FORMER ARKANSAS TECH HURLER AUBREY MILLER JUMPS TO CLASS A FULL SEASON DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS OF SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE

        SALISBURY, Maryland – Former Arkansas Tech University baseball pitcher Aubrey Miller (Van Buren, Ark.) has jumped from short-season Class A baseball to full-season Class A baseball as he recently made his season debut for the Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League.

Miller, who pitched last season in short-season Class A level ball with the Aberdeen [MD] Ironbirds of the New York-Penn League, was a 23rd round selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2006 Major League First-League Player Draft. Prior to playing in Aberdeen, Miller made his professional debut with the Rookie League Bluefield [WV] Orioles of the Appalachian League in 2006.

In his debut on May 10 with the Shorebirds, Miller, was called up to Delmarva on May 3 from extended spring training in Florida following an injury to pitcher John Mariotti, tossed two innings and allowed one hit and had one strikeout in Delmarva’s 4-3 loss to the Lexington [KY] Legends. Three nights following his debut against Lexington, Miller pitched two innings in relief in Delmarva’s 5-0 loss to Kannapolis [NC]. Against the Intimidators, a Class A level affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, Miller allowed three hits and one run, while striking out one and walking none.

Delmarva is the Orioles full-season Class A level affiliate. The team has already played 37 of its scheduled 140 games this summer. The Shorebirds are 20-17 entering play Wednesday at Kannapolis and are 3.5 games out of first place in the South Atlantic Northern Division standings.

Last season at Aberdeen, Miller, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right hander, posted a 3-5 overall record with a 4.91 earned run average. In 16 appearances, Miller made 10 starts and tossed 55 innings. He allowed 66 hits and 30 earned runs, while walking 17 and striking out 40. As a rookie at Bluefield in 2006, Miller went 0-4 with a 6.59 ERA. He made 16 appearances, had five starts and tossed 42.1 innings for the Orioles.

Miller, who was the 685th player selected overall in the 2006 MLB Draft, was the eighth player chosen in the 23rd round and was the first Tech player selected in the MLB Draft since former Wonder Boy first baseman John Paul Davis was selected in the 22nd round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2001.

In his only season as a Wonder Boy in 2006, Miller made 16 appearances and nine starts and recorded a 4-3 record and a 4.41 ERA, which was best among Tech’s pitchers. For the season, Miller, who was a Second-Team All-GSC West Division selection, tossed three complete games and earned two saves. He pitched a team-best 69.1 innings and allowed 71 hits and 34 earned runs, while striking out a team-high 52 and walking only 18 opposing batters and allowed opponents to hit a combined .274.

 For more information on the Delmarva Shorebirds, please check out their official team website at www.theshorebirds.com.

 -- Tech Athletics --