Baseball

Three #AEBASE Alums Playing Major League Baseball in 2026

BOSTON - Three former America East baseball standouts were on opening day major league rosters with numerous more in the minor leagues just a week into the 2026 season.
 
Maine had a league-high three players on opening day rosters, led by former World Series MVP and 2025 all-star Jeremy Peña of the Houston Astros. Along with Peña, pitchers Cody Laweryson and Matt Pushard are also Maine alums. Laweryson made his MLB debut last season on the mound, while Pushard made his MLB debut this past Sunday.
 
Mark Leiter Jr. is a seven-year veteran who attended NJIT and was taken in the 2013 MLB draft before the Highlanders were a part of the America East. He currently plays for the Athletics. Former Bryan Bulldog Mickey Gasper played for the Red Sox and Twins each of the past two seasons and has started the 2026 season with the Sox AAA affliate in Worcester.
 
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast.