Pair of Former Blue Devils Join Professional Ranks
Former Central Connecticut baseball standouts Elliot Good and Jeff Nicol have signed professional contracts with the Ogden Raptors and Tri-City ValleyCats, respectively. Good, who played at Central from 2020-24, joined the Raptors of the Pioneer League, while Nicol, who played at Central from 2020-24, joined the ValleyCats of the Frontier League.
The pair helped CCSU win conference titles in 2021 and 2023, helping CCSU advance to the NCAA Tournament in both seasons. The Blue Devils played at the Columbia, SC, Regional in 2023 and the Eugene, OR, Regional in 2021.
Good played in 163 career games at CCSU and slashed .262/.344/.358, while driving in 100 RBIs, scoring 94 runs and collecting 39 extra-base hits, including seven homeruns. He earned All-Northeast Conference Second Team honors in 2023 and was named to the All-Tournament Team after driving in seven runs during CCSU's championship run.
Since joining the Raptors on July 16, Good made an immediate impact in first game. He collected a single and drove in two runs, including the game-tying run in the 8th inning of a 6-5 win over the Rocky Mountain Vibes.
Ogden plays in the 12-team Pioneer League, which is designated as one of four MLB Partner Leagues. The league was formerly a short-season Rookie League for MLB and have sent several alumni on to play in the Major Leagues. In 2024, the league expanded its geographical footprint, introducing two new teams in California - the Oakland Ballers and the Yolo High Wheelers.
Nicol played in 115 career games and slashed .277.387.451, while hitting 13 career homeruns. He drove in 81 runs and scored 65 more, while posting a .979 fielding percentage and throwing out 27 would be base stealers. He earned All-Northeast Conference Second Team honors in 2021.
Since joining the ValleyCats, Nicol has appeared in nine games. He has made four appearances as a pitcher as well, tossing 8.0 innings. He has made two starts on the mound and has four strikeouts.
Tri-City is a member of the Frontier League and based in Troy, NY. The 'Cats were a member of the New York-Penn League from 2002-2020. With MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, the ValleyCats joined the Frontier League, which was designated as an MLB Partner League. Several alumni of the Frontier League have gone on to play in the Major Leagues. Tyler Jay, Chris Roycroft, James Meeker and Spencer Bivens have all made their MLB debuts in 2024 and spent time in the Frontier League.
