Former Mississippi State pitcher K.C. Hunt made his Double-A debut Saturday night with a solid outing for the Biloxi Shuckers.
While Biloxi could not muster up any offense to help Hunt out, the New Jersey native struck out eight over 5.1 innings of work with just one run allowed. The Shuckers fell 1-0 against the Montgomery Biscuits.
Hunt was handed the ball just four days after being called up to Biloxi from High-A Wisconsin. The right-hander is expected to get another chance at starting when the Shuckers return to Keesler Federal Park to take on the Mississippi Braves in a six-game series between Aug. 13-18.
Between Wisconsin and Single-A Carolina this season, Hunt compiled a 7-1 record with a 1.95 earned run average over 19 appearances, with eight being starts. Even though he was tabbed with the loss on Saturday, Hunt’s ERA in Double-A remains lower than his compiled season average before the latest promotion.
After playing three seasons for the Bulldogs, including helping the program to its first national championship in 2021, Hunt signed an undrafted free-agent deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Since then, he has steadily been climbing through the ranks with Biloxi being his fourth team in two years. As of the latest rankings, Hunt is considered the No. 29 prospect in Milwaukee’s farm system.
During his time in Starkville, Hunt made 62 appearances splitting time as a starter and a reliever. While he did have a career 7.67 ERA, Hunt came through in multiple big games over his collegiate career. As a senior in 2023, after turning down a contract from the Pittsburgh Pirates to return to Mississippi State, he was the second on the team with 55 strikeouts.