Hall of Fame
CRAIG STAMMEN - Baseball 2003-05
Craig Stammen cracked the Dayton baseball records as both a starting pitcher and reliever in three seasons before being drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2005. When Stammen was drafted, he was the UD career record holder in strikeouts (185, now sixth) and the single-season record holder for saves (9 in 2004, now second).
The Versailles, Ohio product is now fourth in career saves (10), tied for sixth in career strikeouts and complete games (11). In single-season categories, he is second in saves, tied for second wins (9 in 2005); tied for fourth in starts (15), tied for sixth in complete games (9 in 2005) and seventh in innings pitched (106.0 in 2005).
As a junior in 2005, Stammen was 9-6 with a team-best 2.80 ERA, and was drafted in the 12th round of the MLB Draft. He was the highest Dayton draft pick at that time, and part of a nine-year run that saw six Flyer pitchers drafted.
Named Academic All-Atlantic 10 in 2005, Stammen continued to work toward his degree until he received it while playing in the majors in 2014. The number of major league baseball players with college degrees is estimated at only 5% of active major leaguers, but earning his degree while playing in the major leagues puts him in rarer company. It is believed that less than 25 players graduated from college while in the big leagues.
Stammen played 13 seasons in the major leagues with Washington and San Diego. This past season, in his first year as a manager at any professional level, he guided the Padres into the National league playoffs.
