Former Tiger makes history on memorable night

A former Clemson standout made history on a memorable night at the ballpark Saturday. Former Tiger catcher Chris Okey, who is a member of the Louisville Bats – the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A Affiliate – hit for the cycle in the Bats’ 11-3 victory …

A former Clemson standout made history on a memorable night at the ballpark Saturday.

Former Tiger catcher Chris Okey, who is a member of the Louisville Bats — the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A Affiliate — hit for the cycle in the Bats’ 11-3 victory over the Gwinnett Stripers on Saturday night at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Okey became just the seventh player in Triple-A Louisville history to hit for the cycle after he reached on an infield single in the second inning, hit a triple in the sixth inning, bashed a three-run home run over the left-field wall an inning later and then completed the feat by knocking a double in the ninth frame.

Okey finished with the four hits in Saturday’s contest and drove in five runs. He now owns a .242/.309/.435 slash line with seven extra-base hits, 10 runs scored, nine RBIs and six walks across 22 games this season.

Okey was drafted in the second round (No. 43 overall pick) by the Cincinnati Reds and signed in June 2016 following his junior season at Clemson during which he was a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist as well as a first-team All-American by NCBWA, second-team All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game and third-team All-American by College Sports Madness and D1Baseball.

At Clemson from 2014-16, Okey was a career .301 hitter with a .504 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage in 186 games (186 starts) over three seasons. He had 41 doubles, four triples, 31 homers, 172 RBIs, 138 runs, 100 walks, 12 hit-by-pitches and 10 steals, and he started 143 consecutive games at catcher to end his career.

Okey was a two-time Johnny Bench Award semifinalist, two-time, first-team All-American and two-time, First-Team All-ACC selection.

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

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