Minor League Baseball

Former Heisman Trophy Finalist Throws Ceremonial 1st Pitch For Arkansas Travelers

Former NFL running back and Arkansas alum Darren McFadden threw out the first pitch for the Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate, which was caught by fellow Razorback, Caleb Cali.
Teren Kowatsch|
Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden runs during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 12, 2017, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden runs during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 12, 2017, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Seattle MarinersArkansas Razorbacks

The Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers, recently recognized one of the greatest athletes the state has produced.

Former Arkansas running back and 2006 Heisman Trophy finalist Darren McFadden threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Travelers' 3-2 win against the San Antonio Missions on Saturday. Former Arkansas baseball player and current Travelers infielder Caleb Cali caught McFadden's pitch.

McFadden was born in Little Rock, Ark., and went to high school at Oak Grove in North Little Rock, Ark., where the Double-A club plays.

McFadden played three seasons for the Razorbacks football team from 2005-07. He rushed for 4,590 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. He had 51 total touchdowns in 38 games in college. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting in 2006 to then-Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. He was one of the cover athletes for the NCAA Football 09 video game.

McFadden parlayed his college success into a successful NFL career. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He had a 10-season career with the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys from 2008-17.

Cali, who was selected by Seattle in the 16th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, played one season for Arkansas in 2023. He hit nine home runs with 37 RBIs and slashed .308/.412/.512 with a .924 OPS in 51 games for the Razorbacks that season.

This year, Cali's first with the Travelers, he's scored 15 runs and has hit 10 doubles and four homers with 24 RBIs in 44 games. He's slashed .221/.309/.364 with a .673 OPS entering Sunday.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

Teren Kowatsch is a staff writer for ''Minor League Baseball on SI'' and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He has been a writer for “On SI’’ for two years and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. You can follow him on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch

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