Ten MAAC Players Chosen in MLB Draft
MAAC Sports
Courtesy of Canisius, Marist, Rider and Siena Sports Information
Ten MAAC players were chosen in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft.
Siena College second baseman Dan Paolini was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 10th round on Tuesday. Paolini, the 2011 MAAC Co-Player of the Year, finished his junior season with a .380 career batting average and 56 home runs, both program records. It was the 56 long balls in just three seasons that earned him national recognition as one of the top power hitters in all of college baseball.
Paolini was named a Second Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball in 2010 after leading the nation with .49 home runs per game, becoming the only Siena student athlete ever to be tabbed to an All American Team at the Division I level. He was selected MAAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman, and MAAC Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior. This year, he helped the Saints reach the MAAC title game, belting 19 home runs and breaking his own single-season RBI record with 67.
Should he sign with Seattle, Paolini would become the 34th player in program history to ink a professional contract. He is the 12th player selected in Major League Baseball's First Year Player's Draft in the last 15 years, and will attempt to join Billy Harrell (Cleveland Indians), Gary Holle (Texas Rangers), Tim Christman (Colorado Rockies) and John Lannan (Washington Nationals), and become the fifth player to reach the highest level.
Canisius College had three players taken in the draft. Senior Sean Jamieson was drafted on Tuesday in the 17th round by the Oakland Athletics. Jamieson, the MAAC Co-Player of the Year, spent two years as a Golden Griffin after spending his first two years in college with Niagara County Community College. The two-time All-MAAC First-Team selection started 57 games at shortstop this season, leading Canisius in batting average (.350), runs scored (60), home runs (13), RBI (51), walks (34) and stolen bases (22) in 2011. Jamieson earned Capital One Academic All-America Second-Team honors and was named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week (March 28). He also was one of 25 shortstops named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, an award given to the top shortstop in the country.
Jamieson is the sixth Golden Griffin associated with the Canisius baseball program to be selected in the last four years. The selection of Jamieson in the 17th round is the earliest selection of a Golden Griffin since Joe Mamott was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 1994 MLB Draft.
In addition, redshirt seniors Chris Cox and Shane Davis were drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday. Cox was selected in the 39th round (No. 1189 pick overall) and Davis was taken in the 42nd round (No. 1279 overall).
Cox made 41 appearances in his career with Canisius, appearing as a starter and out of the bullpen. As a senior, Cox made nine appearances out of the bullpen and was 1-1 with two saves and a 0.69 ERA. Cox had 14 strikeouts in those 13 innings and finished third in Canisius history in strikeouts per nine innings. As a starter in 2010, Cox went 4-1 in seven MAAC starts and threw a complete game against Fairfield on May 1, 2010.
Davis made 56 starts as a Golden Griffin, going 35-12 and setting the program record for wins during his second season. His 35 victories ranked second among active pitchers nationally this season. In the Canisius record books, Davis ranked fourth in career ERA and first in walks per nine innings. As a senior, Davis went 5-6 with a 3.23 ERA, the second-lowest earned run average in his four-year career. The 6-foot lefty was a two-time First-Team All-MAAC Selection, earned MAAC Pitcher and MAAC Rookie of the Year honors in 2008 and earned All-American honors after his freshman season when Davis went 12-1 with a 2.42 ERA.
Marist College graduate Michael Gallic was selected in the 18th round by the San Diego Padres. Gallic was chosen with 563rd overall pick in the draft, and is the 12th Marist baseball player to be drafted in program history.
This past season, Gallic was led the Red Foxes in home runs (six), runs batted in (43), stolen bases (12) and triples (three). Gallic also batted .292, scored 43 runs, was second on the team in total bases (94) and tied for second in doubles (14). He was a Second Team All-MAAC selection. Gallic played in 165 games and made 160 starts in his Marist career. He batted .293 with 173 hits, 129 runs scored, 107 runs batted in, 35 stolen bases in 38 attempts, 33 doubles and 15 home runs.
Junior Jon Schwind, senior Ricky Pacione and red-shirt senior Eric Alessio were also selected on Wednesday. Schwind was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the first pick in the 41st round. Pacione was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 48th round. Alessio was picked by the Cincinnati Reds in the 49th round.
Nate Eppley of the Rider University baseball team was selected in the 29th round by the Oakland A's in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft Tuesday. Eppley is the 44th Rider player in the last 41 years to play professional baseball and the first Bronc to be drafted since 2009 when Jamie Hayes was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 48th round.
Eppley had six wins in 2011, the second most on the Rider team, and had 10 wins in his career. As a senior, he struck out 50 batters and issued 30 walks in 86 innings and had a 4.27 earned run average. Opponents batted .245 against him. In his Rider career, Eppley struck out 88 batters in 150 innings over 59 games.
On Wednesday, Rider's career leader for wins and strikeouts, pitcher Mike Thomas, was drafted in the 35th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Thomas was 29-12 as a Bronc with 286 strikeouts. Over his last two seasons,the lefty was 18-6 with a 190 strikeouts in 200 innings pitched. The 2010 New Jersey and MAAC Pitcher of the Year, Thomas compiled a 9-3 record and a 2.34 earned run average.