A Glimpse at Harvard Baseball Alumni On the Road to the Show

Life after Harvard—it’s a goal that many students invest time, resources, and energy into pursuing. The future is an exciting unknown. The possibilities of what it holds can drive students through problem sets, finals, and everything in between.

From all over the world, young people come here to learn. And all over the world, graduates scatter to use new knowledge in the best ways possible.

For 10 former Crimson baseball players, life after Harvard has led to the same place—professional baseball. As the alumni take to diamonds around the globe, they are not only bolstering the Crimson name but also following dreams that, for some, date back to early childhood.

“Harvard definitely is a place that promotes excellence in whatever you do,” said former Crimson infielder Jake McGuiggan. “Just being able to be around so many people, not only students and professors but also other athletes that were striving to be the best at what they did, really gave me the mindset to try to get better at baseball and work harder to get to the next level once I was out of school.”

BRENT SUTER ’12

Brent Suter, a left-handed pitcher from Cincinnati, earned first team All-Ivy honors during his senior year at Harvard. Thanks to that performance, Suter was drafted in the 31st round of the 2012 Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 27-year-old made his major league debut on Aug. 19, 2016, at Safeco Field in Seattle. He is the only former Crimson player currently on an MLB team’s 40-man roster. Suter completed the 2016 season with a 3.32 ERA in 14 appearances with the Brew Crew. In 2017, he has made three appearances out of the Milwaukee bullpen.

NICK GRUENER

After arriving at Harvard in the fall of 2013 out of Miami Palmetto High School, right-hander Nick Gruener spent three seasons with the Crimson before he was drafted last June in the 22nd round of the MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

“I decided I would stay for the fall semester, and then take the spring semester off to come play,” Gruener said. “I’ll come back and graduate in the fall. It’s been a pretty awesome experience living out the whole boyhood dream.”

The righty recorded a combined ERA of 4.28 during his time at Harvard, with a career best of 2.76 last season as a member of Harvard’s “Two Aces” starting rotation. Gruener posted 122 total strikeouts in his three seasons, 49 of which came during his junior campaign. His performance on the mound earned him a second-team All-Ivy selection.

“I think what Harvard taught me in general is just how to have an open mind about everything,” Gruener said. “That’s probably the number-one thing that everyone learns there because there are students coming from all around the country and all around the world. It was the same way when I came into the program with the Orioles.”

TANNER ANDERSON ’15

Tanner Anderson came to Cambridge from Tampa, Fla. While playing for the Crimson, the right-handed pitcher posted a combined ERA of 5.41 and struck out 59 total batters. Despite his stats not jumping off the page, Anderson earned second-team all-Ivy honors after his sophomore season.The righty was selected in the 20th round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Since entering the professional ranks, Anderson has played on four minor league teams. The Harvard alumnus has posted a combined ERA of 3.39 in 51 games. Anderson began his 2017 campaign with the Altoona Curve, the Pirates’ Double-A affiliate. In his first start of the season, he scattered five hits and one run over five innings of work.

SHAWN HAVILAND ’08

Shawn Haviland’s time at Harvard came to a close almost a decade ago, as the right-handed pitcher was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2008 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. While pitching for the Crimson in 2006, the Farmington, Conn., native was the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year.

Since entering the next stage of his career, Haviland has been on eight minor league rosters in eight seasons. The right-hander has worked his way through the ranks to the Triple-A level, where he has spent the last three seasons performing. Haviland is currently pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Boston Red Sox’s affiliate.

SEAN POPPEN ’16

After putting on his Harvard jersey for the final time last spring, right-handed pitcher Sean Poppen graduated with a degree in chemistry and physics. During his time with the Crimson, the Chesapeake, Va. native totaled an ERA of 4.39 in 39 appearances and recorded 175 strikeouts. He ranked fourth in the Ivy League with 47 strikeouts after the 2016 season.

Poppen was selected in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. He is currently furthering his baseball career at the Single-A level with the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League. Poppen maintained an ERA of 2.70, while striking out 57 batters last season.

FRANK HERRMANN ’06

A right-handed pitcher out of Rutherford, N.J., Herrmann was an honorable mention for All-American in 2005. He signed with the Cleveland Indians the following year.

The former Crimson standout spent four season pitching in the minor leagues, before making his major league debut in June of 2010. Herrmann then pitched three seasons with the Indians and spent last summer with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Herrmann will be taking the mound in Japan this year, as he signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in November. This season will mark the first for the 32-year-old in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

MIKE MARTIN ’15

Outfielder Mike Martin ’15 was selected for All-Ivy honors three times while playing in a Crimson uniform. In his senior season, the Buffalo Grove, Ill., native hit .301, stole 19 bases, and scored 30 runs.

Martin was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. The former Harvard standout is now playing Single-A ball for the Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League, where he may have the opportunity to face his former teammate Gruener. Martin has recorded close to 200 at-bats over the past two summers and hit .298 on the 2016 season. The centerfielder led the Snappers with a .372 on-base percentage and drove in 20 runs.

JAKE McGUIGGAN ’14-’15

Jake McGuiggan received two All-Ivy selections during his career with the Crimson and was a captain as a senior. The Hingham, Mass., native hit .347 with 26 RBIs in that final year and was the steadiest contributor in a loaded Harvard lineup. Following his time in Cambridge, McGuiggan has since played in both the Canadian-American Association and the Atlantic League.

McGuiggan hit .219 in 2016 as a member of the New Britain Bees. The middle infielder appeared in 56 games and posted 43 hits and 31 RBIs.

“I’m heading down to New Britain this week to join the team again for my second season with the Bees and my third season overall,” McGuiggan said. “Playing at the Division I level gave me the confidence as a ballplayer where I knew I might have the skills to play at the next level.”

DANNY MOSKOVITS ’13-’14

Right-handed pitcher Danny Moskovits came to Cambridge from Newport Beach, Calif. Beginning in 2014, Moskovits pitched in the Canadian-American Association through last season.

The righty saw action in 22 games during the 2016 season on the rosters of two Independent League teams. Moskovits started 16 games, pitching for the Sussex County Miners and the Laredo Lemurs. He recorded 46 strikeouts in 96.2 innings, with an ERA of 6.24.

ERIC EADINGTON ’10-’11

Left-handed pitcher Eadington signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent after graduating from Harvard in 2011. The Corona Del Mar, Calif., native pitched for five minor league teams over the course of five seasons, before joining an independent league last year.

Eadington worked his way back from his second Tommy John surgery to pitch for the Gary Southshore Railcats and Winnipeg Goldeyes last season. The former Crimson pitcher had nine saves in 47 innings and fanned 66 total batters.