Former Louisiana relief pitcher Dayton Marze signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday and received his assignment to the club’s short-season Class A affiliate Auburn (N.Y.) Doubledays of the New York-Penn league.

By signing, Marze forgoes his final two seasons of eligbility with the Ragin’ Cajuns and joins fellow teammate Zach Osborne as 2010 UL draft picks to join the minor league ranks.

Marze was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 14th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft at the 426th selection.

Marze had spent the past three days in Florida for a team minicamp in which he threw a bullpen session on Thursday.

The Auburn Doubledays open their 2010 season in the New York-Penn league on Friday, June 18 against rival Batavia Muckdogs at 6:05 p.m. (CST).

Marze is one of 13 pitchers listed on the Doubledays’ roster.

Marze, a Teurlings Catholic product, enjoyed a breakout season in 2010 as one of Louisiana’s top relievers as he made three times as many appearances from his freshman season and logged 50 1/3 innings. Marze logged three-plus innings in relief nine times, each time allowing one or no earned runs. He posted multiple strikeouts in nine of 18 appearances and carried a sub-4.00 ERA the entire season.

Marze is the third former Cajuns pitcher to play for the Doubledays. Danny Farquhar and Hunter Moody played for the Doubledays after being drafted by the Blue Jays in 2008. Farquhar is now throwing for Double-A New Hampshire.

Manager Dennis Holmberg returns for his ninth season in Auburn. He has won the Pinckney Division Title in six of his eight years in Auburn. He is the longest tenured manager in the Blue Jays system, the New York Penn League, and Auburn baseball history.

The Doubledays’ season runs through Sept. 5. Should they qualify for the playoffs, the New-York Penn league postseason begins the following week.

To visit the Auburn Doubledays’ web site click here.

— Ragin’ Cajuns —