A pair of America East baseball alums will begin the 2015 season on Major League Baseball rosters as the season officially begins on Monday, April 6.
Tom Koehler, a 2008 Stony Brook University graduate, will be in the starting rotation with the Miami Marlins. Koehler is in his fourth season with the Marlins and was 10-10 with a 3.81 ERA in 32 starts in 2014. At Stony Brook, Koehler led the conference in striekouts in back-to-back seasons, including 111 during his senior year in 2008.
Adam Ottavino, a 2006 graduate of Northeastern, enters his fifth season in the majors after making his debut in 2010 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in 75 games for the Colorado Rockies last year with 70 strikeouts in 65.0 innings. In his last year in the America East in 2005, Ottavino was 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA and was the America East Pitcher of the Year as a junior.
Stony Brook alum Joe Nathan is entering his 15th season in the Majors and will be coming out of the bullpen for the Detroit Tigers. Though he did not pitch in the America East, Nathan is one of the most successful alums from an America East school and his generation donation built the current Seawolves' Baseball Complex aptly named "Joe Nathan Field."
Several America East alums are also top prospects in their respective organizations:
Nick Tropeano, Stony Brook '11, Los Angeles Angels
- Tropeano made his Major League debut in 2014, starting four games with the Houston Astros.
- Now with the Angels, Tropeano is the No. 6 ranked prospect in the organization by MLB.com and will start the year in the Pacific Coast League.
- He was a two-time America East Pitcher of the Year.
Sean Newcomb, Hartford '14, Los Angeles Angels
- Last year's America East Pitcher of the Year, Newcomb is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the Angels organizations according to MLB.com.
- Newcomb will start the year in the minors.
Jack Leathersich, UMass Lowell '11, New York Mets
- No. 15 ranked prospect in the Mets system by MLB.com.
- Although he did not play in the America East, he is a UMass Lowell alum which joined the conference in 2014.
Travis Jankowski, Stony Brook '12, San Diego Padres
- The 2012 America East Player of the Year led Stony Brook to a historic run to the College World Series.
- Jankowski is ranked No. 17 in the Padres organization by MLB.com.