Arkansas State Professional Athletes

Liam Hicks didn't exactly arrive in professional baseball with a marquee recruiting profile. He grew up in the Toronto area, didn't turn many heads coming out of high school, found his footing at the junior college level, then transferred to Arkansas State — and that's where everything changed. Now, in just his second MLB season, the Red Wolves alum is catching in the World Series.

Hicks made it official on October 20, hauling in a lazy Chase DeLauter foul ball to record the final out of the ALCS, sending the Tampa Bay Rays to their first Fall Classic since 2020. It was the kind of moment that gets replayed for decades, and Hicks was right in the middle of it — literally. His battery mate was Drew Rasmussen, who Hicks praised postgame for his composure in high-leverage situations. "Moments are never too big," Hicks said of his pitcher, a sentiment that could just as easily apply to the catcher himself.

The road to that moment was already a good story. In Game 5 of the ALCS against Cleveland (October 18), Hicks went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, hitting .217 on the series, as Tampa beat the Guardians 3-1 to take a 3-2 series lead. He added a hit, a run, and a walk in the series-clinching Game 7 on October 20 as well. By the time the Rays punched their ticket, Hicks was batting .222 for the postseason — not flashy, but more than serviceable for a catcher whose primary currency has always been defense and game-calling.

Then came the World Series.

In Game 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers on October 24, Hicks put his bat in the conversation too. With Junior Caminero's frozen-rope double setting the table, Hicks came through to drive in Jonathan Aranda and get Tampa Bay on the board. He finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs on the night, dropping his average to .194 but leaving little doubt he can handle the moment. The Rays and Brewers are now underway in what promises to be a compelling Fall Classic.

For Arkansas State fans, the storyline writes itself. Hicks is a player who needed the right environment to bloom — and Jonesboro provided it. He came to the Red Wolves as a relative unknown and left as a pro prospect. Now he's catching in October, making routine foul pops look historic and driving in runs on the sport's biggest stage.

There's no word on Tyler Zuber, the other A-State alum active in MLB this fall — the right-hander is with the Marlins, who are not a postseason factor this year.

But Hicks is more than enough. A second-year catcher from a mid-major program, already in the World Series, already delivering. Arkansas State doesn't get many nights like this in professional baseball. It should enjoy every pitch.

Arkansas State has a catcher in the middle of one of baseball's biggest stages right now — and Liam Hicks is making it count.

The Rays' backstop, a Red Wolves alum, delivered the defining blow of Game 2 of the ALCS on Tuesday, October 14, lining a two-run single in a pivotal fourth inning to help Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 and even the series at 1-1. The hit came in the wake of a pair of uncharacteristic defensive miscues from Guardians third baseman José Ramírez, and Hicks made Cleveland pay — his two RBI accounting for the margin of victory in a game the Rays badly needed.

Hicks wasn't alone in the spotlight. Freddy Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, but it was the catcher acquired at the trade deadline who provided the moment that flipped the series. FanSided went so far as to argue that Game 2 proved Tampa Bay won the deadline — and Hicks was cited as Exhibit A alongside Peralta.

The series context sharpens the stakes. Game 2 followed a tough Game 1 loss for Tampa Bay, and Hicks had gone just 1-for-12 entering that contest, hitting .083 through the early rounds of the playoffs. His two-hit, two-RBI performance in Game 2 pushed his average to .200 and, more importantly, reset the narrative around the Rays' deadline gamble.

Hicks' bat went quiet again in Game 3 — Tampa Bay dropped that one to Cleveland, 2-3, on October 15, with Hicks hitting .167 on the night — but the A-State product had already made his mark on the series. Game 4 on October 17 is still unresolved in the research window, with the series very much alive.

For Arkansas State fans tracking their guy, Hicks remains one of the most prominent alumni on a postseason roster anywhere in baseball. He was named one of the players to watch in the ALCS by Sportsnet heading into the series — no small recognition for a catcher out of Jonesboro who is now one trade-deadline move away from a potential World Series appearance.

The Red Wolves don't produce a lot of MLB postseason contributors. Liam Hicks is making sure this October is one worth remembering.