North Carolina State University Athletics
Orvella Joins Durham Bulls
9/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 6, 2004
Durham, N.C. - Chad Orvella has come full circle. After finishing up his NC State career in June of 2003, the former college shortstop turned minor league pitcher began his professional baseball career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Class A affiliate in Charleston. Now, 15 months later, Orvella, 23, has returned to the Triangle area after being called up by the International League's Durham Bulls. A 13th round draft pick of the Devil Rays, the reliever arrives just in time to join the Bulls for their playoff run. Durham, making its sixth postseason appearance in the last seven years, will open a best of five series against Buffalo with home games on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Both games begin at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at www.durhambulls.com or by phone at (919) 956-BULL. Orvella's rapid rise through the Devil Rays organization can only be described as meteoric. Durham will be his fourth stop in an odyssey that began at Class-A Charleston in April. This season, he is 1-1 with 16 SV in 48 appearances at Charleston, Bakersfield (Advanced-A) and Montgomery (Double-A). In 72.1 innings pitched, he's allowed only 41 hits, 13 earned runs and 9 walks while striking out 115 hitters.
