Santarsiero advances in Dodgers organization
What better way to start of D3 Week than congratulating Vinny Santarsiero on moving up in the minor leagues! Santarsiero has been placed with the Great Lakes Loons, a Class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
St. Louis, Mo. – Fontbonne University kicks off NCAA Division III week (April 3-9) and what better way to start the week than to congratulate former Griffin pitcher Vinny Santarsiero on his newest placement within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
Santarsiero bypassed his final season of eligibility (2016) by signing a deal with the major-league organization. The six-foot-seven pitcher was originally placed with the Ogden Raptors, a rookie team in the Pioneer League. Monday morning, April 3, 2017, it was announced that the Florida native earned a spot on the Great Lakes Loons roster, a Class-A affiliate of the Dodgers. Santarsiero will don the number 21 while serving the mound for the Michigan-based team.
"I had a great and fun first spring training and then to be told I'm starting a level higher than last year is always exciting news," commented Santarsiero. "I'm going into my first full season with high expectations and can't wait to get started!"
Last year for the Ogden Raptors, Santarsiero pitched 8.2 innings for a 1-2 record with two saves. He struck out six batters with a 0.00 ERA and allowed just four hits. The 23-year-old was on the mound when the Raptors earned their division-clinching 14-13 win over Grand Junction. The final pitch that earned him the save can be found here.
About the Loons: Out of Midland, Mich., the Loons were 2016 Midwest League Champions, earning their first league championship. The team returns 12 players from last year's squad as Jeremy Rodriguez becomes the fifth Loons manager in his first year with the Dodgers organization. The Loons will also have a new pitching coach in Connor McGuiness as the 2017 season kicks off this Thursday, April 8th when the team hosts the Lansing Lugnuts at Dow Diamond. This is the 10th year the Loons have been Single-A partners of the Dodgers.
Santarsiero, a right-hander is one of 13 pitchers on the squad which includes three left-handers. There are 25 players on the Loons Opening Day roster.
All 140 games can be heard on ESPN 100.9-FM while all 70 Loons home games and select road games can be streamed digitally via MiLB.TV.
Here is the full release on the Loons Opening Day Roster.
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Supplemental information courtesy of Matt DeVries and MiLB.com