The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BJ Murray had his best game since he joined the Chicago Cubs organisation with a perfect night at the plate and his first professional home run in the Arizona Complex League.

Murray finished 4-4 highlighted by his two-run home run in his ACL Cubs’ 9-5 loss to the ACL Giants Orange at the Papago Sports Complex in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday night.

Murray’s home-run came with one on and one out in the second inning off Giants’ right hander Manuel Mercedes to give the Cubs an early 2-1 lead.

The Cubs tacked on an additional two runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead.

The Giants rallied and outscored the Cubs 8-1 between the sixth and eighth innings to take the lead for good.

In addition to his two-run shot, Murray singled on a line drive to left field in the third, singled on a fly ball to right field in the sixth, and singled in the eighth to right field. He also added his first stolen base of the season to seven total bases on the day. The 21-year-old rookie infielder played first base defensively and hit sixth in the lineup.

Through eight ACL games, Murray is hitting .269, slugging .423 with a .719 OPS, seven hits, including two extra base hits, five runs and three RBI.

The ACL, formerly known as the AZL, is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball division that is the first rung on the minor-league ladder.

No team can have more than three players with four or more years of minor-league experience.

Murray, the third baseman out of Florida Atlantic University, was selected by the Cubs on July 12 with the 22nd pick in the 15th round, No. 454 overall.

Murray had an accolade-filled year in 2021 and received conference-wide recognition for his breakout sophomore season.

He was named a 2021 All-Conference USA second-team selection as voted on by league coaches, SIDs and media members.

Murray’s 14 home runs led the Owls and finished second in C-USA and 32nd in all of NCAA Division I.

In 53 games, all starts, Murray hit .316 and also led the team with 116 total bases and slugging percentage (.601).

He finished second on the Owls in OPS (1.029), runs scored (46), hits (61) and RBI (53).

His 51 RBI was sixth in C-USA and 49th nationally. He was also third in C-USA with 38 walks, and is sixth in slugging.

Other C-USA ranks are seventh in total bases, 11th in hits, 12th in runs, and 13th in OBP.

He hit a home run in each game of a road series against eventual C-USA regular season champion Charlotte, and two more the next weekend against Old Dominion.

Nine of his 14 home-runs have come against C-USA teams, second among league hitters. Murray also finished with 19 multi-hit games on the season.

Once he matriculated to the United States, Murray completed his high school athletic and academic career with the Trinity Christian Academy Warriors where he hit .384 with two home runs as a senior.

In his freshman season with the programme, he appeared in 19 games with six starts.

Murray started each of the 15 games of his sophomore season before the pandemic brought a halt to the 2020 season.

He hit .203 with 12 hits, 10 RBI, a team-leading three home runs, 11 runs scored, and a .299 on base percentage. Defensively he had a .958 fielding percentage with 30 assists, 16 putouts, and just two errors.

“It feels great. I’m so excited to be a Cub,” Murray told the Palm Beach Post. “I’ve never been to Chicago or Wrigley Field, so that’s what I’m looking forward to...I’m a competitor and I play to win.”