Cegles Signs With Washington Nationals
Aug 13 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Former Rutgers second baseman Vic Cegles has signed a professional contract with Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals, the organization announced.
"I am very proud of Victor," said Rutgers head baseball coach Fred Hill. "He always played his heart out and I wish him well in professional ball. He represented Rutgers well during his career here and I look forward to watching him begin his professional career."
Cegles made his professional debut on Tuesday with the Nationals' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, Florida. He entered the game as a pinch runner and scored a run while also playing second base for the GCL Nationals.
The versatile second baseman was one of Rutgers' top hitters in 2008 with a .291 batting average. He had seven doubles and a triple, while scoring 30 runs for the Scarlet Knights last spring. He played in 50 of Rutgers' 53 games with 49 starts as a senior. Cegles had many memorable hits during his RU career, including the hit that drove in the game-winning run against UCF to give Hill his 900th career coaching victory as a junior and the hit that delivered the game-winning run in the 10th inning against Georgetown in 2007 to seal the Scarlet Knights' series sweep of the Hoyas.
Cegles joins 11 other former Scarlet Knights currently playing professional baseball with a Major League Baseball club.
A pair of former Rutgers standouts are playing in the major leagues with David DeJesus serving as a starting outfielder for the Kansas City Royals and Jason Bergmann serving as a starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals.
Two former Scarlet Knights are at the Triple A level, including Chicago White Sox RHP prospect Jack Egbert (Charlotte Knights) and Houston Astros OF prospect Val Majewski (Round Rock Express).
Detroit Tigers' OF prospect Jeff Frazier (Erie SeaWolves) and Washington Nationals' RHP prospect Bobby Brownlie (Harrisburg Senators) are both in Double A.
Cegles joins five other members of the Rutgers 2007 BIG EAST Regular-Season and Tournament Championship team to play professionally. Cincinnati Reds OF prospect Todd Frazier (Single A-advanced Sarasota Reds) and catching prospect Frank Meade (Single A Dayton Dragons) were part of RU's 2007 draft class. A pair of former Rutgers outfielders in New York Yankees prospect David Williams (Single A Charleston River Dogs) and San Diego Padres prospect Ryan Hill (Single A Eugene Emeralds) were also part of Rutgers' 2007 draftees. Cegles' infield teammate last season, third baseman Tom Edwards (Single A Aberdeen Iron Birds), was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in this past spring's draft.
