SPRINGFIELD, Mo. –  Former Missouri State baseball standout Luke Voit became the 19th Bear to reach to the big leagues Sunday when the St. Louis Cardinals promoted the first baseman to their 25-man Major League roster.

Voit made his Cardinals debut Sunday evening with a seventh-inning pinch-hit appearance, reaching base after being hit by a pitch in St. Louis's 8-4 victory over Pittsburgh.

The Wildwood, Mo., native was selected by his hometown Cardinals in the 22nd round (665th overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft after completing a standout four-year collegiate career, primarily as a catcher with the Bears. A three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree, Voit was named to Johnny Bench Award watch list in each of his last two seasons with Missouri State and was on the receiving end of all 13 of the Bears' shutouts in 2012-13, helping MSU lead the nation in that category in 2012. He also guided the Bears pitching staff to a Division I-best 2.57 team ERA in 2012.

Voit currently ranks 17th on the Bears' career hits list with 226 and 10th on the school's all-time doubles chart with 48. Additionally, he drove in the game-winning run 18 times over his MSU career to rank fourth on the Bears' career list. He also ranks among the Bears' all-time leaders in sacrifice flies, defensive putouts and fielding chances. A model of consistency and durability, Voit played in 140 consecutive games over parts of his final three seasons to close his MSU career.

Prior to his call up from Class AAA Memphis, Voit led the Redbirds with 24 multi-hit games while batting .322 and slugging .561 with 23 doubles, 12 homers and 45 RBIs in 70 games this spring. In five professional seasons, he has compiled a .285 batting average with 53 home runs and 266 RBIs, highlighted by his 2016 season with Class AA Springfield in which he hit 19 homers and drove in 74 runs en route to earning Texas League All-Star recognition.

Voit also became the second player off the Bears' 2012 NCAA Regional-qualifying squad to receive a Major League promotion in the last six weeks after Pierce Johnson made his big league debut with the Chicago Cubs on May 19. The 26-year-old Voit is the 17th MSU player overall to reach the majors under current head coach Keith Guttin.