A former Auburn Tigers pitcher was phenomenal on the mound on Thursday night.

Former Auburn Tigers pitcher Davis Daniel made an outstanding first-ever appearance as a starter for the Los Angeles Angels in the MLB.

During a 5-0 victory against the Detroit Tigers, Daniel delivered 8 scoreless innings, conceding merely four hits, with no walks and striking out eight batters on 99 pitches. It has been nearly two decades since a player last achieved a performance of at least eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts.

Despite this remarkable display, it’s worth noting that this was not Daniel’s MLB debut, as he had previously pitched 12 1/3 innings across three relief outings last season, all while maintaining a 2.19 ERA.

Reflecting on his progress, Daniel commented, “The brief opportunities I had last year provided me with confidence and helped me acclimate to this level, knowing that I can successfully face top-tier players. Obviously, the more you do it, the more confidence you gain, and the more settled you feel.”

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“Daniel had an extraordinary night,” stated Angels manager Ron Washington to MLB.com. “He threw 21 out of 26 first-pitch strikes, varied his speeds, and strategically placed his pitches. He even told me after the eighth inning that he had more in the tank, but he might have needed to reach 115 pitches. I wanted him to feel proud of his performance.”

Daniel completed two full seasons at Auburn before a junior season-ending injury in 2019 halted his time with the Tigers. Despite this setback, he was picked by the Angels in the seventh round of the MLB Draft and chose to sign with them.

During his initial two seasons at Auburn, he participated in 36 games and made 26 starts. Although the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 11th round of the MLB Draft, he opted to return to Auburn instead.