After the two-day, 20-round Major League Baseball Amateur Draft finished Monday, Colgan graduate Brandon Cassedy agreed to sign with the Houston Astros as an undrafted rookie free agent. 

Cassedy said he had been in touch with Houston since the latter part of this season. A week before the draft, Astros scout Bobby St. Pierre followed up with Cassedy to get to know him better. 

As the draft unfolded Monday, Cassedy’s agent, Drew Hardee, kept Cassedy updated before eventually letting him know that Houston was interested in signing him once the draft ended. 

Besides giving him the chance to play professional baseball now, Houston also offered Cassedy enough of a signing bonus to make it worthwhile for him to bypass returning to George Mason University for one more season. 

Without it counting against its bonus pool, MLB teams can sign undrafted rookie free agents a maximum of $150,000, which is what Cassedy received. 

“I’m not the person to let an opportunity slip away,” Cassedy said. 

Cassedy next flies to Houston Sunday to sign his contract. Then he will report to the Astros’ spring-training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.  

The George Mason University right-hander was named to the Atlantic 10 first team this season.

In his first season at GMU after transferring from Division III Christopher Newport, Cassedy was second on the team in innings pitched (75) and strikeouts (72) during the regular season. He won back-to-back conference pitcher of the week awards.

Cassedy’s high school and GMU teammate, right-hander Connor Knox, was selected Monday in the 18th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. 

While Cassedy was talking to the Astros, Knox, assuming Cassedy was going back to GMU, initially texted his friend to wish him good luck next season in college. 

After Knox found out Cassedy was signing with Houston, Knox texted back to say, never mind, and that he would now see Cassedy instead in the pro ranks this year. 

As a senior at Colgan in 2022, Cassedy was the Class 6 state baseball player of the year. 

In helping lead the Sharks to two straight state semifinal appearances, Cassedy compiled a 9-1 pitching record, a 0.70 ERA, and 94 strikeouts in 58.1 innings.

He also limited opponents to 22 hits, six earned runs, and a .116 batting average. In addition, he batted .330 to go along with 27 RBI, 32 runs scored, two home runs, nine doubles, and two triples.

Patriot graduate Riley Eikhoff drafted by the Chicago White Sox