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Published On: August 21st, 2015

(Rochester, Minn.) – Former Rochester Honkers pitcher, Scott McGough, made his Major League debut for the Miami Marlins on Thursday, August 20, 2015. McGough is the 133rd former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.

McGough, who played collegiately at Oregon, played for the Rochester Honkers in 2009. McGough was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 5th round of the 2011 MLB draft.

In 2009 with the Honkers, McGough was 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 29 appearances. He also struck out 37 batters in 46 innings pitched.

McGough began his Minor League career in 2011 with the Ogden Raptors in the Rookie level Pioneer League. After six games with Ogden he was promoted to the Lo-A Midwest League with the Great Lakes Loons. McGough went a combined 1-5 with a 2.77 ERA in 26 games. He also struck out 33 batters in 26 innings pitched.

McGough began his 2012 season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Hi-A California League before being traded to the Marlins organization after 35 games. McGough and Nate Eovaldi were traded to the Marlins for Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate. He then finished out the season in the Hi-A Florida State League with the Jupiter Hammerheads. McGough was 5-6 with a 3.80 ERA between the two clubs. He also continued his strong strikeout to innings ratio with 56 strikeouts in 64 innings.

McGough continued up the ladder in 2013 as he started the season in the AA Southern League with the Jacksonville Suns. After 36 appearances with the Suns he was promoted to the AAA Pacific Coast League with the New Orleans Zephyrs. For the season McGough was 4-4 with a 2.82 ERA. He also had 59 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched.

McGough missed the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Before his promotion to the Marlins, McGough had appeared in 23 total Minor League games this season. He has been with New Orleans, Jacksonville and also had a brief stint again with Jupiter. In 32.1 innings, he's combined for a 1.95 ERA while striking out 16 and walking 13.

McGough, 25, in his Major League debut, entered in the seventh inning and allowed three runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning in the Marlins' 9-7 win over the Phillies.

The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com