The Detroit Tigers Guide To The Sweet 16

Mar 22, 2021: The 2021 Final Four March Madness playoff bracket is displayed. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2021: The 2021 Final Four March Madness playoff bracket is displayed. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Tigers Sweet 16 Matchup 5: Creighton vs. Gonzaga

Detroit Tigers
10 May 1998: Outfielder Kimera Bartee of the Detroit Tigers looks on during a game: Harry How /Allsport /

Notable Detroit Tigers:

Creighton: Kimera Bartee, Ethan DeCaster, Mike Gerber, Danny Woodrow

Gonzaga: Ryan Carpenter, Ed Clelland, Eric Rodland

The Detroit Tigers have drafted six Creighton Blue Jays in the last decade, so their history is getting stronger there. Mike Gerber was a bit of a minor-league fan favorite who made it to the majors but struggled mightily, while Ethan DeCaster and Danny Woodrow both saw time in spring training this season. But the best former Blue Jay to play for the Tigers is probably Kimera Bartee, who manned center field at Tiger Stadium for parts of four seasons.

The Pacific Northwest has a solid baseball pedigree, but Gonzaga hasn’t been a big producer of MLB talent. Their most prominent player is Jason Bay, who won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2004 and made three All-Star teams. But Ryan Carpenter is the only former Bulldog to play for the Detroit Tigers, and he was…not great. Carpenter pitched in 15 games for the Tigers over two seasons, giving up 95 hits in just 63 innings, and posting an ERA of 8.57.

Winner: Creighton by a nose.