POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Former Marist baseball players Kevin McCarthy and Zach Shank are about to begin their journeys in professional baseball.
And they'll start against each other.
McCarthy, who was drafted in the 16th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, has signed to play professionally. He has been assigned to the Burlington Royals, the organization's Appalachian League (Rookie level) affiliate in Burlington, N.C. Shank, a 28th round selection by the Seattle Mariners in this year's draft, will start with the Pulaski Mariners of the Appalachian League in Pulaski, Va. The Appalachian League season starts on Thursday, with Pulaski traveling to Burlington for a three-game series.
Both McCarthy and Shank made steady improvements throughout their Marist careers.
In his freshman season, McCarthy saw action out of the bullpen and as a mid-week starter, posting a 6.00 ERA in 18 innings. He suffered a knee injury which sidelined him for part of his sophomore season, but he returned to be a force in the Red Foxes' bullpen, going 1-1 with three saves, a 3.62 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. In the 2013 season, McCarthy started the season in the rotation before being transformed into a multi-inning closer in mid-March. He was named the MAAC Co-Relief Pitcher of the Year, and went 4-3 with eight saves and a 4.24 ERA in 22 appearances. In 68 innings, he struck out 62 and walked just 19.
Five of McCarthy's saves and two of his relief victories in 2013 came from outings longer than an inning. With 12 career saves, McCarthy ranks third in program history. He was also been selected to the MAAC All-Academic Team in each of the last two seasons.
"During the recruiting process we acknowledge there will be adversity,” Head Coach Chris Tracz said. “Kevin took that adversity head on when coming back from injury and transformed himself into the pitcher and person he wanted to be. His growth on the mound coincided with his maturity in his everyday goals. It was great to see an under-recruited student-athlete thrive in the right setting and get the chance to realize a lifelong dream after three years here at Marist and play professional baseball.”
Shank started all four years as a Red Fox, primarily as a third baseman in 2010 before shifting to shortstop the last three seasons. He played in 200 games in his collegiate career, and made 195 starts. This year, Shank was named First Team All-MAAC.
Shank finished his career ranked first all-time in program history with 681 assists. He also ranks in Marist's top 10 in games played, at bats, runs, hits, RBIs, stolen bases and total chances. He improved his batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored and total bases every season of his career. Shank was also named to the MAAC All-Academic Team in 2011.
“Zach was always ready to play and ready to work,” Tracz said. “He didn't take days off and that is why he has the opportunity he has today. He was a great student-athlete here at Marist and his development started from the day he stepped on campus. He took care of his daily work in the classroom and took advantage of playing every day from his freshman year. His growth each year has him leaving Marist as one of the best players in our program's history.”
In the last three seasons, six Marist baseball players have been drafted. McCarthy and Shank join Mike Gallic, Jon Schwind, Ricky Pacione and Eric Alessio, who were drafted in 2011. In program history, 17 Red Foxes have been taken in the draft.
“Our players know the expectations when they come to Marist,” Tracz said. “They will be held accountable in the classroom, on the field, and off the field, and if they can stay with the program they have a chance to achieve great things. Kevin and Zach are great examples of taking that philosophy and owning it. We enjoyed watching them progress from the day they stepped on campus to hearing their names called last Saturday during the MLB Draft.”
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