Aug 5, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Cam Sanders (64) high-fives in the dugout after pitching in his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

LSU Baseball Right-Handed Pitcher Receives Call Up to Pittsburgh Pirates

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 7:00 AM ET

BATON ROUGE, La. – Former LSU right-hander Cam Sanders was called up on Tuesday to the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League roster and has joined the club at PNC Park for its game versus the San Francisco Giants.

Sanders, a product of Thibodaux, La., is the 91st Major Leaguer in the illustrious history of LSU Baseball.

LSU has had at least one former player make his MLB debut in of 31 of the past 35 seasons.

Sanders is the fourth former LSU player to receive a MLB promotion this season, joining right-hander Cole Henry of the Washington Nationals, right-hander Grant Taylor of the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Paul Gervase of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sanders, the 12th-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in the 2018 MLB Draft, was signed this offseason by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent.

He earned successive promotions this season, posting a 1.90 ERA in 23⅔ innings with the Double-A Altoona Curve and a 1.93 ERA in 18⅔ innings with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.

Sanders pitched the 2018 season at LSU, making 18 appearances (four starts) and posting a 1-0 record with a 5.59 ERA in 38.2 innings.

He recorded 24 walks and 48 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .207 batting average.

He was LSU’s starting pitcher in its 2018 NCAA Regional win over Northwestern State, working five innings and allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

Sanders posted three dominant relief outings in the 2018 SEC Tournament against Florida (twice) and Ole Miss, working a combined 8.1 shutout innings and allowing only three hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts.

Sanders, who transferred to LSU from Northwest Florida State College, earned his first career win with the Tigers on March 6, 2018, over Southern, limiting the Jaguars to two runs on two hits in 5.1 innings with two walks and a career-best eight strikeouts.

Sanders’ father, Scott Sanders, is a former Major Leaguer who played collegiately at Nicholls before pitching in the MLB from 1993-99 with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.