WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's Zac Fascia and Calvin Starnes are moving on to professional baseball after signing as minor league free agents with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees organizations.
Fascia was a three-year starting catcher for the Boilermakers and graduated in May with a degree in global studies. A right-handed pitcher with a big fastball, Starnes was a member of the program during the 2020-21 school year after transferring in from Northwest Florida State College.
After being 40 rounds for more than 50 years, the MLB Draft was reduced to 20 rounds this year and moved to July to coincide with MLB's All-Star Break. The 2020 MLB Draft featured only five rounds. That has led to more free-agent signings following the draft.
The six-team MLB Draft League was also formed for 2021, playing its schedule from May 24 to Aug. 13. Fascia played for the Fredrick Keyes in the MLB Draft League this summer, batting .359 with 13 RBI and a .447 on-base percentage while striking out just once in 39 at-bats. Players returning to college, like incoming Boilermaker Curtis Washington Jr., were also eligible to play in the MLB Draft League.
Fascia was previously drafted by the New York Mets in the 37th round of the 2018 MLB Draft after his sophomore season at Indian Hills College in Iowa. He opted to instead fulfill his commitment to Purdue and join the program in August of that year.
Brad Schreiber (2010-13) was the last Boilermaker to sign as a minor league free agent while still part of Purdue's active roster. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2013 after his redshirt junior season. Schreiber went on to become a 2015 MiLB.com organizational all-star as a reliever at the High-A and Double-A levels. Kyle Johnson (2013-16) signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Yankees in the summer of 2016 after closing out his career as a four-year starter in center field. He became a pitcher in pro ball after making just a few relief appearances as a Boilermaker. Robert Ramer (2010-13) also signed as a minor league free agent with the San Francisco Giants in June 2014 after a strong showing with the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League in the summer of 2013 and spring of 2014.
Minor League Baseball's new-look rookie leagues feature teams playing games at the organization's spring training facilities in Arizona and Florida. Fascia and Starnes are likely to begin their pro careers there. Fascia was headed to Cleveland's Arizona Complex League team in Goodyear. The Yankees' Florida Complex League team is based in Tampa.
Fascia was Purdue's offensive player of the year in 2019 and Mr. Boilermaker award (positive attitude) recipient as a fifth-year senior this spring. He was the program's Opening Day catcher all three years and also represented Purdue on the Buster Posey Award watch list every season. Fascia started 102 of the team's 110 games from 2019 to 2021 and was the first Boilermaker since current big leaguer Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) to be a three-year starter as a full-time catcher. He was well respected as a good teammate and for the work he put in with the pitching staff.
Starnes pitched in 10 games during the abbreviated 42-game campaign, surrendering just four hits in 9 1/3 innings. He started game No. 3 of neutral-site series vs. Michigan the second weekend of the season and closed out the April 19 win at Illinois that capped Purdue's 4-0 sweep of the Champaign pod weekend. He also recorded five outs without allowing a run in his relief appearances against Nebraska and Iowa.
Starnes was pitching in the Grand Park League this summer. He was selected as an all-star for the Turf Monsters, sporting an average fastball velocity of 92.2 mph, which ranked among the top five in the league.
With Fascia and Starnes becoming professionals, Purdue has 10 alumni playing pro ball this summer.
Fascia was a three-year starting catcher for the Boilermakers and graduated in May with a degree in global studies. A right-handed pitcher with a big fastball, Starnes was a member of the program during the 2020-21 school year after transferring in from Northwest Florida State College.
After being 40 rounds for more than 50 years, the MLB Draft was reduced to 20 rounds this year and moved to July to coincide with MLB's All-Star Break. The 2020 MLB Draft featured only five rounds. That has led to more free-agent signings following the draft.
The six-team MLB Draft League was also formed for 2021, playing its schedule from May 24 to Aug. 13. Fascia played for the Fredrick Keyes in the MLB Draft League this summer, batting .359 with 13 RBI and a .447 on-base percentage while striking out just once in 39 at-bats. Players returning to college, like incoming Boilermaker Curtis Washington Jr., were also eligible to play in the MLB Draft League.
Fascia was previously drafted by the New York Mets in the 37th round of the 2018 MLB Draft after his sophomore season at Indian Hills College in Iowa. He opted to instead fulfill his commitment to Purdue and join the program in August of that year.
Brad Schreiber (2010-13) was the last Boilermaker to sign as a minor league free agent while still part of Purdue's active roster. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2013 after his redshirt junior season. Schreiber went on to become a 2015 MiLB.com organizational all-star as a reliever at the High-A and Double-A levels. Kyle Johnson (2013-16) signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Yankees in the summer of 2016 after closing out his career as a four-year starter in center field. He became a pitcher in pro ball after making just a few relief appearances as a Boilermaker. Robert Ramer (2010-13) also signed as a minor league free agent with the San Francisco Giants in June 2014 after a strong showing with the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League in the summer of 2013 and spring of 2014.
Minor League Baseball's new-look rookie leagues feature teams playing games at the organization's spring training facilities in Arizona and Florida. Fascia and Starnes are likely to begin their pro careers there. Fascia was headed to Cleveland's Arizona Complex League team in Goodyear. The Yankees' Florida Complex League team is based in Tampa.
Fascia was Purdue's offensive player of the year in 2019 and Mr. Boilermaker award (positive attitude) recipient as a fifth-year senior this spring. He was the program's Opening Day catcher all three years and also represented Purdue on the Buster Posey Award watch list every season. Fascia started 102 of the team's 110 games from 2019 to 2021 and was the first Boilermaker since current big leaguer Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) to be a three-year starter as a full-time catcher. He was well respected as a good teammate and for the work he put in with the pitching staff.
Starnes pitched in 10 games during the abbreviated 42-game campaign, surrendering just four hits in 9 1/3 innings. He started game No. 3 of neutral-site series vs. Michigan the second weekend of the season and closed out the April 19 win at Illinois that capped Purdue's 4-0 sweep of the Champaign pod weekend. He also recorded five outs without allowing a run in his relief appearances against Nebraska and Iowa.
Starnes was pitching in the Grand Park League this summer. He was selected as an all-star for the Turf Monsters, sporting an average fastball velocity of 92.2 mph, which ranked among the top five in the league.
With Fascia and Starnes becoming professionals, Purdue has 10 alumni playing pro ball this summer.