APSU Sports Information
New York, NY – Austin Peay State University alumnus Michael Costanzo, the second pitcher to record 100 strikeouts in a season, was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 31st round of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft, Wednesday.
Costanzo, from Chicago, IL, finished his four-year Austin Peay career with a flourish, posting a 9-2 record and striking out 104 batters in 89.2 innings pitched in 2018.
He became just the second Governors pitcher to record 100 strikeouts in a season and ended the season one shy of tying the program record set by Casey Delgado.
The left-hander was the winning pitcher in one of the Governors most notable games in program history, tossing six innings in a 6-3 victory against nationally-ranked Clemson, May 11th. Costanzo opened the 2018 season with five consecutive victories, including his first career road win at Jacksonville State, March 9th.
Costanzo finished his career with 229 career strikeouts – sixth most in program history – and his 19 career wins were eighth most in program history. All coming in just 37 career starts and 234.1 innings pitched, 13th and 14th most in Governors history, respectively.
One of a record 16 Ohio Valley Conference players selected in the 2018 draft, Costanzo is the 42nd Governors player selected in MLB’s annual draft and the 22nd Austin Peay athlete drafted since the 2007 season.
