Tink Hence #30

Selected by St. Louis with the 63rd overall selection in 2020, which originally was the Tampa Bay Rays Competitive Balance Round B selection that was obtained in the Jan. 2020 trade package that netted Matthew Liberatore...Graduated from Watson Chapel High School in Pine Bluff Arkansas. Posted an 0.64 ERA with 61 strikeouts over 43.2 innings in 2019 as a junior. COVID cut his senior season to five games in 2020...Signed his college letter of intent to play at the University of Arkansas in the same recruiting class as Masyn Winn. Both were members of the Arkansas Sticks Baseball Academy...Is an alum of the MLB/USA Baseball Breakthrough Series and Dream Series, established in 2008 as a cost-free development program...Played in the Future Stars Series in September 2019 and the WWBA Showcase in October 2019...His older brother, Braelin, played college baseball as an infielder at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff...Signed by Dirk Kinney...Resides in White Hall, Ark.

2023

Began the season in Peoria (High-A) and made 11 starts before a promotion to Springfield (AA) finishing the season with 12 starts for the Double-A squad. Tied for third among Cardinals Minor League pitchers with 23 games started...Missed 21 games on the 7-day Injured List with a right intercostal muscle spasm with no structural abnormality, April 17-May 10...Threw 11.2 scoreless innings to begin the 2023 season, limiting opponents to a .162 batting average and 0.84 WHIP...Made his first Double-A start with Springfield vs. Amarillo on July 4 and allowed just one run over 5.0 innings in his debut tossing 80 pitches...Named Cardinals Co-Minor League Pitcher of the Month along with Max Rajcic for June, posting a 2-0 mark with a 2.57 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 21.0 innings encompassing five starts...Pitched for the National League in the 2023 Futures Game in Seattle tossing a scoreless inning with one hit, a walk and a strikeout...Posted career highs in innings pitched (96.0), strikeouts (99) and games started (23) between Peoria (High-A) and Springfield (AA)...Did not pitch more than 5.0 innings or over 82 pitches in any of his 23 starts...Earned his first professional win vs. Beloit (6/10), tossing 5.0 innings allowing one run on five hits...Struck out a career-high nine batters at Tulsa (7/28) over 5.0 innings allowing just two runs on two hits for his final win of the season.

2022

Pitched the entire season at Palm Beach (Single-A) and was named Florida State League Pitcher of the Year...Named a Florida State League Post-Season All-Star...Led all Cardinals Minor League pitchers with an 0.88 WHIP. Ranked in the Top 10 in ERA (1.38, 2nd), opponent BA (.174, 5th), strikeouts/9 IP (13.9, 4th), strikeout/walk ratio (5.40, 2nd) and Toughest to HR Off (195.0 TBF/HR, 5th)...Did not allow more than three runs in any start and shutout his opposition in 10 of 16 starts...Finished the season on a 12.1 scoreless inning streak over his final four starts...Pitched for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League and was named as an AFL Rising Star. Went 0-0 with a 2.16 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings over nine relief appearances.