FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2014
Seven draftees represent six Northeast-10 member institutions
SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Seven student-athletes from six different Northeast-10 Conference schools were selected on the third and final day of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday, giving the Northeast-10 an impressive 18 MLB draftees over the last two years.
Adelphi University junior centerfielder Cliff Brantley was the first Northeast-10 student-athlete to come off the board in the 19th round to the Toronto Blue Jays, followed by Stonehill College junior righthander Jim Duff in the 20th round to his hometown New York Mets. Franklin Pierce University senior centerfielder Calvin Graves then went to the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round.
Three Northeast-10 players heard their names called in the 31st round, as Pace University senior second baseman David Pepe went at No. 924 overall before Southern New Hampshire University seniors Riley Palmer and Derrick Sylvester were selected eight picks apart later in the round. University of New Haven senior Chris DeMorais was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 38th round to round out the conference's 2014 draft picks.
Brantley, a semifinalist for this year's Tino Martinez Award, hit an astounding .398 in 47 games for the Panthers, who fell to the Penmen in the Northeast-10 Championship. He scored 34 runs and stole 24 bases to go along with 21 RBI in a year that saw him named to the Northeast-10 First Team. His father Cliff Sr., a 1986 second-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies, played two years in the majors in the early 1990s.
Duff, a Garden City, N.Y. native, became the highest MLB draft pick in Stonehill program history on Saturday. Duff was a consensus All-East Region choice this past spring after the 6-6 righty went 8-2 with a 1.84 ERA and 62 strikeouts to just five walks over 83 innings.
Graves (pictured) became Franklin Pierce's 26th draft selection in program history, all since 2001, as only Boston College (41) and Connecticut (40) have had more draftees among New England schools in that span. A Northeast-10 First Team selection, Graves started all 53 games for the Ravens and posted a .319/.380/.386 slash line out of the leadoff spot in 2014. The Boston, Mass. native also had 31 stolen bases and 38 runs scored.
Pepe hit .284 with six RBI this past season as a senior for Pace, which included a career-high nine-game hitting streak. In his two seasons with the Setters, Pepe batted .284 with 11 RBI and nine steals in 60 games following two years at Wagner College.
Palmer and Sylvester joined six other Penmen players who have been selected in the MLB Draft, including five in the last three seasons. Palmer, a Goffstown, N.H. native, was a Northeast-10 Second Team All-Conference selection this year after batting .267 with nine home runs, 37 RBI and a .456 slugging percentage while starting all 55 games.
Meanwhile Sylvester, a Franklin, N.H. native and Boston College transfer, was a consensus 2014 All-Region selection and a Northeast-10 First Team choice. In 14 games (13 starts) for So. New Hampshire, he compiled a 9-2 record and 2.59 ERA while striking out 100 in 93.2 innings of work.
DeMorais is a two-time Northeast-10 Second Team choice, as the West Hartford, Conn. native boasted a .336/.443/.400 slashline with 32 RBI and 24 runs scored this past year. He is the second Charger chosen in the MLB First Year Player Draft in as many years.
Information Provided by NE-10 Athletics Communications Staffs.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 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 Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
2014 MLB Draftees from Northeast-10 (in order of selection)
Cliff Brantley, Adelphi – Toronto Blue Jays (19th round, 564th overall)
Jim Duff, Stonehill – New York Mets (20th round, 595th overall)
Calvin Graves, Franklin Pierce – Chicago Cubs (27th round, 799th overall)
David Pepe, Pace – Toronto Blue Jays (31st round, 924th overall)
Riley Palmer, So. New Hampshire –Baltimore Orioles (31st round, 931st overall)
Derrick Sylvester, So. New Hampshire – Los Angeles Dodgers (31st round, 939th overall)
Chris DeMorais, New Haven – Tampa Bay Rays (38th round, 1147th overall)
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