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A former Cape Fear Colt is making a significant impact in Major League Baseball's postseason. Gavin "Big Rig" Williams, a 2017 graduate of Cape Fear High School, is scheduled to take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday, October 15, against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Williams earned the start after a record-setting strikeout performance over the weekend. He struck out 12 batters as the starter in the Guardians' ALDS championship-clinching victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, just two days after recording the final three outs in an emergency relief appearance in Game 4.
Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges described Williams' Game 5 outing as "what legends are made of." The stakes are higher now, but that same instinct was evident less than a decade ago in Vander, where his blazing fastball and ability to throw a no-hitter on any given night became legendary.
ALCS GAME 3: Guardians-Rays Game 3 has new first-pitch time due to rain forecast. After carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning of a win in August of this year, Williams maintained his dominance as Cleveland captured its third consecutive AL Central title, securing a first-round bye and the No. 2 seed in the postseason.
The Guardians dropped their first two ALDS games to Chicago before winning three straight, culminating in Williams' 12-strikeout day, which matched a postseason franchise record set by Charles Nagy in 1996. Along with the dozen strikeouts, Williams allowed just one hit, no runs, and two walks in five innings against the White Sox.
He will get the ball again on Thursday for Game 3 against the Rays (1 p.m., TBS, TruTV) with the series tied 1-1.
"I'm just trying to do my job, give the team the best shot to win," Williams said after his record-setting performance on Saturday.
The No. 23 overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, Williams is the highest pick ever to come out of Cumberland County. He was called up in 2023 after being named the Guardians' No. 1 prospect by MLB.com.
Williams was originally selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 30th round of the 2017 draft out of high school after posting a 1.06 ERA and pitching three consecutive no-hitters with an 18-1 record. However, he chose not to turn professional, opting instead to play at ECU, where he earned All-American and conference pitcher of the year honors with a 10-1 record in his final collegiate season.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cleveland ace Gavin Williams follows record-setting clincher with start vs Rays.
Originally reported by yahoo.