By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

A former Selma High School baseball player is making waves out on the West Coast.

Outfielder Jai Miller is having a career year for the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics.

The 26-year-old Selma native is batting .296 and leads the River Cats in home runs with 21, which is also good for third in the Pacific Coast League.

Miller also leads the team in RBIs with 58.

Miller has played well enough this season to be named Pacific Coast League player of the week for the week of April 18 through 24.

Miller’s strong play for the minor-league team is one of the reasons sports website Bleacherreport.com says the Oakland A’s should call up Miller as a potential solution to the team’s struggling offense.

If called up by the Athletics, it wouldn’t be Miller’s first stint in the big leagues.

He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 MLB First-Year Player’s draft by the Florida Marlins.

Miller had signed a letter of intent to play wide receiver and point guard at Stanford University, but decided to sign with the Marlins and pursue his baseball career.

Miller made his major league debut with the Marlins on June 22, 2008.

He has also had a major-league stint with the Kansas City Royals.

Miller has helped lead the River Cats to a 54-36 record and the 1st-place spot in the Pacific Coast League’s Southern Division.