Mueller was selected in the 13th round of this month's MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies. After signing with the Rockies Monday evening, he was assigned to the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short-Season Northwest League. The Dust Devils play their home games in Pasco, Wash., 225 miles southeast of Seattle near the Oregon border.
Recchia signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees Sunday after he was not selected in the Draft. He has been assigned to the Staten Island Yankees of the Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League. Recchia is the first Panther to sign as a free agent since Chris Martin in 2001. Martin was also picked up by the Yankees after the Draft.
“I really just wanted to get out and play,” Mueller said. “Going back to school didn't interest me as much as starting my pro career. I didn't really talk to the Rockies too much. So it was a bit of a surprise that they picked me because I thought it would be a few different teams. But overall I'm happy with the situation.”
“It was just that time; I felt the time was right to move up and pursue my career and my dream,” Recchia said. “During the Draft, it didn't go the way I wanted it to. Afterwards I was asked who I'd like to play for and I just said 'the Yankees, why not.' And it just so happened that it was the Yankees that offered after the draft. It's my first time in New York. You can see the Statue of Liberty from the outfield of our field. I can't wait to get out there and see the field and the view.”
“We're excited for both of them,” EIU head coach
Jim Schmitz said. “What they did for our program was help get us back to where we were – winning championships. I thanked both of them for doing what they did on the mound and the impressive numbers that they put up. Pro ball can be a long road and we wish them well. We've had a nice run of developing pro-caliber players the last few seasons.”
Mueller and Recchia were both three-year members of the EIU weekend rotation, helping lead the Panthers to the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title and 2009 regular-season conference championship. In 2010, they both ranked among the top three in the OVC in strikeouts and batting average against. Their 165 combined strikeouts in 2010 represent the most by a pair of teammates in program history. Both right-handers finished their careers among the EIU all-time Top 10 in Ks.
Mueller and Recchia both won eight games in 2009. Mueller finished his EIU career with a 17-10 record, while Recchia was 16-9.
Mueller and the Dust Devils open their season this weekend with a three-game series at the Spokane Indians (a Texas Rangers affiliate). Mueller is expected be a teammate of former Eastern Kentucky third baseman Jayson Langfels, who was selected by the Rockies in the 16th round, and Mark Tracy, the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy.
Tri-City won the four-team Eastern Division of the Northwest League in 2009. Eleven players from the 2009 team are expected to return this summer. Among those returning players is Dominic Altobelli, a 2009 draft pick out of the University of Illinois.
Recchia and Staten Island open their season this weekend with a home-and-away series against the Brooklyn Cyclones (a New York Mets affiliate). The Staten Island Yankees play their home games at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on the northern tip of Staten Island. The ballpark's seating offers a view of the Manhattan skyline as well as the Statue of Liberty.
Staten Island won the 2009 New York-Penn League championship.
Mueller was the highest EIU right-handed pitcher selected since Bobby Castelli went in the fourth round of the 1998 Draft to the Montreal Expos.
Dating back to the 2007 Draft, six EIU players have now signed contracts with MLB organizations.
