OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY BASEBALL PLAYERS WHO MADE IT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a comprehensive chart of every Old Dominion University alumni who played baseball at Old Dominion University AND made it to the Major League level.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Old Dominion University's first Division I All-American in baseball, Mark Wasinger helped lead ODU to its first NCAA Division I regional bid in 1982. That season Wasinger batted a hefty .412. He was the sixth Monarch player to ever bat over 400 in the school's history." - Old Dominion University. Mark Wasinger Profile. Old Dominion University Website.

Old Dominion University
"Monarchs"

Major League Baseball Player Alumni

1. Denny Riddleberger 1964 - 1966 09-15-1970
2. John Montague 1965 - 1966 09-09-1973
3. Paul Mitchell 1969 - 1971 07-01-1975
4. Mark Wasinger 1980 - 1982 05-27-1986
5. Terry Bell 1981 - 1983 09-03-1986
6. Kevin Bearse 1985 - 1987 04-15-1990
7. Jeff Ware 1989 - 1991 09-02-1995
8. Wayne Gomes 1991 - 1993 06-13-1997
9. Tim Hummel 2000 - 2000 08-26-2003
10. Justin Verlander 2002 - 2004 07-04-2005
11. Daniel Hudson 2006 - 2008 09-04-2009
12. Ryan Yarbrough 2013 - 2014 03-31-2018
13. P.J. Higgins 2013 - 2015 05-19-2021
14. Connor Overton 2012 - 2014 08-12-2021
15. Jared Koenig 2015 - 2015 06-08-2022
16. Vinnie Pasquantino 2017 - 2019 06-28-2022
17. Jared Young 2017 - 2017 09-16-2022
ODU MLB Players | Research by Baseball Almanac
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The Old Dominion University baseball program started in 1931. Denny Riddleberger was the first former Monarch to make it to the Major League level. Names that appear on the chart above in bold print are in the Old Dominion University Hall of Fame.

Did you know that some players return to their college and complete their college education after their time in the major leagues? Here is the entry for Kevin Bearse:

Kevin Bearse Profile

One of the most dominating pitchers in Old Dominion University baseball history. Kevin Bearse, a 6-2 lefthander still owns the sun Belt Conference and Old Dominion all-time strikeout record of 325 in 316 innings.

Bearse compiled a 28-11 career record and topped it off as a sophomore when he was 14-3 with a 2.67 earned run average. That year in 1985, the Monarchs rolled to a 50-11 record and captured the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Bearse was named to BASEBALL AMERICA magazine's third team All-American squad. That season he also fanned a school record 138 batters in 135 plus innings, for a 9.2 strikeout per game average.

Even more impressive is that Bearse walked only 32 batters. He completed 13 of 17 games he started which was a school record when he completed his career.

Bearse also holds the school's mark for strikeouts in a nine inning game with 15 against crosstown rival Norfolk State and Jacksonville in 1987. Bearse earned All-Sun Belt conference honors in 1985 and 1987. After compiling a 9-4 record, he was drafted in 1987 in the 22nd round by Cleveland.

In the summer of 1990, Bearse became the sixth Monarch baseball player to play in the major leagues, playing for Cleveland. He earned his degree in August of 1993 in marketing education.

Source: Old Dominion University.

Did you know that there were seventeen former Old Dominion University ballplayers who made it to the majors? Send updates to Baseball Almanac.