Bronxville, NY—Former Concordia College-New York baseball star Mike Aviles has always had big league potential. But this season was different. After starring at Concordia College in Bronxville, NY and spending six years in the minor leagues, Aviles was batting .338 with 10 homers, 42 RBIs, and 42 runs scored for Triple A Omaha when he was called up by the Kansas City Royals last week. He started immediately at Shortstop against the Minnesota Twins and was flawless in the field, handling three chances.

"I had a bunch of emotions going: a lot of anxiety, a little bit of nervousness, a littexcitement—I think more excitement than anything," Aviles said. "It was just one of those things, a dream come true." Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore has plenty of confidence in Aviles, commenting "When we made the decision, we wanted a right-handed bat, and he’s the best right-handed bat in our organization right now that could contribute in the Major Leagues."

Aviles, from Middletown, New York, starred at Division II Concordia College, ranking #1 in that division during the 2002 and 2003 seasons in home runs per game, slugging percentage, and runs per game. He batted .500 during the 2003 season and was named "Division II Player of the Year."

Aviles’ goal now is to be a full-time Shortstop in the majors. He certainly doesn’t lack confidence, commenting "Overall, I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface." Count on this: he will have many people rooting for him at Concordia College. From Concordia Athletic Director Ivan Marquez: "Obviously we’re quite pleased with Mike Aviles’ accomplishment. He’s a great person and was a terrific student-athlete for us and we expect his success to continue."