Professional Baseball Career- Signed a professional baseball contract with the Texas Rangers' organization in July of 2003 after being selected in the ninth round (256th pick overall) of the 2003 MLB First-Year Player Draft ... Pitched for a pair of different teams in the summer of 2003 ... Was 0-4 with one save and an 8.18 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 21.0 innings for the Spokane Indians of the `Short Season A' Northwest League before pitching 7.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, a save and no decisions for the Arizona Rangers of the Arizona League ... Had been previously drafted twice in the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Atlanta Braves in the 23rd round in 2002 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 22nd round in 1999 but did not sign on either occasion. Cardinal Career - Finished his four-year career with a 24-8 overall record and a 4.17 ERA, recording 178 strikeouts in 276.1 innings pitched ... His 24 career wins rank just one victory outside of Stanford's top 10 career list ... Added one save, recorded in his freshman year ... Appeared in 65 games with 50 starts ... Pitched in five combined Cardinal shutouts but did not record a solo shutout ... Allowed just 252 hits in 276.1 innings to hold opponents to a batting average of .250 but allowed 144 bases on balls for an average of 4.69 per nine innings ... Named to the 2001 NCAA All-Regional team in his sophomore campaign ... Earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors as a junior. As a Senior in 2003 - Finished the season with a 3-3 record and a 5.36 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 40.1 innings ... Appeared in 12 games with 11 starts and was a part of two combined shutouts ... Pitched 11.0 innings in Pac-10 play without recording a decision in a pair of starts, posting a 4.91 ERA and striking out a pair of batters ... Made his only postseason appearance and his final outing in a Cardinal uniform as the last of a CWS Championship Series record six pitchers versus Rice (6/23), allowing three unearned runs and three hits in 1.0 innings ... Briefly returned to the team's weekend starting rotation late in the regular season, starting the final three Sunday games ... Also was the starter in four of the team's previous six Tuesday contests prior to the three Sunday starts after returning from a broken finger following a start against Fresno State on February 15 ... Picked up the win due to a predetermined pitching rotation in his final regular season start versus Cal Poly (5/25), scattering two hits and a run with two strikeouts over the first 3.0 innings ... Allowed four runs and seven hits over the first 5.0 innings to receive a no-decision in a 9-8, 10 inning win over UCLA (5/18) that clinched the outright Pac-10 title ... Pitched a season-high 6.0 innings at California (5/11) in his first Pac-10 start of the season, limiting the Golden Bears to two runs and six hits ... Picked up his first victory since January 26 by tossing an impressive 3.0 scoreless innings and giving up just one hit as the first of six pitchers in a 3-0 win at San Jose State (5/6) ... Took a loss versus Santa Clara (4/29), allowing two runs and two hits over the first 2.2 innings ... Allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits and four walks versus San Francisco (4/1) in his first start after his hand injury in a no-decision ... Suffered back-to-back losses at Cal State Fullerton (2/1 - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO) and versus Florida State (2/8 - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) ... Pitched well in his first outing of the season by throwing 5.2 hitless innings to pick up the victory as he combined with Matt Manship in a 5-0 one-hit shutout of Santa Clara (1/26), striking out four and walking six ... Named a Third Team Preseason All-American (NCBWA). As a Junior in 2002 - Honorable mention All-Pac-10 choice ... Co-led the team and Pac-10 with 20 starts, while ranking second on the club and tied for third in the Pac-10 in victories with a 10-3 record ... Posted a 4.26 ERA ... Ranked second on the club in innings pitched (112.0, #5 Pac-10) and strikeouts (67) ... Won his first two postseason starts, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning of each game ... Scattered four hits and two runs over the first 5.2 innings to earn a victory in a 5-3 win over USC in the NCAA Super Regional finale (6/8) ... Picked up a win versus Long Beach State (6/1) by limiting the 49ers to four hits and three runs over the first 6.1 innings of a 5-4 victory in the second game of the NCAA Regional ... Took the loss in his final outing of the season in the College World Series versus Texas (6/17) to snap a five-game win streak, allowing seven runs on five hits and four walks in 3.2 innings ... Finished with a 4-1 Pac-10 record and a 5.06 ERA ... Came up with an outstanding effort versus Washington State (5/26) in the regular season finale, giving up just three hits and two runs over the first 7.2 innings ... Also had victories at UCLA (5/19 - 7.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 SO) and Arizona State (5/12) during the five-game streak, blanking the Sun Devils and scattering seven hits to earn Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in his career (5/13) ... Had an 0-1 record with three no decisions in four straight Pac-10 starts (4/13-5/4) ... Recorded a victory at Arizona (4/6), limiting the Wildcats to five hits and one run over 7.0 innings ... Had the longest outing of his career versus Texas (3/28), shutting out the Longhorns and scattering seven hits over the first 9.0 innings but picking up a no-decision in a 2-0, 10-inning Cardinal loss ... Had won 10 straight decisions dating back to 2001 before taking the loss in a 2-1 defeat at California (3/9) despite allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned) in 7.0 innings ... Scattered 10 hits and four runs over 6.0 innings to earn a victory in an 18-5 win over Cal Poly (3/2) ... Pitched wonderfully in back-to-back starts versus Brigham Young (2/12) and Fresno State (2/18), allowing no earned runs in 11.2 innings to pick up a pair of victories ... Held Fresno State without an earned run in 7.2 innings, scattering six hits and taking a shutout into the eighth inning ... Tossed 4.0 scoreless innings as a starter versus Brigham Young (2/12), allowing only one hit to earn the victory ... Began his 2002 campaign with a victory over Cal State Fullerton (2/2) in the second game of the season-opening series, scattering five hits and one run in 6.0 innings ... Named a 2002 Second Team Preseason All-American (Baseball America). As a Sophomore in 2001 - Posted a perfect 6-0 record and a 3.62 ERA as a part-time starter and key member of the bullpen ... Finished fourth on the club in innings pitched (74.2) and strikeouts (54), while making 18 appearances and 11 starts ... Allowed just 59 hits as opponents hit only .228 against him ... Saved arguably the top pitching performance of his career for his final start in the NCAA Regional, helping to shut out Marist (5/26) with a season-high 8.0 innings and a career-high nine strikeouts in Stanford's 6-0 win to earn a spot on the NCAA All-Regional team ... Also saw action as a reliever in Stanford's victory over Tulane (6/8) in the first game of the CWS ... Effective in two late regular season performances at Sacramento State (5/2 - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and at San Francisco (5/9 - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO), earning the win in the latter outing ... The team's third starter in the first half of the season before being moved primarily to the bullpen after his last Pac-10 start at Arizona State (4/1) ... Won four of his first five starts, including a performance of 6.2 shutout innings at Cal State Fullerton (2/4) in a 3-0 Cardinal win ... Effective in a no-decision outing at Texas (2/18), holding the Longhorns to only one run and four hits over the first 7.0 innings of a game the Cardinal eventually lost, 2-1. As a Freshman in 2000 - Made a significant impact on the Cardinal pitching staff with a 5-2 record and a save to go along with a 3.83 ERA ... Recorded 36 strikeouts in 49.1 innings ... Spent most of the Pac-10 season as the team's third starter, highlighted by 7.0 innings of two-hit shutout baseball in a victory at Washington State (4/9) ... Also recorded conference victories versus Washington (4/16 - 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO), at USC (4/22 - 5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) and in a relief effort against UCLA (5/21 - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) in the regular season finale to help the Cardinal clinch a share of the Pac-10 title ... Finished with a 4-0 record and a 3.16 ERA in Pac-10 action with seven appearances and five starts, ranking third on the team with 31.2 innings pitched and adding 21 strikeouts ... Had a strong showing versus Oregon State (5/7 - 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) but earned no decision before the Cardinal came up with a 7-5 win in the crucial series finale ... Picked up his first collegiate victory in a non-conference game at California (2/27 - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO). High School - A 1999 graduate of Rocklin High School and a member of the school's Hall of Fame ... First Team All-Western Region, All-State and All-Sacramento Metro selections as a senior ... Had an 8-1 record with an 0.89 ERA in his senior year, striking out 72 hitters in just 42.0 innings pitched ... Also a shooting guard on the school's basketball squad ... Graduated with a 3.65 GPA ... Coached in baseball by Roc Murray. Amateur Summer Baseball - Saw limited action with the Wareham Gateman of the Cape Cod League during the summer of 2002, recording a save and a 3.00 ERA in 6.0 innings ... Spent the summer of 2001 as one of three Stanford players on Team USA, recording a 1-1 record and a 3.38 ERA ... Had a brief yet successful stint with the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2000 with a 1-0 record and a 2.25 ERA in three starts, giving up only four earned runs and striking out 14 in 16.0 innings ... Participated in the 1998 Team One National Showcase. Personal - Graduated in June of 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in American Studies ... Son of John and Susan Cunningham ... Great grandfather, Leo Dombrowski, pitched for the Chicago White Sox ... Favorite sports team is the San Francisco Giants ... Enjoyed reading the Sandy Koufax biography ... Earliest baseball memory was throwing balls against the side of his house when he was five years old.
Last Updated: 2/13/04