NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Iona College baseball graduate RHP Mariano Rivera was was selected by the Washington Nationals as the 134th pick overall in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft Tuesday afternoon. Rivera is the 25th different Iona player to be selected in the draft since its inception in 1965. He is the fourth highest draft pick in school history.

After being selected by the New York Yankees in the 29th round, 872th pick during the 2014 Draft, Rivera returned to the Gaels and significantly improved his draft stock. Rivera was named the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year on May 19. Rivera was also named to the All-MAAC First Team and led the MAAC in strikeouts during the 2015 season recording an Iona single-season record 113. He posted a dominating 11.96 strikeout per game mark and 12.87 strikeouts per game in conference play. The right hander earned five wins and a 2.65 ERA and while his ERA in MAAC play was a stingy 1.81. He held opposing batters to a .211 average against him overall and kept conference hitters south of a .155. Rivera threw six complete games, one shy of the Iona record and led the MAAC with three shutouts in 85.0 innings pitched. He was a three-time recipient of the MAAC's Pitcher of the Week Award.

Prior to Rivera's two selections, the last Iona player drafted was former IF/OF Chris Burke in 2012. Burke was the 555th pick in the 18th round by the San Diego Padres. Prior to Burke, former catcher and assistant coach James LaSala was the 1,331th pick (44th round) by the New York Yankees in 2006.

Iona has had four players appear in a major league game, all pitchers including current Chicago Cubs reliever Jason Motte. Prior to joining the Cubs for the 2015 season, Motte was a member of the 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. He recorded the final out of the series to lead the Cardinals to the title. LHP Mike Bertotti appeared in 28 games for the Chicago White Sox from 1995-97. Kansas City Royals' Hall of Fame starter RHP Dennis Leonard is the most prolific major league performer having appeared in 312 games and 302 starts from 1974-86. Leonard won 20 games in three seasons, 1977, 1978 and 1980 and was the first Iona performer to appear in a World Series game. Iona's first ever major leaguer was RHP Vito Valentinetti, a five-year veteran that played for five different teams from 1954-1959.

Iona has now had eight players selected in the first 10 rounds. The last was Novinsky in 2000, picked by the Cardinals with the 263rd pick in the ninth round. Leonard was picked by the Royals in round two with the 42nd pick in 1972 and was the highest ever selected Gael.