Scott Savastano Franklin Pierce Ravens

Despite being in Division II, the Franklin Pierce Ravens are quickly becoming one of the premier college baseball teams in the entire Northeast. Last year the Ravens finished with a 49-11 overall record which included a record breaking 26-4 Northeast-10 mark. Franklin Pierce completed its second-straight championship run (and third in five years) at the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships, captured both the Northeast-10 regular season and tournament crowns for the first time in program history and finished tenth in the final Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll.

FPU was able to achieve such remarkable heights even without their standout infielder, 2006 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year Scott Savastano. Savastano broke his thumb in FPU’s season opener against West Chester which forced the Plymouth, MA native to miss the next 41 Raven contests. He was able to compete in the final eighteen games, finishing with a .357 average, 11 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, home run and 14 RBI and only five strikeouts in 70 at bats. Additionally, Savastano also earned All-Tournament team honors at the Northeast Regional for the second-straight season. Those numbers and accolades were good enough to keep him on the Cleveland Indians’ radar who selected him in the 28th round (857 overall) in last June’s First Year Player Draft. However, just as Savastano did in 2005 when he was chosen in the 33rd round by the Chicago White Sox out of high school, he choose to bypass a chance at professional baseball and continue to play for coach Jayson King’s Ravens.

In 2006, Savastano was named to the NCBWA All-Northeast second team, the Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year and an All-Northeast-10 second team selection. He merited his selections after batting .397 with 22 extra base hits (13 2Bs, 5 3Bs and 4 HR), having more walks than strikeouts (22 to 19) and starting every game as a true freshman.

Savastano is athletic (he was a high school all-star in hockey and football) has great size with his solid 6’3”, 205 pound frame and excellent speed (was 20 for 24 in stolen base opportunities as a freshman). With a return to campus, Baseball America forecasts Savastano as a top five round pick in 2008. Thus, Savastano could become the highest draft choice in school history, surpassing Garrett Olson, who was taken by Minnesota in the fourth round in 2006. However all draft talk and personal goals will be on the backburner as King’s club prepares to defend their conference title and capture their first national baseball championship in ‘08.