Piazza Signs with Los Angeles Angels

June 17, 2009

Mike Piazza has signed with the Los Angeles Angels' organization. Photo by Richard Flutie.

MELBOURNE, Fla. (Baseball) – For the first time since 2007, a Florida Tech baseball player has signed with a Major League team to continue his baseball career. Former starting right-hander Mike Piazza signed a free agent contract with the Anaheim Angels organization Tuesday night.

“I’m really excited to be able to continue my career,” Piazza said. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to my whole life. I feel very blessed for the opportunity to play pro ball and I’m very grateful for all the people who have helped me get there, especially everyone at Florida Tech.”

A 6-4, 205-pound pitcher from Pt. Saint Lucie, Piazza will be leaving Thursday for Arizona for two days of training, then flying to Orem, Utah Saturday to play for the Oram Owlz which is their short season A team. He is expected to play out the year with them.

Piazza just wrapped up a successful career with the Panthers, finishing with a 20-11 overall record. As a senior, Piazza was voted Florida Tech’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, graduating with honors just a month ago. He capped off the 2009 season with a 3.73 ERA in 14 starts and 94 total innings. He threw one complete game shutout, earning Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Week honors that week. He also issued 78 strikeouts on the year to rank ninth in the SSC, pitching two double-digit strikeout games this season.

In addition to what he accomplished this year, Piazza helped lead the Panthers to the NCAA South Regional in 2008 for the first time in 16 years. After last year’s athletic banquet he pitched perhaps the biggest game of his career, throwing for seven innings in game two against Lynn, earning the win and putting the Panthers in position to make a postseason appearance.

“We’re very proud of Mike and happy for him that he will get the chance to continue to chase his dream of playing professional baseball,” said Florida Tech head coach Greg Berkemeier. “We wish him all the best.”

Piazza joins recent Panther signees Steve Condatta (2007) and Jonathan Baksh (2006) who also continued their playing days in professional baseball.