HARRISBURG, Pa. - Raider baseball alum Nate Starner '06 is in his third full minor-league season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Nate's journey has featured steady advancement through the minor-league ranks, from rookie ball to AA in three years, and the southpaw from nearby Aspers hopes to continue meeting his goal of advancing one level per season.

While traveling on this wonderful journey, one can be assured that every one of Nate's pitches thrown to this point has been laced with the maturity he possessed as a Raider along with a genuine appreciation to be living the dream that so many baseball players cannot achieve. 

After his collegiate career ended with the Raiders in 2006, he began his pro career with 41 strikeouts in 24.2 innings of rookie ball that warranted a promotion to the New York-Penn League. He made three quick appearances that season before getting shut down – compiling 125 strikeouts on the year between Shippensburg, Pulaski and Auburn.

In 2007, Starner spent the entire season with the single-A affiliate of the Blue Jays – the Lansing Lugnuts. Starner led the entire Blue Jays minor league system in strikeouts with 143 through 140 innings and posted a 12-9 record with a 4.43 ERA. Starner started in 28 games for a Lugnut squad that advanced to the playoffs and was a teammate with young outfielder Travis Snider, one of Toronto's top prospects.

After eight starts at Lansing in 2008 in which Starner struck out 45 in 43 innings with a miniscule 1.67 ERA, a promotion placed Nate in Florida with the Dunedin Blue Jays. He concluded his sophomore minor-league campaign out of the bullpen with stellar numbers: 59 innings, 55 strikeouts, a 4-0 record and a 1.11 WHIP ratio. Overall, Starner struck out 100 batters in 102.1 innings of work to complement an outstanding 1.76 ERA.

This year, the journey through the ranks put Starner with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where thus far he has appeared in 12 games and thrown 19.1 innings. Starner is a member of the bullpen with the Double-A Eastern League affiliate and returned to the Keystone State last week during a four-game series in Harrisburg against the Senators.   

Starner did not pitch in the four-game series this past week, but he soaked in the experience of the trip by visiting with multitudes of family and friends at the ballpark each night. Those moments, along with the realization that there are a lot more devastating fastballs and curveballs to be thrown, kept a smile on his face from ear to ear.

In talking with Nate about the minor-league experience, one of his comments summed up the entire journey rather well. “You don't have to wake up early, and you get to play baseball every day,” Starner said.

Thus, a boy's dream still has the chance of becoming a man's reality.

His complete podcast can once again be found here.

Shippensburg University Baseball Bio

Nathan Starner
Senior • 6-2 • 185 • L/L • Pitcher
Aspers, Pa./Biglerville

2006: Named PSAC Western Division Pitcher of the Year … finished the season tied for first in the PSAC in victories after posting an 8-2 record … he also turned in the league's fourth-best ERA  (2.19) and ranked fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.97) ... he is the first Red Raider to be named Pitcher of the Year in Head Coach Bruce Peddie's 11-year tenure … in that span, the team has had had 10 first team pitchers and nine drafted by Major League Baseball teams … Starner has been named to the All-PSAC Western Division team in each of the last three seasons. In 2004, he was chosen All-PSAC Western Division First Team and was a Second Team honoree last season ... he is Shippensburg's first three-time honoree since shortstop Brian Dallas in 1993, 1995 and 1996. Third Team Division II Rawlings All American

2005: Ranked tops on the team in starts with 12 ... recorded six victories ... ranked fourth on the team with a 4.41 ERA ... finished the season with 71 strikeouts, which was second-best on team ... broke Shippensburg record for strikeouts in a seven inning game with 16 against East Stroudsburg on March 26 ... struck out 27 batters in back-to-back starts on March 19 and March 26 ... earned All-PSAC Western Division Second Team honors.

2004: Rotated in the No. 4 slot in the rotation ... also appeared in relief ... posted a 5-1 record with 34 strikeouts ... finished season with a 3.45 ERA ... had seven strikeouts in a start against Eckerd ... named All-PSAC Western Division First Team.

2003: Pitched in four games as a freshman ... totaled four shutout innings against Pittsburgh-Johnstown.

Personal: Born May 29, 1984 ... is the son of Neil and Laura Starner ... majored in management information systems.