The college baseball season began this weekend for many teams and down in Boca Raton, the Florida Atlantic Owls began their season with a series against in-state foe UCF. On Saturday, freshman catcher Caleb Pendleton made his debut and stepped to the plate in the second inning with the bases loaded and no outs for his first collegiate at bat.
Pendleton would drive a ball deep over the left field fence for a grand slam in his first plate appearance, which typically means it would all be downhill from there. Except for the fact that FAU is apparently an offensive juggernaut, having won their opener 20-15 on Friday and loading the bases once again in the same inning when Pendleton once again strode to the plate. In a repeat of his first at-bat, the freshman smashed the ball over the left-center fence for the extremely rare two grand slams in one inning feat.
WATCH as @FAUBaseball‘s Caleb Pendleton hits not one, but TWO GRAND SLAMS IN ONE INNING
…did we mention these were the true freshman’s first two collegiate at-bats? #SCTop10 | @SportsCenter | @ESPNAssignDesk | @notthefakeSVP | #TheCUSAWay pic.twitter.com/YcJFs7FRXn
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) February 21, 2021
Not since Fernando Tatis (Sr.) did so for the Cardinals in April of 1999 has such a feat been managed in a high-level baseball game (at least to my knowledge) and Pendleton did so in his first two at bats ever at the college level. That is one helluva way to start your career and his second inning heroics helped the Owls to a 12-6 win and a 2-0 start to their season against a ranked opponent.