the Blue Jays organization, they have added an elite player, both on and off the field," PaddleHeads' Vice President Matt Ellis said in a release on their website.
Hey, Chris Bash...
— Missoula PaddleHeads (@GoPaddleHeads) June 20, 2021
Happy Father's Day - your son is a @BlueJays
Read the full release: https://t.co/lhB2mZcyGK pic.twitter.com/zQKAop89mu
CBU has a strong track record in professional baseball. Thirty-five Lancers have been drafted over the past 38 years, with Coach Gary Adcock having 24 of his players drafted over his 18 years coaching CBU. At least one Lancer has been selected in the MLB Draft in 10 of the last 11 years. Bash will join former CBU ace pitchers Tyson Miller and Logan Rinehart in the minor leagues.
Bash had an impressive debut season in the minors in 2019 after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 30th round at 901 overall. Over 14 appearances out of the bullpen, he maintained a 2.81 earned-run average, 1.13 WHIP and .213 batting average against, with 18 strikeouts and just walks over 16 innings with the Arizona League Angels.
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— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) June 5, 2019
Congratulations to Andrew Bash on being drafted by the @Angels❗️ They got a good one, as the super utility can make a big impact just about anywhere on the diamond. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/SBegS24sC4
Like many minor leaguers, Bash was left without a home after MLB condensed its minor league system by eliminating 40 franchises in December 2020. He returned to CBU and worked as a groundskeeper for the Lancers before he joined the PaddleHeads.
It didn't take long before Bash got everyone's attention in Missoula. He led the Pioneer League in ERA (1.80) and WHIP (1.04) and had a 2-0 record and 27 strikeouts over 25 innings pitched. He made a total of five appearances on the mound, with four starts and made it through the sixth inning all four times. He put together an eight-inning gem, with eight shutout innings where he allowed just seven hits and struck out nine against the Boise Hawks.
MISSOULA — Andrew Bash was working as a groundskeeper, grooming the college field he used to play on, when he got the call from the Missoula PaddleHeads. https://t.co/i31i9TAO9J
— Missoulian (@missoulian) June 15, 2021
Bash was an All-WAC pitcher for the Lancers and crucial to their run to a share of the conference championship in 2019. He led the entire conference with a 1.98 ERA and also ranked sixth with 77 strikeouts that season. The 2018 Player of the Year in the PacWest and NCAA Division II West Region also maintained a .206 BAA and 1.06 WHIP over a team-high 77.1 innings pitched.
