KALAMAZOO, Mich. –  Former Western Michigan baseball players Keegan Akin and Kurt Hoekstra are preparing for the 2021 Major League Baseball season to begin as both players head to spring training with their respective teams.

Akin heads into spring training looking to earn a spot in the starting rotation for the Baltimore Orioles. Hoekstra heads to spring training with the Atlanta Braves after being one of the 25 non-roster players to be invited.

Keegan Akin made his MLB debut with the Orioles last season, pitching in eight games. Akin had a record of 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in six starts. The left-handed pitcher in 25.2 innings pitched registered 35 strikeouts, ranking third on the Orioles.  Akin earned his first MLB win in a 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 16.

In his first MLB victory Akin went five innings allowing no earned runs on three hits while striking out a career-high nine. Against the Braves Akin earned 19 swinging strikes, the most for an Orioles pitcher in 2020.

Hoekstra enters spring training after an impressive 2019 in the minor leagues. Hoekstra in 2019 appeared in 38 games with two starts and recorded a stellar 1.81 ERA in 64.2 innings pitched. Hoekstra recorded eight saves and five holds while striking out 79 batters.

In 11 games with the Mississippi Braves the double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, Hoekstra earned a 1-2 record with a 0.89 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched. The right-handed pitcher registered 21 strikeouts and gave up just two earned runs on 17 hits.

In three years at WMU, Akin posted a 17-13 record with a 3.07 ERA and ranks second in career strikeouts (270) and fourth in career innings (278.1). In 2016 Akin earned Baseball American Third Team All-American honors and was named the MAC Tournament MVP.

During his three years in Kalamazoo Hoekstra recorded a .292 batting average with 23 doubles, 10 triples, three home runs and 61 RBIs. He was named a Second Team All-MAC performer by College Sports Madness in 2015 and led the Broncos that season in batting average (.322), at-bats (214), runs (39), hits (69), triples (3), total bases (105), slugging percentage (.491) and multi-hit games (23).