Baseball Scout Day draws 20 MLB teams to campus
Members of defending America East champions showcase their skills.
Binghamton baseball hosted its 15th Annual Scout Day on Sept. 22 and the workout drew professional scouts from 20 different Major League Baseball organizations.
It was the most attended Scout Day in program history - testament to Binghamton’s reign atop the America East and its recent flurry of draft picks. Five Bearcats have been selected in the last five years and eight in the last nine drafts. Last year, a pair of Binghamton seniors caught the eye of the pro scouts and pitcher Mike Bunal was taken in the 17th round by Colorado and infielder Reed Gamache signed a free agent contract with the New York Mets.
Six former Bearcats just completed their 2016 seasons in pro ball, highlighted by Scott Diamond and Murphy Smith, who finished up at Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.
Head coach Tim Sinicki enters his 25th year at the helm this spring and his Bearcats have advanced to the NCAA Regionals in three of the last four years as America East champions. Last spring, Binghamton swept the regular season and tournament titles and played at the NCAA College Stational Regional against No. 1 Texas A&M and Minnesota.
“This is a good opportunity for our guys to showcase their skills to the professional scouts,” Sinicki said. “Any time we have a chance to get a couple of guys on a pro team’s radar to follow us in the spring and eventually have an opportunity to play pro ball ... that’s what today is all about.”
The 2017 Bearcats begin their quest for a fourth NCAA trip in five years when Binghamton travels to New Mexico for a three-game set on Feb. 17-19.
Binghamton MLB Draft Picks
1990: Dan Gray, C (Los Angeles Dodgers, 7th Round), Dirk Gorman, OF (Los Angeles Dodgers, 48th Round)
2001: Jeff Montani, RHP (Baltimore Orioles, 37th Round)
2008: Jeff Dennis, LHP (Oakland Athletics, 40th Round)
2009: Murphy Smith, RHP (Oakland Athletics, 13th Round)
2010: Henry Dunn, OF (Cleveland Indians, 50th Round)
2012: Mike Augliera, RHP (Boston Red Sox, 5th Round), Lee Sosa, RHP (Oakland Athletics, 26th Round)
2014: Bill Bereszniewicz, OF (Los Angeles Dodgers, 28th Round)
2015: Jake Thomas, OF (Toronto Blue Jays, 27th Round)
2016: Mike Bunal, RHP (Colorado Rockies, 17th Round), Reed Gamache, 2B (undrafted but signed by NY Mets)