Minor Leaguer's hit streak reaches 45 games(Mariners prospect collect two hits to keep streak going)

[JonLP24]

Mariners prospect James McOwen didn't waste any time extending his hitting streak to 45 games as he singled in the first inning in Class A Advanced High Desert's 6-2 loss to the San Jose Giants on Wednesday.

McOwen went 2-for-4 with two singles and is now one game shy of tying Johnny Bates, who hit in 46 games straight for Nashville of the Southern Association in 1925, for the seventh-longest streak in Minor League history.

McOwen, who is batting .398 during the streak and .355 this season, is now 14 games short of all-time hit-streak leader Joe Wilhoit, who hit safely in 69 straight games in 1919 with Wichita of the Western League.

McOwen extended his streak to 44 games on Tuesday with a broken bat single in his last at-bat and talked about his current hitting streak. The hit on Tuesday made his streak the longest of the last 55 years, passing Brandon Watson's 43-game hit streak in 2007 with Columbus of the International League.

Longest Minor League hitting streaks

69 Joe Wilhoit Wichita (WL) 1919
61 Joe DiMaggio San Francisco (PCL) 1933
55 Roman Mejias Waco (BSL) 1954
50 Otto Pahlman Danville (III) 1922
49 Jack Ness Oakland (PCL) 1915
49 Harry Chozen Mobile (SA) 1945
46 Johnny Bates Nashville (SA) 1925
45 James McOwen High Desert (CAL) 2009
43 Brandon Watson Columbus (IL) 2007
43 Eddie Marshall Milwaukee (AA) 1935
43 Howie Bedell Louisville (AA) 1961
43 Orlando Moreno Big Spring (LHL) 1947
42 Jack Lelivelt Rochester (IL) 1912
42 Herbert Chapman Gadsden (SEL) 1950
40 Frosty Kennedy Plainview (WT-NM) 1953
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090709&content_id=5781162&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[RockaFowler]

1. Great story

When will he be called up??