CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It's a special moment for Coastal Bend baseball grads to come back home and play as a pro at Whataburger Field. King 2017 grad and pitcher Dustin Saenz got to close out the game Thursday night with the Frisco RoughRiders against the Hooks.
"It felt good to be back there, especially in my hometown," Saenz said.
Saenz entered the game in the eighth inning on Thursday, dealing 1 strikeout while only allowing 1 hit and 1 walk through 2 innings. He shut down the Hooks to secure the save.
"It was good to celebrate that with my parents, my family and friends here," Saenz said. "It was good to reminisce on those moments back nine years ago. It was fun."
It was his first game back at Whataburger Field since 2017 when King faced Moody in a playoff game.
Saenz started the season in the Nationals organization. He was dropped in March, but quickly acquired by the Rangers in April. Since then he's been called up and down between Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Frisco.
"Just kind of closing it, middle of the game, so whenever they call my name I make sure to be ready," Saenz said.
While it's difficult to make it to the league, Saenz wants young baseball players to see that it's possible in the Coastal Bend.
"It's a kids game. I love it," Saenz said. "Just got to treat it as just another game and just keep going out there and believe in yourself."
