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HomeSportsAPSU Baseball has Two Alumni on Major League Baseball Opening Day Rosters

APSU Baseball has Two Alumni on Major League Baseball Opening Day Rosters

APSU Sports Information

APSU BaseballClarksville, TN – A.J. Ellis and Shawn Kelley, Austin Peay State University baseball alumni, each are a member of 2018 Opening Day Rosters for the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals, respectively, as the Major League Baseball season begins, Thursday.

APSU Baseball alumni A.J. Ellis and Shawn Kelley are on Major League Baseball Opening Day Rosters. (APSU Sports Information)

Ellis, a 2003 Austin Peay graduate and a four-time first-team All-OVC selection while with the Governors, turned a non-roster invitation into a spot on the San Diego opening day roster, the Padres announced Wednesday night.

Ellis, who began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will begin his 11th major league season with his fourth different ball club.

Kelley, a 2007 graduate and the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, will begin his 10th season in the majors and third with the Washington Nationals. He made 33 appearances during an injury-shortened 2017 campaign, a year after he made a career-high 67 appearances and recorded seven saves in the 2016 season.

Since his return to the majors in 2012, Kelley ranks 54th in total appearances (316) and ranks 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.10) among pitchers with 250 innings since 2012.

In addition to Ellis and Kelley, six Governors alumni will begin play in the affiliated minor leagues over the next two weeks and four APSU alumni will start their seasons playing in independent leagues. A complete list of Governors alumni playing professional baseball is available on LetsGoPeay.com’s baseball site.

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