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BLACKSBURG - On Wednesday, August 17, the Oakland Athletics organization officially announced the promotion of former Virginia Tech infielder Chad Pinder to the Major League level. Pinder becomes the 18th Hokie to reach the highest level of professional baseball and joins the team in Texas, where the Athletics are concluding a three-game series with the Rangers tonight.

Pinder, a Poquoson, Virginia product, played for the Hokies from 2011 through 2013 and became the sixth-highest draft pick ever for the program when Oakland selected him with the 71st overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft. Every season since he’s left Blacksburg, Pinder has taken the next step on his way to the big leagues.

In 2013, he started his professional career in the short-season New York Penn League with Vermont and was with Stockton in 2014, the Class A-Advance level. Last year, Pinder spent his entire season with Midland in the Double-A Texas League and this year he’s been in Nashville in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

He’s been a two-time Mid-Season All-Star (2015-16) and an MiLB.com Organization All-Star (2014-15). In 2015, he was named the Texas League Player of the Year, was a Post-Season All-Star and, after playing in the Arizona Fall League, was selected as a Rising Star. (CLICK HERE for his complete MiLB bio, CLICK HERE for his Virginia Tech bio).

With the call-up to Oakland, Pinder becomes the third Hokie to play for the Athletics organization in the club’s history. The first was Clay Mattox, a catcher, who played for the team when it was in Philadelphia. He made his debut on September 1, 1929 and went 1 for 6 in seven plate appearances in his three total games. It was more than 80 years later before another Hokie put on the green and California gold. Jesse Hahn, who is still with the organization, has pitched for the Athletics in both 2015 and this season, but is currently on assignment in Nashville.

This is the 20th time the Hokies have had two players in the majors in the same season. If Pinder stays in Oakland and Hahn returns, it would mark just the fifth time in program history that two Hokies were on the same Major League roster.

To see a complete list of current Hokies playing in the professional leagues, CLICK HERE.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball