Stanford grad Stephen Piscotty made a lasting impression in his homecoming at AT&T Park over the weekend. The St. Louis rookie outfielder went 7-for-12 in three games and the Cardinals took two of three from the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants.
Piscotty, who made his Major League debut with the Cardinals on July 21, hit safely in all three games in San Francisco and carries a seven-game hitting into Monday night’s game against the Washington Nationals (and Cardinal grad Drew Storen) in St. Louis.
Piscotty made his first appearance in center field on Sunday. Cardinals’ manager Mike Matheny said before the game Piscotty forced the issue with his recent offensive explosion.
“When a guy is hitting like that, you have to find a place for him in the lineup,” Matheny said.
Piscotty, a Pleasanton native, leaves the Bay Area with a .341 batting average, four home runs and 23 RBI. He recorded his first four-hit game on Saturday.
“I’m just trying to do my part, do whatever I can,” Piscotty told mlb.com. “Just trying to have good at-bats, get on base when we need it.”
He’s playing for the best team in baseball at the moment. The Cardinals are 84-46 (.646 winning percentage) and lead the National League Central Division by 4 1/2 games over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“We’re getting good at bats up and down the lineup,” Matheny said. “They go at it with everything they’ve got. You have to keep pounding, keep playing.”
Piscotty told mlb.com he got a chance to visit with family and friends, which included his Amador Valley High baseball coach, before Friday’s game.
“It’s awesome the support I have,” he said. “It was a fun night.”
Piscotty was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2012 draft, following an All-America season at Stanford in which he hit .329, with 56 RBI. He also recorded a 6- record with an ERA of 3.06 in 12 games, including four starts.
In related news, Stanford grad and Olympic gold medalist Jessica Mendoza became the first woman television broadcaster to call a no-hitter. She was part of the ESPN team on Sunday night when Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta threw his no-no against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mendoza still holds several Stanford all-time records in softball.