Updated March 30 2018
Former Florence RedWolf Tim Hill made his major league debut March 29 for the Kansas City Royals. Hill came on in relief of the Royals 14-7 Opening Day loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Ever the underdog, Hill has risen through the system after being selected in the 32nd round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Royals out of Bacone College. Since then he has posted a combined 3.57 ERA with 176 strikeouts across 159 total innings at the minor league level.
Given a chance at the Royals 2018 Spring Training camp, Hill finished with a 2.57 ERA across seven innings of work to go along with seven strikeouts and a .182 opponent’s batting average. This performance earned the 28-year old his first call to the big league team as he made the Opening Day roster and allowed one run during his 1/3 of an inning relief appearance.
The left-hander was a Second Team All-CPL performer during his time with the Florence RedWolves in 2013, finishing the season as the league’s leader in strikeouts with 61 over 49 2/3 innings pitched. Hill help a 2.72 ERA while allowing only four extra-base hits all season, all of which were doubles.
His debut marks the first former Coastal Plain League player to make their MLB debut in 2018 and the 110th all-time. He also pushed the RedWolves major league alumni total to 15.
About Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Heading into its 22nd season in 2018, the CPL features 16 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,450 alumni drafted and 111 alums – including 2017 ALCS MVP, 2017 World Series champion, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, as well as 2017 NLCS MVP Chris Taylor – make their Major League debut. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at CoastalPlain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball.
Shelby Hilliard
Phone:919-852-1960