CINCINNATI – Phillip Ervin, a former Samford baseball standout and first-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013, will get his chance to shine on the Major League level starting this weekend after he was called up to the big show after an impressive start to the season at AAA Louisville.
In just 14 games this year, Ervin powered three home runs and 11 RBIs for the Louisville Bats while compiling a .286 batting average and an .882 OPS. Throughout his minor league career, Ervin has registered 91 doubles, 46 home runs and 11 triples.
This will be Ervin’s first call-up to the Cincinnati Reds. They begin a three-game weekend homestand against the defending-champion Chicago Cubs on Friday at 6:10 p.m. (CT).
Since 2011, the Samford University baseball team has had 19 players taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including a school-record seven in 2012, as well as the program’s highest-ever draft pick in Ervin, who was selected 27th overall in the first round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013.
Ervin, one of the most decorated players in Samford history, accomplished the following feats despite only spending three seasons in a Samford uniform. He ranks in the top 10 in school history in career hits (230), batting average (.344), runs scored (157) and doubles (47).
Ervin, an outfielder, also saw limited time as a relief pitcher in his Samford career, allowing just one run over 9 2/3 innings of work for a 0.93 ERA.
In his time at Samford, Ervin was a three-time All-Southern Conference performer. He was named first-team All-SoCon in 2012 and 2013, and he was named to the second team as a freshman in 2011.
In the 2013 season, Ervin batted .337 with 14 doubles, a career-high 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. He also stole 21 bases in 23 attempts and he finished with an impressive .433 on-base percentage and a .597 slugging percentage.
As a sophomore in 2012, Ervin finished with a .327 average to go along with a career-high 18 doubles, 10 home runs and a career-high 52 RBIs.
Following his sophomore season, Ervin played in the prestigious Cape Cod League, earning League MVP honors. Ervin, playing for the Harwich Mariners, helped lead his team to the league’s Eastern Division title. He led his team in batting with a .323 average, RBIs with 31, runs scored with 29 and stolen bases with 10 in 12 attempts. He ranked second on the team in home runs with 11 and in doubles with five.
As a freshman in 2011, Ervin led the team in hitting with a .371 average. He tallied 15 doubles, four home runs and 41 RBIs. Ervin was named Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The current Samford University baseball players will be beginning a SoCon series at Wofford on Friday at 5 p.m. (CT). The contests will be held at King Field in Spartanburg, South Carolina.