Former Vikings Fecteau and Riley Reunite in Frontier League
SALEM, Mass. -- Former Salem State baseball standouts, second baseman Richard Fecteau '16 and pitcher Brock Riley '20 returned to campus recently to visit with this year's Vikings' team. Both players will reunite again later this spring in the professional ranks as members of the New York Boulders of the Independent Frontier League.
Fecteau's Salem State career has been well documented. A three-time All-New England selection and Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Rookie and Player of the Year, he holds numerous batting records, including the all-time hits record after leading the Vikings to three MASCAC championships, including three NCAA berths. The 39th pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2016 Major League Baseball amateur draft, Fecteau is preparing for his fifth professional season.
Riley, a two-year player for the Vikings, after stints at Franklin Pierce (Division II) and Maine (Division I) will begin his second season in the Frontier League after signing late last year with Lake Erie. Riley went 7-2 for the Vikings with four saves in 2018, ranking second in the MASCAC in victories while tying for the lead in saves. Winning four games in seven starts a year ago, Riley showed his potential, striking out 61 batters in 51 innings. His 10.76 strikeout ratio ranks seventh all-time for a season at Salem State.
Even though their paths have not crossed on the baseball diamond, their careers have taken each player to familiar destinations. Both Fecteau and Riley were members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), each playing for the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs and the North Shore Navigators while in college. The two players also have ties to the Cape Cod League. Fecteau joined the Hyannis Hawks (2013) while Riley was a member of the Chatham Anglers (2018). Both players were invited to join the Cape Cod League, the premier collegiate summer league after their junior seasons. A rare accomplishment for a Division III player, which makes the feat more remarkable that Salem State produced two such players in five years. To this day, both Fecteau and Riley cite their Cape League signings as one of their proudest baseball moments.
With the exception of Fecteau being taken in the amateur draft, their ascent has been strikingly similar. Both players reference their families as having the biggest influence on their introduction to the game and their desire to continue the pursuit professionally. Fecteau a native of Newbury, credits his father Michael with his success; who continues to spend countless hours to this day working with his son. An early axiom that Fecteau still invokes to this day "Hit the ball in the air" is credited to his father. One that the pupil has taken to heart with obvious distinction.
Riley grew up in Lowell, and was a part of an extended family led by his mother Leah, who he recognizes as having cultivated his baseball dreams. Vitalized by baseball after spending his free time playing the game with family members and taking in Cape Cod League games at Eldredge Park, it was his mother who instilled in him the drive "to work hard", "to be better" to "follow his dreams."
Drafted in 2016, Fecteau quickly moved up the ranks. The following year, he split time in the Arizona Rookie League, the Pioneer Rookie League (Orem Owlz) and the the Midwest League (A) with the Burlington Bees. He hit .316 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI in 68 games and was promoted to Inland Empire (A+) for the 2018 season. Despite a slow start with the 66ers, Fecteau finished strong, including a July line of: .324/.361/.515 that built momentum for the 2019 season. However, it was not to be, as roster movement left Fecteau without a job in the organization the following year.
Not to be deterred and confident in his ability, Fecteau joined the Rockland Boulders of the Can-Am Independent League last season. He led the Boulders in home runs (16) and produced a .375 batting average in a playoff series loss to regular season champion Sussex County.
Riley signed with Lake Erie in July of 2019, starting two games without registering a decision. The experience has helped him prepare for the 2020 season with the now New York Boulders. Learning early on that professional hitters "don't miss your mistakes," he is ready to embrace the opportunity ahead.
A merger this season brought the former Can-Am League teams into a newly formed 16-team Frontier League. It also brought the two former Vikings together, on the same team, with the same dream.
Fecteau, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Movement Science, and Riley who will complete his course credits this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in History, are undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead. Fecteau as a member of the Burlington Bees, once pointed to right field, guaranteeing a home run to impress his brother Andrew, who came to watch in-person for the first time. He connected on the first pitch, brazenly fulfilling his prediction.
That self-assuredness is displayed by both players. Without hesitation, they are committed to the task at hand, as careers outside of baseball are put on hold. Patient and persistent, Fecteau has adapted to the peaks and valleys of professional baseball. Riley, although not as seasoned displays the same attributes.
Finally connecting as teammates, they are similarly focused on the season ahead, the next pitch, the next at-bat. For Fecteau, the Frontier League provides a way back, for Riley another opportunity to accomplish his dream.