Aug. 31, 2006

LAS VEGAS - Former UNLV baseball pitcher Ryan Braun was promoted to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon after the team announced it was purchasing his contract from Triple-A Omaha.

In 17 games with Omaha, the right-handed Braun was 0-2 with a 2.16 EA and three saves coming out of the bullpen. Braun was 1-6 but had a 2.21 ERA with 10 saves in 26 games at Double-A Wichita this year before moving up to Omaha.

"This is what I have been working for and it has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid," said Braun. "Whatever opportunity they give me, I am going to go out and do my best and show them what I can do."

Braun played for the Rebels in 2003, and he finished with a team-best 3.44 ERA and a 5-3 record in 28 appearances. He added seven saves to go with 53 strikeouts and only 18 walks as he was named first team All-Mountain West Conference. He was then drafted by the Royals in the sixth round with the 106th overall pick.

"It is always an honor to have one of your former players realize his dreams of playing professional baseball," UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. "In his three years since he left UNLV he has made it to the big league level and that says a lot about college baseball. He is playing professional baseball and he has his degree."

The Royals open up a six-game homestand beginning Friday night at 5:10 p.m. (PDT) with a three-game series against the World Series champion Chicago White Sox.