Former STU Rodriguez joins Reds

Former St. Thomas University starting pitcher Orlando Rodriguez has signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds organization. 
Rodriguez joins the Reds organization following a brief independent ball career, pitching for the Schaumburg Boomers (Ill.). In two starts with the Boomers, Rodriguez pitched 13.1 innings, striking out 12 and allowing three earned runs. 
In three seasons with St. Thomas, Rodriguez holds the record for career wins (27) and strikeouts (262), while being named a First-Team All-Conference Pitcher in 2018 and 2019.
As a redshirt-senior in 2019, after being named a Preseason NAIA All-American, Rodriguez ranked ninth nationally in wins (11), holding a career-best 2.63 ERA and striking out 113 batters in 95.2 innings pitched. While in the Avista NAIA World Series, Rodriguez led the tournament in innings pitched (15), wins (2) and strikeouts (21), leading the Bobcats to the second NAIA National Championship game in program history.
In 2018, Rodriguez went 14-1, limiting opposing batters to a 0.179 batting average against, striking out 125 batters (previous school record), in 98.1 innings pitched, with a 2.75 ERA. Rodriguez ranked second nationally in wins (14), fourth in hits-allowed-per-9 (5.67) and sixth in opposing batting average (0.179).
Rodriguez joins the Billings Mustangs in Billings, MT in the Pioneer League of the Rookie levels. The Mustangs are currently 7-12 in the North Division.