A cornerstone of our first two Valley Baseball League championship teams, Drew Avans (Southeast Louisiana) achieved a lifelong dream this week—getting the call to the Major Leagues! On Tuesday, he recorded his first MLB hit with the Athletics.

A two-time VBL All-Star (2015, 2016), Avans was selected in the 33rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent six seasons rising through the Dodgers organization before signing a minor league deal with the A's this past offseason—culminating in his MLB debut this week.

A fan favorite and true Express legend, Drew's determination and leadership left a lasting impact on Strasburg. We couldn’t be prouder to see him succeed at the highest level.

"I was just glad to get in there one way or another,” said Avans, who spent the first six seasons of his professional career in the Dodgers organization before signing a Minor League contract with the A’s last November. “A little nervous to begin with, but after the first couple pitches, it’s just another game. I knew I was going to get one at-bat. And I just wanted to get a good pitch to hit and not miss it."

"Just shows the professionalism of Drew, coming in prepared and ready to go up and take an at-bat,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay.

Congratulations to Drew and the entire Avans family—we’re cheering you on every step of the way. Best of luck with the A's!