Zarrillo & McCoy Sign Pro Contracts
Jun 29 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Three former Rutgers baseball players made moves within professional baseball over the past week. A 29th round draft selection by Kansas City earlier this month, Mark McCoy signed and was assigned to the Arizona League Royals (Rookie), while Vinny Zarrillo was picked up by the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League. In addition, Brian O'Grady was called up within the Cincinnati system to High-A Daytona.
McCoy was the No. 879 selection in the recent MLB Draft and decided to forgo his senior season with the Scarlet Knights to play professional baseball. The left-handed pitcher made his pro debut for the AZL Royals June 24 and earned the win in relief by tossing two shutout innings with three strikeouts. Click here to read the original release from the draft.
Zarrillo earned an opportunity in professional baseball by signing with the Somerset Patriots, just down the road from Rutgers. The outfielder lined out in his first at bat as a pinch-hitter in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader before appearing as a pinch runner in the nightcap. A team captain in 2015, Zarrillo left RU tied for seventh in program history with 227 hits, hitting .304 in 208 games in his career overall. He won the 2013 Big East batting title with a .407 average in league games as a sophomore.
An eighth-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, O'Grady earned a promotion from Dayton (A) to Daytona (High-A) after hitting .386 over his last 15 games with four home runs, four doubles and two triples. In helping Billings (Rookie) win the league championship last season, O'Grady was named Pioneer League Player of the Postseason by hitting .333/.429/.667 from the leadoff spot. He left RU ranked third with 771 career at bats, seventh with 227 hits, ninth with 105 walks and tied for 10th with 46 doubles and 10 triples.
Patrick Kivlehan is also in the minor leagues with Tacoma (AAA) of the Seattle system, while Todd Frazier (Reds) and David DeJesus (Rays) are both in the big leagues.
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