LAKE CHARLES – Will Dion is the newest former McNeese Cowboy baseball player to make the jump to the Major Leagues when on Tuesday, the left-handed pitcher received the call from Triple-A Columbus to the Cleveland Guardians.
Dion is now one of three former Cowboys to hold a roster spot in the Major Leagues this season, joining Bryan King (Houston Astros) and Grant Anderson (Milwaukee Brewers). Cameron Foster was called up to the Orioles’ Big League team at the end of April and made one appearance, but was sent back down to his Triple-A team of Norfolk on May 19. He is still a member of the organization’s 40-man roster and could be recalled at any moment.
“It’s surreal,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “There’s a lot of luck that has to happen to get to that point. They all have the ‘it’ factor. They love having the ball with the game on the line. I’m not surprise one bit that these guys made it.”
Dion, who played for McNeese from 2019-21, helping lead the Cowboys to the 2019 and 2021 Southland Conference championship and NCAA Regional berths. He was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year in 2021 along with first team All-SLC honors. He held the school’s single-season strikeout record until late this season and is ranked in the top 10 all-time in school history in Ks.
This season at Columbus, he was moved from a starting role into the bullpen and compiled a 3-0 record in 15 appearances. He struck out 36 batters in 26 innings pitched while walking only five.
Foster, who played for the Cowboys from 2020-22, continues to be school’s co-record holder for most saves in a season with 12 coming in 2022. A 2022 NCBWA All-American, the right-handed flame thrower was named the league’s Relief Pitcher of the Year in the same season as well as garnering first team All-SLC honors.
King is in his third season with the Astros’ big league club and has appeared in 116 career games and has compiled a 6-5 record with eight saves.
Earlier this year he was moved to the closer role for the Astros and has since picked up six saves, three of those coming in the last seven games. This season he thrown in 20 games, has a 2.70 ERA and has 18 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .236 against the lefty who played from 2016-19 for the Cowboys and was a 30th round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 MLB Draft. He was acquired by the Astros following the 2022 season and spent the 2023 season recovering from Tommy John Surgery. As a rookie in 2024, he was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Sept. 12 and spent the rest of the season on the Astros’ active roster and made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the ALWC against Detroit, tossing 0.2 of a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Grant Anderson, a teammate of King at McNeese from 2016-18, pitches for the Milwaukee Brewers and has appeared in 21 games this season, compiling a 1-2 record with a 2.95 ERA. Anderson has throwing 21.1 innings and has struck out 17 batters while holding opponents to a .208 batting average. A four-year MLB veteran with Texas and Milwaukee, Anderson has appeared in 136 career games, has 150 strike outs in 153.1 innings pitched, and an opponent batting average of .249. Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Anderson made his Major League debut on May 30, 2023 with the Rangers after he was acquired by the organization in 2019. The Rangers won the World Series in 2023 and Anderson was on the active roster for the ALWC at Tampa Bay. He was acquired by Milwaukee in January 2025 and appeared in 66 games including two postseason appearances in the NLDS against Chicago and NLCS vs. Los Angeles.
“I couldn’t happier for all of them,” said Hill. “It wasn’t one person. It was all of the coaching, the recruiting, the development. If you look at it, those guys have been playing ball for over 20 years. We were just fortunate to have them with us for 2-3 of those years.”
Several other former Cowboys are hoping to get their call to the Bigs soon. Aidan Anderson is with Triple-A Round Rock, a Texas Rangers’ affiliate. Grant Rogers is with the Buffalo Bisons, a Triple-A team for the Toronto Blue Jays. And Conner Westenburg plays for the Lake Elsinor Storm, a Single-A team for the San Diego Padres.
King and his former McNeese teammate, Anderson, will meet up in Houston this coming weekend when the Astros host the Brewers.
