FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Four Pitchers Among Those Selected in MLB Draft.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Five players from Northeast-10 Conference baseball programs were chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft, which took place from Monday, June 3 through Wednesday, June 5. In 40 rounds of selections, the NE10’s contribution to the MLB included four pitchers and one position player.
Five different programs had a player drafted – with Franklin Pierce’s Zach Hart being drafted the highest of any player in the league. Hart was selected in the 10th round with the 310th pick by the Cleveland Indians.
Pace’s Dan Wirchansky had his name called in the 25th round as the 763rd pick overall by the Milwaukee Brewers. Adelphi’s Ed Baram, NE10 Pitcher of the Year this past season, was picked in the 30th round (914th overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
Southern New Hampshire’s Jake Walkinshaw was the fourth pitcher picked from the NE10, joining up with Baram on the Athletics as a 36th round pick (1094th overall). Bentley’s Ryan Berardino, grandson of Red Sox great Dwight Evans, was picked by Boston in the 34th round as the NE10’s only position player.
All five players achieved All-Conference status at the conclusion of the 2019 regular season, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Baram, one of the nation’s leaders in ERA, went on to become an NCBWA First Team All-American.
NOTES
- For Adelphi, Baram is the 23rd player in program history to join the professional ranks and ninth during the tenure of head coach Dom Scala.
- Berardino is the sixth player in Bentley history to be drafted and the first everyday player taken in the MLB Draft since Mike Hill in 1997.
- Hart is the 29th overall draft selection for Franklin Pierce in program history, with only Boston College (57) and UConn (53) with more draftees among all New England schools – regardless of division.
- For the Setters, Wirchansky becomes the 12th player under head coach Hank Manning to be selected in the MLB Draft, as well as the first since 2016.
- Walkinshaw is the 12th Penmen selected in the MLB Draft overall, while becoming the 11th player to join the pros under head coach Scott Loiseau. He is the third SNHU player to go to Oakland since 2013 (includes Junior Mendez and Jon Massad).
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.