June 15, 2005

FISHKILL, N.Y. - University of Rhode Island third baseman Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) signed a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and will be reporting to the organization's Class A New York-Penn League team on Wednesday.

Rainville, who just finished up his senior year with the Rams, was not selected in the Major League Draft last week, but the Devil Rays will give him a chance to play professionally with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York Penn League. The Renegades open their season on June 21 and play until Sept. 8.

"I'm extremely happy for Mike, he was one of the players that was an integral part of rebuilding our program into the Atlantic 10 power that it has become," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said. "I'm excited for him to get the opportunity to play at the next level."

He becomes the second player from the 2005 Atlantic 10 Championship team to be given the chance to play professionally. Teammate Zack Zuercher (Warwick, R.I./Pilgrim) was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round and is currently working out at the team's Jupiter, Fla. spring training complex.

Rainville and Zuercher will give the URI baseball program five players who have played minor league baseball in the last three years, and a few of their teammates could be getting the same opportunity in the next few days.

The 6-foot-0, 200 pound Rainville was a four-year starter for the Rams and earned first-team Atlantic 10 All-Conference honors as a senior. He started all but one of the Rams' 54 games and batted .292 for the season with 36 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs. He was named to the 2004 Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team.

Rainville joins his younger brother Jay in the professional ranks. Jay was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Bishop Hendricken High. Jay Rainville is in his second season playing professionally. He is playing in Wisconsin for the Beloit Snappers of the Class A Midwest League.

Rainville will be the sixth Rhody player to sign a professional contract in the last five years. Former Rhode Island shortstop Mike LaBarbera signed a free agent contract with the Montreal Expos in 2001. In 2003, juniors Reid Willett (21st round, Chicago Cubs) and Jared Trout (28th round, Oakland Athletics) were drafted. Dan Batz was picked in sixth round of the 2005 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Zuercher was taken in the ninth round of this year's draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.