Former Colonials outfielder Brendon Kelliher made his professional debut for the Worcester Tornadoes yesterday, going 2-for-5 and scoring one run.
The Tornadoes are part of the eight-team Can-Am League, a professional, independent baseball league based in the northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec.
Kelliher is the third member of the 2011 Colonials to find postseason success on the field, along with pitchers Bobby Lucas, who signed with the Washington Nationals, and Tommy Gately, who signed with the Frontier League’s Windy City Thunderbolts.
Kelliher finished the 2011 regular season as the A-10 leader in home runs with 15 and second in total bases (136). He also led the Colonials in 10 offensive categories, including batting average (.358), slugging percentage (.624), on-base percentage (.431), runs (40), hits (78), RBI (41), total bases (136), home runs (15), walks (26) and stolen bases (11). Kelliher had two separate 11-game hitting streaks and led GW with 22 multiple hit games and 11 multiple RBI games.
He leaves GW as a standout power hitter for the program, ranked sixth all-time in home runs, ninth in RBI, 10th in total bases and 11th in at-bats. Kelliher was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-East Region First Team in June and the A-10 All-Conference First Team in May.