Costello Taken by Seattle in 31st Round of MLB Draft
Costello is the third Blue Devil drafted since 2014.
Centeral Connecticut infielder Ryan Costello was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 31st round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday. Costello, a All-Northeast Conference First Team selection as a junior, is the first Blue Devil selected in the draft since J.P. Sportman was taken in the 27th round by the Oakland A's and Nick Neumann was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round of the 2014 draft.
Costello earned All-NEC First Team and New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Division I All-New England Second Team honors as a junior. He matched a CCSU single-season record with 22 doubles in 2017 and swatted a league-leading nine home runs. Costello drove in 52 runs, scored 52 more and batted .296 at the plate. His 32 extra-base hits were the most at CCSU since Sean Allaire had 41 in 2010.
In 125 career games over his first three seasons, Costello has batted .290 with 14 home runs and 86 runs batted in. He has also scored 85 runs and has 33 doubles.
Sportman is currenty at Double A in the A's organization with the Midland RockHounds, while Neumann is throwing for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Class A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
Former Blue Devil Evan Scribner was drafted in the 28th round of the 2007 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scribner is currently a member of the Mariners and has thrown in eight games this season, but is presently on the disabled list. He has also spent time with the San Diego Padres' and Oakland A's organizations.
Former CCSU All-Conference pick Rob Hosgood was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 2004 Draft in the 24th Round. In 2003, Barry Hertzler was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th Round. Hertzler spent six seasons in the Red Sox organization including two seasons in AAA Pawtucket.
Another pair of former Blue Devils, Casey Brown (Philadelphia Phillies) and Connor Fitzsimons (LA Angels of Anaheim), signed professional contracts with MLB organizations in 2016 and are currently in the minor leagues.
