HAGERSTOWN, MD - Iona College baseball alum Mariano Rivera III was selected to participate in the 2016 South Atlantic League All-Star Game held at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington, KY on June 21. Rivera has performed this season with the Hagerstown Suns, a Class A Affiliate of the Washington Nationals.
Over the last several weeks, Rivera earned the closer job for the first-place Suns. This season, he has appeared in 17 games out of the bullpen recording a 3-0 mark with four saves and a 2.67 ERA. Rivera has struck out 22 batters and walled nine in 28 innings pitched allowing batters to hit .248 against him.
The 22-year old right handed pitcher was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Nationals. In his first year as a professional, he competed with the Auburn Doubledays of the Short-Season Rookie New York-Penn League. The stint followed a MAAC Pitcher of the Year performance for the Gaels last spring.
Four of Rivera's Hagerstown teammates were also selected to the SAL North Division All-Star Team: RHP Jefry Rodriguez, 3B Kelvin Gutierrez, SS Max Schrock and CF Victor Robles. The Suns hold a 3.5 game lead over the Hickory Crawdads in the standings through Tuesday's contests in the South Atlantic League Northern Division. The league’s closest team to the New York metropolitan area is the Lakewood BlueClaws on the New Jersey shore. Other Suns' teammates include infielders Ryan Ripken and Cody Dent, the sons of Cal Ripken Jr. and Bucky Dent respectively.