For Immediate Release
June 4, 2012
Over 30 Northeast-10 Players Listed on Perfect Game's State Follow Lists
South Easton, Mass. – A year ago, eight Northeast-10 Conference student-athletes were selected in the Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft, headlined by former University of Massachusetts Lowell lefthander Jack Leathersich, who was taken in the fifth round by the New York Mets.
This year's draft gets underway Monday night with first-round and compensatory-round picks airing on MLB Network beginning at 7:00 p.m. The draft continues Tuesday at noon with rounds 2-15 before the final 25 rounds take place on Wednesday, also beginning at noon, with full draft coverage provided at MLB.com.
In all, Perfect Game USA listed 31 Northeast-10 student-athletes in its nationwide draft preview, which ranks players into four separate groups: Elite Round selection (Rounds 1-3 projected pick), High-Round pick (Rounds 4-10), Mid-Round prospect (Rounds 11-25) and Late-Round pick.
Franklin Pierce University, which has had 21 draft selections in program history, including four last year, is headed this year by junior right-hander Ryan Thompson (pictured, right) and junior lefthander Vladimir Camacho. Both project to be mid-round picks and are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 among college players in the state of New Hampshire, behind only Southern New Hampshire University lefthander Tim Flight (pictured, left).
The New York Yankees selected Thompson, the consensus East Region Pitcher of the Year in 2011, in the 36th round a year ago before he elected to return for his junior year. He went 5-2 with a 3.47 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 57 innings this season. Meanwhile, Camacho struck out 65 in 66.1 innings pitched while posting a 4-1 record with a save and a 3.66 ERA.
Franklin Pierce also has five others listed on the Perfect Game list as draft hopefuls, including junior right-hander Joe Flynn and graduate student outfielder James Roche, who are the fourth and fifth ranked college prospects in the state. Junior shortstop Daniel Kemp, junior outfielder Nick LaCroix, and sophomore right-hander Rob Blanc were also listed as possible late-rounders.
So. New Hampshire, fresh off its NCAA East Regional Championship and College World Series appearance, has seen Flight, a junior, improve his draft stock to the point where he has a good chance to be the first Northeast-10 player selected this week. The lefthander went 9-1 with a 1.31 ERA while striking out 140 in 102.2 innings (12.27 K/9) and was the consensus East Region Pitcher of the Year. He was also runner-up for the Tino Martinez Award, which is given annually to the top Division II player in the country.
The Penmen have three others – senior lefty Zach LeBarron, junior shortstop Matt Boulter and senior right-hander Brad Monroe – listed as possible late-round picks.
Saint Anselm College junior Robert Kelly, the 2011 Northeast-10 Player of the Year, is also listed as a possible late-round pick. Kelly, a first baseman and right-handed pitcher, hit .310 with 10 home runs and 51 RBI this season and also posted a 3.55 ERA in 63.1 innings on the mound.
UMass Lowell right-hander Tyler Toyfair is the fifth-rated college prospect in the state of Massachusetts and projects as a mid-round pick. Toyfair went 5-2 with a 2.84 ERA this season while holding opposing batters to a .213 average. Senior third baseman Cam Kneeland, junior right-hander Garrett Cole and senior outfielder Matt Jacobs of the River Hawks are also listed as possible late-round selections by Perfect Game.
Bentley University senior right-hander Rob Finneran is listed as a mid-round talent after going 8-3 with a 2.26 ERA this season. He also had 78 strikeouts in 79.2 innings pitched and is the No. 7 collegiate prospect in Massachusetts.
Le Moyne College has 10 listed as possible late-round picks. They include junior right-hander Derek Zielinski, senior third baseman Matt Marra, senior lefthander Michael Anarumo, junior righty Kevin Carroll, senior outfielder Brett Botsford, junior catcher Brian Stinson, junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney, senior righty Ed Kohout, junior third baseman Zach Wiley and senior righty Erik Lambe.
Adelphi University junior right-hander Dillon McNamara, Assumption College junior catcher Tim Quinn, Pace University junior right-hander Michael Tamburino and Southern Connecticut State University senior righty Ryan Yerina and are listed as possible late-round picks as well.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 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 5,500 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. 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.
STATE FOLLOW LISTS (provided by Perfect Game)
Connecticut
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New York
Note: Some of the Perfect Game rankings may have been changed or adjusted since the time this story was published.
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