By: RiverDogs Media
The Tampa Bay Rays transferred 2020 second round pick Ian Seymour from extended spring training to the Charleston RiverDogs active roster on Tuesday morning. The left-handed pitcher, who will be making his professional debut, was listed as the #22 prospect in the Rays farm system by MLB Pipeline in the publication’s pre-season rankings. The team also placed shortstop Osleivis Basabe on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to June 26th, and transferred pitchers Matthew Peguero and Graeme Stinson to the GCL.
Seymour went undrafted after a dominant prep career at St. John's Shrewsbury High School in Massachusetts that saw him named to the all-state team three times. As a senior, he posted a 4-0 record with a miniscule 0.48 earned run average on the mound to guide his team to a state title. Seymour also hit .380 and drove in 52 runs at the plate over his high school career.
The 22-year-old was a workhorse over his first two seasons at Virginia Tech, making 13 starts as both a freshman and sophomore. In each of those campaigns, he averaged more than a strikeout per inning. Seymour made a big impression on scouts during his time with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League in 2019. In five starts, the New England native struck out 39 hitters in 25.1 innings and finished with a 2.48 ERA.
Seymour's start to the COVID-shortened 2020 season with the Hokies was equally as impressive. In his first four starts of the season, he was 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA and struck out 40 batters in just 20.1 innings. Opponents were hitting a meager .181 against him. At the end of his career in Blacksburg, Seymour ranked in the top seven at Virginia Tech in career starts, strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings, ERA, opponents' batting average and pickoffs.
The Rays took Seymour with the 57th overall pick in the 2020 draft. He participated in the Rays fall instructional league camp after the cancellation of the Minor League season. Seymour is scheduled to start for the RiverDogs on Thursday night in Kannapolis.
The RiverDogs return to action on Tuesday night at 7 pm with the opening contest of a six-game road series in Kannapolis. An audio broadcast of all 120 RiverDogs games this season is available at riverdogs.com.
All RiverDogs tickets for the 2021 season are available for purchase online and will be delivered digitally. Once purchased, tickets can be printed at home or scanned on a phone. For answers to frequently asked questions, fans are encouraged to visit the RiverDogs Digital Ticket Guide. In addition to tickets, the entire RiverDogs gameday experience will be cashless including parking, the team store and concessions. Fans who do not have credit or debit cards will be able to use cash to purchase gift cards at Fan Services on gamedays. Masks are no longer required, but suggested for non-vaccinated guests. The RiverDogs also have a no bag policy, with the exception of medical bags, diaper bags, and clutch-style purses no larger than 6.5in x 4.5in.
RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are now available for the 2021 campaign at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule for the 2021 season is available at riverdogs.com.
