BOSTON—Northeastern University baseball players
Jason Vosler and
Michael Foster were selected Saturday (June 7) in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Vosler was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round, while Foster was taken in the 38th round by the Houston Astros.
The 2014 draft marked the third time in the last four seasons that multiple Northeastern players were selected in the same draft, and the seventh time in program history.
Vosler, a junior shortstop from West Nyack, New York, was taken by the Cubs with the 469th overall pick.
"As excited as I am to get a chance to play professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs, it is bittersweet because I will have to leave behind my teammates and coaches who have helped me get to this moment of my life," Vosler said after being drafted. "I could not have achieved this goal of mine without the help of all of them. I had the best baseball experience of my life and I couldn't have asked for a better three years than I had at Northeastern."
Vosler started every game for the Huskies this season, helping lead Northeastern to 26 wins, including victories in four of the final six regular-season games to earn a second-consecutive appearance in the CAA playoffs. On the year, the 6'1 shortstop batted .322, with 29 RBI and 24 runs. He registered 81 putouts and 164 assists for a .953 fielding percentage.
"We are extremely excited for Jason and the opportunity the Cubs organization has given him," said Northeastern coach
Mike Glavine. "Jason is a very talented player and one of the hardest-working players our program has seen. He exemplifies what Northeastern baseball is about with a great mixture of talent and blue-collar effort. He earned this moment and we look forward to seeing him in the big leagues someday. Jason is an outstanding young man and we wish him the best of luck."
Impressively, Vosler started 161 of 163 games since arriving at Northeastern, playing in every game since joining the NU program. He holds a career .307 batting average, with 197 hits, 113 RBI, and 93 runs. A sure-handed fielder, he boasts a career .964 fielding average, with 221 putouts and 457 assists over three seasons.
Foster, an All-CAA Third Team selection who started 54 games at second base and made 12 appearances as a relief pitcher this year, was taken by the Astros with the 1,126 overall pick.
"The key to success is having a great support system and good coaches," Foster, a Pickering, Ontario native, said. "I've been blessed with awesome friends, teammates, and coaches along the way. Also, I would like to thank my family members, who have been there for me through every decision I've made, and have supported me from the beginning."
Foster posted a .299 batting average this season, with 66 hits and 36 RBI. He posted a .946 fielding average, with 96 putouts and 147 assists. On the mound, he pitched 18.1 innings of relief over 12 games, with shutout performances in nine of his 12 appearances, and collected two wins and five saves.
"We are excited for Michael after being selected by the Astros," Glavine said. "Michael's talent far outweighs the round he was drafted in. I'm sure he will go out and have a great summer of baseball and be ready for any opportunities presented to him."
The redshirt sophomore appeared in 125 games since arriving on Huntington Avenue, starting all 124 games in which he played in the field. During that span, he compiled a .291 batting average, with 142 hits, 87 runs, and 83 RBI. Foster registered 249 putouts and 331 assists for a .945 career fielding percentage. He made 29 relief-pitching appearances, allowing 40 hits while striking out 46 over 43.2 innings of work. He surrendered just 13 earned runs en route to 11 saves and a 4-2 record.
Vosler and Foster bring the total number of Northeastern players selected in the MLB draft over the last four years to seven. It marks the third time in four years that multiple NU players have been selected in the same draft. In 2012, former teammates Andrew Leenhouts and Jon Leroux had their names called. Leenhouts went in the 23rd round (718 overall) to the San Francisco Giants, while the New York Mets took Leroux in the 32nd round (980 overall). In 2011, three Huskies were selected, including Les Williams (Toronto Blue Jays, 37th round), Brandon McNelis (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 41st round), and Leenhouts (Florida Marlins, 43rd round, elected to return for senior season).
A year ago,
Aaron Barbosa and
Kevin Ferguson continued the trend of Northeastern players earning professional contracts. Barbosa signed a free-agent deal with the Seattle Mariners, while Ferguson inked a free-agent deal with the Houston Astros.
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