Last July, BBRT posted an article on Tyrone Horne, who on July 27, 1998, became the only professional ballplayer to hit for the “home run cycle” – a solo home run, two-run homer, three-run round tripper and grand slam all in the same game. Horne accomplished the feat at Double A ball, as his Arkansas Travelers topped the San Antonia Mission 13-4. You can read that post by clicking here.
Today, I’d like to celebrate a college player who also hit for the home run cycle – AND MORE – on this day 15 years ago (May 9, 1999). The player was Florida State Seminoles’ infielder (3B/2B) Marshall McDougall and on that day – in a 26-2 victory over the Maryland Terrapins – McDougall not only hit for the Home Run Cycle, but added a couple of additional round trippers for good measure. That day, in fact, he set a still-standing NCAA single game records for home runs (6), RBI (16) and total bases (25). And, as you will see in the video – there were no cheap shots for McDougall on that record-setting day.
I should not here that the game was not one of those early season, out-of-conference mismatches that coaches schedule to build team confidence. It was an Atlantic Coast Conference game, played at Maryland’s Shipley Field. Still, it was a bit of a mismatch. Florida State came in with a 43-10 record and a top-five national ranking (the Seminole would finish with a 57-14 record and make it all the way to the title game of the College World Series), while Maryland’s record stood at 21-26 (6-14 in the conference).
McDougall’s, a junior at Florida State was in his first season with the Seminoles, having played and schooled at Santa Fe Community College as a freshman and sophomore (where he was an all-state selection both years). McDougall continued his strong performance after moving up to Florida State – he was hitting .405, with 17 homers, 70 RBI and 11 stolen bases coming into the May 9 contest.
The day started out mildly enough for McDougall – with a single in the top of the first inning. But thing heated up from there. Here’s how his at bats went:
- First inning – single
- Second inning – solo home run
- Fourth inning – three-run home run
- Sixth inning – two-run home run
- Seventh inning – three-run home run
- Eighth inning – grand slam (completing the HR Cycle)
- Ninth inning – three-run home run
McDougall went on to finish the season, playing 71 games, with a .419 average, 104 runs, 26 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 106 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 25 attempts. He topped all of Division 1 in hits, runs, RBI and total bases – earning recognition as a first-team All-American and Athletic Coast Conference Player of the Year. And, McDougall wasn’t done yet. In the 1999 College World Series, McDougall hit .385, with three doubles, three home runs, six runs scored, eight RBI and one stolen base in six games. McDougall finished in the top five in nearly every offensive category and lead the Series outright in hits, runs scored, total bases, while also tying for the lead in doubles and home runs. He was selected to the All-Tournament Team and as the Series’ Most Valuable Player (despite the fact that Florida State lost to Miami 6-5 in the final game).
His senior season was not as spectacular – 72 games, .342 average, 22 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs, 67 RBI and 15 steals – but still earned him the Oakland A’s ninth-round draft pick in 2000.
McDougall spent 5 ½ seasons in the minors (A’s, Indians and Rangers systems) – compiling a .281 average, with 69 home runs, 380 RBI and 52 steals in 563 games – before being called up to the Rangers in June of 2005. At the time of his call up, he was hitting .341, with 11 home runs and 64 RBI (in 57 games) at Triple A Oklahoma. He got in just 18 games with the Rangers – 18 at bats, three hits, ten strikeouts.
The “rest of the story” reflects McDougall’s passion for the national past time. He started the 2006 season back in the minors (where injuries,wrist and knee, began to take their toll) and from 2006 through 2008 played in the Rangers, Dodgers and Padres systems. He then went on to play in the Mexican League, independent ball and even in Taiwan. In 2012, at age 33, McDougall put up a .341-10-32 line in 35 games for the Reynosa Broncos of the Mexican League. In August of 2013, McDougall was named head baseball coach at Wiregrass High School (Wesley Chapel, Florida), leading the team to a District Championship in his first season.
How appropriate that an individual with such a passion for the game would have, arguably, the best day at the plate EVER.
