Adelphi Junior Bobby Lanigan Drafted By The Minnesota Twins
Lanigan was the 15th pick in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft.
June 6, 2008
June 6, 2008
Garden City, N.Y. - Adelphi University junior pitcher Bobby Lanigan probably won't return to Garden City for his senior season next fall. Lanigan was drafted with the 15th pick in the third round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft by the Minnesota Twins. He is the first player in 15 years to be selected in the MLB draft and no Panther has ever been selected higher.
"It feels great for me to know that the hard work I have put in up to this point has paid off. However, I understand that the road ahead of me is a bigger challenge, and I am ready to get back to work to reach my next goal (of getting to the major league's)," Lanigan said. "Coach Scala and his staff played a huge part in this process for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me three years ago and for developing me into the pitcher I am today."
Lanigan, the 92nd overall selection, posted a solid record of 4-4, but struck out an impressive 87 batters in 79 innings pitched and walked just 16. A three-time all-conference selection and an all-region selection in 2007, Lanigan compiled some impressive numbers in just three years at Adelphi. He is the school's all-time leader in strikeouts with 232, fourth in career ERA (2.51) and holds the first and third spots in single season strikeouts.
"I am elated for Bobby and his family. This is the culmination of many years of sacrifice, hard work and determination. To be drafted 92nd in the country from the Northeast is an unbelievable feat," Head Coach Dom Scala stated when asked about Lanigan. "I knew he was a special kid when I recruited him not only for his athletic ability, but his maturity and the way he handled himself as a person. He was a key factor in helping the Adelphi Panthers get back to the top of the ECC and will be greatly missed. I feel fortunate to have been around him for three years, he made me a better coach".
The last Adelphi player selected in the MLB draft was in 38th round of the 1993 draft, making Lanigan's selection even more impressive is the fact that he was the first Division II player taken in the draft.
"It feels great for me to know that the hard work I have put in up to this point has paid off. However, I understand that the road ahead of me is a bigger challenge, and I am ready to get back to work to reach my next goal (of getting to the major league's)," Lanigan said. "Coach Scala and his staff played a huge part in this process for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me three years ago and for developing me into the pitcher I am today."
Lanigan, the 92nd overall selection, posted a solid record of 4-4, but struck out an impressive 87 batters in 79 innings pitched and walked just 16. A three-time all-conference selection and an all-region selection in 2007, Lanigan compiled some impressive numbers in just three years at Adelphi. He is the school's all-time leader in strikeouts with 232, fourth in career ERA (2.51) and holds the first and third spots in single season strikeouts.
"I am elated for Bobby and his family. This is the culmination of many years of sacrifice, hard work and determination. To be drafted 92nd in the country from the Northeast is an unbelievable feat," Head Coach Dom Scala stated when asked about Lanigan. "I knew he was a special kid when I recruited him not only for his athletic ability, but his maturity and the way he handled himself as a person. He was a key factor in helping the Adelphi Panthers get back to the top of the ECC and will be greatly missed. I feel fortunate to have been around him for three years, he made me a better coach".
The last Adelphi player selected in the MLB draft was in 38th round of the 1993 draft, making Lanigan's selection even more impressive is the fact that he was the first Division II player taken in the draft.
