Mike Rucci (above), of Rowan University in New Jersey, was the first and only three-time Coastal Plain League All-Star and named to the CPL All-Decade Team while playing for Outer Banks (2002-04).
The Outer Banks Daredevils Baseball Club has had plenty of representation when it comes to professional baseball. More than 15 players who have wore a Daredevils jersey have been drafted to play in the pros in less than two years. Some of those players include:
2007 Major League Baseball Draft: Brandon Waring - Cincinnati ('07 Daredevils), Ryan Eigsti - Kansas City ('07), Zach Sterner - Philadelphia ('07), Gerard Breslin - Philadelphia ('06), Caleb Mangum - Philadelphia ('05), Mike Folli - St. Louis ('06-'07), Cole McCurry - Baltimore ('07).
2008 Major League Baseball Draft: Ryan Kulik - 8th round ('06 Daredevils), Shawn Griffin - 20th round ('07), Tyler Trice - 21st round ('05), Pat Kantakevich - 22nd round ('06), Tommy Johnson - 27th round ('06), Colin Brennan - 34th round ('07), Tyler Howe - 41st round ('07), Ryan Danbury - 42nd round ('07), Tim Smith - 42nd round ('07).
In addition, the Coastal Plain League has had 22 of its former players debut on a Major League team since 1997. The list includes MLB All-Stars Kevin Youkilis, Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman and Ty Wigginton. The Daredevils have had two of its former stars play in the majors in Sam Narron (Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers) and Justin Maxwell (Washington Nationals).
More Daredevils alumni facts: Two Outer Banks players, Marshall Hubbard and Mike Rucci (in above photo of 2002 Petitt Cup championship team), are on the CPL All-Decade Team. Rucci, out of Rowan University, was a three-time CPL All-Star. Hubbard is now playing Double A ball for the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, an affiliate of MLB's Seattle Mariners. Hubbard was drafted by Seattle in the eighth round in 2004. Both players highlighted the Daredevils' back-to-back Petitt Cup championships in 2002-03.
Fifty-one Daredevils have signed with MLB teams since 1997 and 112 CPL players signed in 2008 alone.
