Crinella Selected by Baltimore Orioles in MLB Draft
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Junior third baseman Frank Crinella (East Longmeadow, Mass.) of the Merrimack College baseball team reached a personal milestone on Wednesday evening when the Baltimore Orioles selected the All-American in the 39th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft.
The Northeast-10 All-Conference Second Team selection and Preseason All-American posted strong numbers this past season. Crinella led Merrimack in runs scored (33) and stolen bases (19), while posting a slash line of .338/.432/.485. He also tied for the team high with two home runs.
"The coaching staff and our entire team is incredibly proud of Frank for being selected in the MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles," said head coach Nick Barese. "It's something he has worked hard to accomplish and he earned this day. He is a great representative of this program and joins and elite group of Merrimack draftees."
His name is all over the Merrimack record book, with one year of eligibility remaining with the Warriors. Crinella's .354 career batting average ranks third in program history and his .524 slugging percentage sits atop the all-time rankings. The East Longmeadow native lies among the top-10 in 10 other categories, including RBI, doubles, triples and home runs.
One of four team captains this past year, Crinella will be spending his summer playing with the Bourne Braves in the renown Cape Cod Baseball League.
Crinella becomes the eighth Warrior selected in the MLB draft and the first since 2013. Former Warriors Joe Mantoni, drafted in 2013, and Ryan O'Rourke, drafted in 2010, are currently in the minor leagues. Mantoni resides in the system of the Cincinnati Reds after being the Reds' 18th round pick two years ago. O'Rourke is knocking on the door of the big leagues as he is currently throwing for the Rochester Red Wings, the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
