Baseball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2013

Information Provided by Athletics Communications Staffs

Four Franklin Pierce, three So. New Hampshire
players chosen in banner year for conference

SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Eleven Northeast-10 Conference student-athletes were selected on the third and final day of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Saturday afternoon. 

NCAA Regional champion Franklin Pierce University saw four players drafted, while regional host Southern New Hampshire University had three selected on Saturday. Merrimack College, the University of New Haven, Adelphi University, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell all had one selection apiece as well.

The record 11 draftees this season comes after just two Northeast-10 student-athletes were selected in last year's draft. The mark is also impressive considering the draft has been cut down to 40 rounds, a change that was made prior to the 2012 MLB Draft. As recently as 2011, the draft spanned 50 rounds (an additional 300 picks).

For a complete list of the 11 2013 MLB Draft picks from the Northeast-10, please see below.

From Franklin Pierce, junior righthander Trevor Graham was the first Raven off the board, taken by the Chicago Cubs in the 13th round (378 overall). Just eight selections later in the round, the New York Mets took junior righthander Kevin McGowan (386 overall). Sophomore lefthander Steve Hathaway heard his name called in the 14th round (420 overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Mets came calling again in the 16th round (476 overall) to take junior first baseman Zach Mathieu. 

Franklin Pierce has now had 25 draft selections in program history, as only Boston College (40) and the University of Connecticut (39) have had more draftees among New England schools.

From So. New Hampshire, junior righthander Junior Mendez was selected in the 16th round (491 overall) by the Oakland Athletics, while two Penmen were tabbed in the 25th round.  Junior reliever Alex Powers was taken with the 753rd overall selection by the Chicago White Sox, while senior righthander Jon Massad was tabbed by Oakland just eight picks later.

Also taken on Saturday was Merrimack senior designated hitter/pitcher Joe Mantoni, who was drafted in the 18th round (555 overall) by the Cincinnati Reds.

New Haven junior righthander Henry Hirsch was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 22nd round (659 overall).

Adelphi senior relief pitcher Dillon McNamara was selected by the New York Yankees in the 27th round (824 overall).

UMass Lowell senior righthander Tyler Toyfair rounded out the Northeast-10 selections in the MLB Draft on Saturday, as he was taken in the 35th round (1,050 overall) by Arizona.

Mantoni became the first Warrior drafted since the Minnesota Twins selected pitcher Ryan O'Rourke in the 13th round of the 2010 draft. At the plate, Mantoni led the Warriors with 36 RBI this year, as 18 of his 40 hits went for extra bases. In late-game relief situations, the senior righthander had eight saves and boasted a 1.61 ERA and 3-0 record in 19 appearances.

"We are so proud of Joe," said head coach Jim Martin. "He is more than deserving and I am sure he is going to continue all of his success with the Reds because of not only his ability, but because of his character and work ethic."

Hirsch, whose 2013 starts were regularly attended by professional scouts, went 4-3 with a 3.81 ERA this spring, compiling 60 strikeouts in 59.0 innings of work. He is the first Charger chosen since Michael Moras was tabbed by the New York Mets, also in the 22nd round, in 2008.

McNamara became the first Panther to be drafted professionally since Robert Nixon went to the Cleveland Indians in the 46th round in 2011 (Nixon is currently pitching at the Double-A level). McNamara led the Northeast-10 with 13 saves this past season, posted a miniscule 0.28 ERA and struck out 43 in 32.0 innings.

"I am extremely happy for Dillon," said Adelphi head coach Dom Scala. "To be drafted by the Yankees and have a chance to pitch in Staten Island is a great accomplishment. He had an incredible year with many accolades. This is the icing on the cake".

Toyfair became the ninth UMass Lowell draftee in program history to be drafted, and first since lefty Jack Leathersich was selected by the New York Mets in the seventh round in 2011 (Leathersich is currently pitching in Double-A). Toyfair appeared in 14 games (six starts) and posted a 2-2 record with five saves in 2013. He had a 2.38 ERA, while striking out 41 over 45.1 innings.

"He is a 6-5 righthander that throws 92-94," said UMass Lowell head coach Ken Harring. "We worked on some things and made some adjustments this year. This is a great chance for him."

As for the four Ravens picks, Graham led the Franklin Pierce pitching staff this season, earning Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a 10-2 record, a 1.63 ERA, and striking out 123 over 110.1 innings. He also earned consensus All-America honors and was named East Region Pitcher of the Year by both the ABCA and Daktronics. Graham also earned 2013 East Regional Most Outstanding Player honors after earning a win and a save in his two appearances at the tournament. 

McGowan, meanwhile, had a 3.20 ERA and went 7-2 in 78.2 innings this past season. McGowan pitched mainly out of the bullpen for Franklin Pierce for much of his freshman campaign in 2011 before assuming a starter's role in 2012.

The lefty Hathaway struck out 37 in 31.0 innings this year while posting a 2.90 ERA, appearing in eight games (six starts). He missed portions of the 2013 season to injury after missing the entire 2012 campaign due to injury, as the 23-year-old, draft-eligible sophomore also attended Dean College for a year before attending Franklin Pierce.

Mathieu, the 2012 Northeast-10 Player of the Year as a sophomore, posted a .370/.429/.672 slash line that year and ranked second in the nation in total bases (158) en route to earning consensus East Region Player of the Year honors. The 6-7, 265-lb. right-handed hitting first baseman followed that performance up this year by hitting .333 with six home runs, 39 RBI, 51 runs and 19 stolen bases. In addition, 27 of his 69 hits went for extra bases.

"Today is a great day for our baseball program, especially for our student-athletes who realized a childhood dream," said Franklin Pierce head coach Jayson King. "It is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from those involved with our program, and of decades of the same put in by the draftees and their families."

Among the three Penmen righthanders drafted, Mendez anchored the So. New Hampshire staff in 2013. In 14 appearances (13 starts), Mendez was 9-3 with a 1.67 ERA, striking out 133 in 97 innings of work while issuing just 17 walks. He also held opponents to a .197 batting average.

Powers, who was widely considered one of the top Division II prospects entering the season, appeared in 20 games (two starts) in 2013, posting a 3-2 record with eight saves.  The righthander compiled a 2.30 ERA and struck out 52 batters in just 43 innings, while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. 

Massad finished this past season with a 6-3 record and 1.46 ERA in 80.1 innings of work, fanning 57 while walking 14.  In 11 appearances, the righthander went the distance three times and held opponents to a .196 batting average. 

"Getting drafted is a great opportunity for all three guys," said Penmen head coach Scott Loiseau. "Myself along with the coaching staff are excited to see what's to come for them and we're excited for their futures."

The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that are 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. 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.

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