University of Massachusets Athletics
Curreri Signs With Diamondbacks
August 21, 2004 | Baseball
Aug. 21, 2004
AMHERST, Mass. -- UMass sophomore catcher Frank Curreri (Weymouth, Mass.) has signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks after spending two seasons with the Minutemen. Curreri is now playing for the Missoula (Mont.) Osprey of the all-rookie Pioneer League. He has played in two games thus far, going 1-for-5 at the plate. He started at right field on Thursday, Aug. 19, in a 5-1 victory over Idaho Falls. Curreri had a fantastic summer, starring for Yarmouth-Dennis of the Cape Cod League, where he has named an all-star and team MVP of the East Division in the Cape League All-Star Game. He batted a team-best .293 with two homers and 15 RBI, while leading the league with a .432 on-base percentage, en route to helping the team win the Cape League title. Curreri was especially strong in the league playoffs, where he hit .357 with five RBI and had on OBP of .500. Curreri was drafted in the 41st round in the MLB Draft last June, but chose to play in the Cape League with the idea of improving his draft status and returning to UMass. However, his performance drew enough interest from the Diamondbacks to sign him, forcing him to forego his final two seasons behind the plate at UMass. "Frank went from being a 41st-rounder to getting the equivalent of fourth-round bonus money," UMass head coach Mike Stone told The Republican earlier this week. The deal also includes money for college, so it was too good for him to pass up." Curreri, a second-team All-Atlantic 10 and first-team All-New England selection this year, reached base in 41 of UMass' 45 games during the 2004 season, including each of the last 26 consecutive contests. The lefthanded hitter started every UMass contest and finished the year with a team-leading .380 batting average, 54 RBI, a .464 on-base percentage and a .614 slugging percentage. Curreri, a sophomore, also tied for the team lead with seven home runs, and led the squad with 23 extra-base hits including 16 doubles. His RBI total ranks as the fifth-highest single-season figure in school history, as do his 16 doubles. Curreri also participated in the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-Star Game on May 30 at Fenway Park. For his collegiate career, Curreri finished with a .363 batting average including 98 hits in just 82 games. He totaled 36 extra-base hits including 24 doubles and 10 home runs. Curreri also had 81 RBI and 39 walks while striking out just 32 times in 270 at bats. He stole eight bases.
