Baseball 

Whittier's Vessella Chosen by Houston in MLB Draft
June 12, 2006

WHITTIER, CA -Tom Vessella '07, southpaw pitcher for Whittier College's baseball team, was chosen in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball draft. He was the 339th player selected overall. Drafted by the Houston Astros, Vessella's summer plans are pending negotiations and not yet public.

"I'm extremely excited and ready to start playing professional ball," said Vessella, who had only heard the news an hour earlier. "I'm so thankful for what Whittier College offered me, and I feel that all that time spent, the education and experience I've gained from being there, brought me to this moment today."

This past spring, playing his third consecutive season for Whittier, Vessella posted an 8-2 record with a 1.85 ERA and an impressive 91 strikeouts in 82 innings, while in conference play he was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA. His 2006 season culminated with a host of regional and national honors: named to 1st Team All-SCIAC (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), 1st Team All-Western Region, and 3rd Team All-American. Additionally, he was honored as the Whittier College Purple & Gold Male Team Sports Athlete of the Year.

"I could not be happier for Tom," said Mike Rizzo, Vessella's baseball coach at Whittier. "He deserves it; he worked very hard. We're going to miss having him with the Poet program, but this is the ultimate accomplishment for a college baseball player. We wish him well and look forward to following his career."

The 6' 6", 215lb. Vessella hails from Burbank, California. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks and entered Whittier College to pursue an undergraduate degree with a major in kinesiology and a minor in education.