June 13, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – Former South Carolina baseball player Lee Gronkiewicz has been called up to the Major Leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are finishing a three-game series at San Francisco this afternoon before returning home to face the Washington Nationals beginning on Friday night. Gronkiewicz, a right-handed relief pitcher, is one of five former Gamecock players currently in Major League Baseball along with shortstop Adam Everett (Houston Astros), second baseman Brian Roberts (Baltimore Orioles) and pitchers Jon Coutlangus and Marcus McBeth (Cincinnati Reds).

Gronkiewicz was 3-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 30.0 innings pitched with 11 saves at the Double-A level with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats before being called up by the Blue Jays. He earned All-America honors in 2001 for the Gamecocks, a season in which he put together a 2-1 record with 19 saves in 36 appearances and tallying a 1.31 ERA in 61.2 innings. Gronkiewicz was not drafted following his 2001 season but began his professional career after signing a free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians.