Rhode Island
Three Rhode Islanders were taken in Monday’s MLB draft. Who were they? Some aces with familiar faces.
Day 2 of the Major League Baseball draft doesn’t quite draw the attention that Day 1 does, but Monday ended up being a special one for three Rhode Island pitchers.
Middletown’s Ryan Andrade, North Providence’s Nick Conte and Coventry’s Jayden Voelker were all selected out of their respective colleges on Monday afternoon between picks 216 and 246, giving them a chance to chase a goal every baseball player dreams about.
Andrade, a 6-foot-2 right-hander, was first off the board, being drafted in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 216th overall pick.
After helping lead Middletown to the 2021 Division II title — earning first-team All-State honors along the way — Andrade went on to pitch at the University of Rhode Island for two years. He entered the transfer portal and was heavily recruited by power five conferences before ending up at the University of Pittsburgh.
Andrade was the Panthers’ top pitcher this past spring and earned an invite to the MLB Combine, where he shined in front of scouts. Baseball America reported his fastball averaged 93 mph and topped at 95 and had a high spin rate on his pitches as well.
Ten picks after Andrade was drafted, Conte — also a pitcher — was taken, snatched up by the Kansas City Royals with the second pick of the eighth round.
Conte, a 5-10 righthander, starred at North Providence and after a terrific junior season. He was primed for an All-State season in his senior year but COVID robbed him of the chance to play his final year for the Cougars.
The summer prior to his senior year, Conte added 25 pounds to his frame and went from throwing high 80s to the mid-90s. His recruiting went big time after some showcase performances and he went to Duke University. There, he ended up being the closer for the Blue Devils and helped them win the ACC championship his freshman season in 2021.
Conte continued to shine as a reliever at Duke. This past spring he appeared in 20 games, throwing 18⅓ innings while striking out 23. Over his Duke career, Conte held opponents to a .209 batting average.
Later in the eighth round, it was Voelker’s turn, drafted by the Rays with the 246th overall pick.
Voelker didn’t waste time in creating a name for himself at Coventry. He was one of the state’s best pitchers during his freshman season, earning first-team All-State honors in 2018. After making the second team during his sophomore year — then missing junior year after COVID wiped out the season — Voelker earned another first-team selection for his work as a first baseman for the Oakers.
Voelker, a 6-foot-5 righthander, went to Northern Essex Community College and immediately dominated. His first season he posted a 5-1 record with a 1.80 ERA, striking out 49 batters in 30 innings. A wrist injury cost him his 2023 season, but he bounced back with a wildly impressive season to put himself on MLB teams’ radars.
This past spring Voelker was named the 2024 NJCAA Division III Baseball Pitcher of the Year. He went 8-2, striking out 126 batters in only 61 innings of work. His 126 Ks and 18.69 strikeouts per game led the country.
Vigil in Lippitt Park for victims of mass shooting at Brown University
See the Dec. 14, 2025 vigil in Lippitt Park following the mass shooting at Brown University.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, along with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and others, announced Dec. 14 that they were releasing the person of interest originally detained for the mass shooting at Brown University.
Neronha said that tips “led to us detaining a person of interest,” but that the evidence “now points in a different direction.”
“We have a murderer out there, frankly,” Neronha said.
As attorney general, Neronha and his office will play a large role in the investigation over the shooting. Here’s what to know about the top legal official in Rhode Island.
Who is Peter Neronha?
Neronha is Rhode Island’s 74th attorney general. He was sworn in on Nov. 6, 2018.
As attorney general, Neronha leads an office that “prosecutes criminal cases; represents state agencies, departments and commissions in litigation; initiates legal action when necessary to protect the interests of Rhode Islanders; and oversees the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation,” according to his office.
Previously, Neronha was the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 2009 to 2017. He was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
He began his career in public service as a Rhode Island Special Assistant Attorney General in 1996. He was later appointed Assisted Attorney General, and then joined United States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2002.
Neronha is a fourth generation native of Jamestown, Rhode Island. He has undergraduate and law degrees from Boston College.
Neronha’s relationship to Trump
During President Donald Trump’s second term, Neronha has sued the president and his administration over 40 times.
Some of the lawsuits that he has co-led include ones over withheld education funds and the dismantling of federal agencies like Health and Human Services and those that support public libraries and museums.
Neronha often criticizes the president in his lawsuits. In a press release announcing a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration Nov. 25 for reducing grant funds for projects that could help people experiencing homelessness, Neronha said that the administration continues to “punch down” on vulnerable Americans.
“The President and his Administration don’t care about making life easier or better for Americans; they only care about political capitulation, consolidating power, and further enriching the wealthy,” he said.
In a press conference earlier this year, Neronha said that he sues the Trump administration when the president has broken the law, when Americans have been harmed and when they have the legal standing to bring an action against the administration.
While it’s unclear if Trump has ever commented on Neronha specifically, he has often attacked judges who have tried to block his policies.
The Rhode Island Blood Center is asking for donations after the fatal shooting at Brown University on Saturday.
Several donor centers have extended hours available as they respond to the emergency.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Anyone interested can sign up for an appointment on the organization’s website.
PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Blood Center’s blood supply was low before Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University, and it is immediately stepping up blood drives to meet the need, an official said Sunday.
“We were definitely dealing with some issues with inventory going into the incident,” Executive Director of Blood Operations Nicole Pineault said.
The supply was especially low for Type 0 positive and negative, which are often needed for mass casualty incidents, she said. Type 0 negative is considered the “universal” red blood donor, because it can be safely given to patients of any blood type.
Pineault attributed the low supply to weather, illness, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. With more people working from home, blood drives at office buildings are smaller, and young people — including college students — are not donating blood at the same rate as they did in the past, she said.
“There are a lot challenges,” she said.
But people can help by donating blood this week, Pineault said, suggesting they go to ribc.org or contact the Rhode Island Blood Center at (401) 453-8383 or (800) 283-8385.
The donor room at 405 Promenade St. in Providence is open seven days a week, Pineault said. Blood drives were already scheduled for this week at South Street Landing in Providence and at Brown Physicians, and the blood center is looking to add more blood drives in the Providence area this week, she said.
“It breaks my heart,” Pineault said of the shooting. “It’s a terrible tragedy. We run blood dives regularly on the Brown campus. Our heart goes out to all of the victims and the staff. We want to work with them to get the victims what they need.”
She said she cannot recall a similar mass shooting in Rhode Island.
“In moments of tragedy, it’s a reminder to the community how important the blood supply really is,” Pineault said. “It’s an easy way to give back, to help your neighbors, and be ready in unfortunate situations like this.”
The Rhode Island Blood Center has donor centers in Providence, Warwick, Middletown, Narragansett, and Woonsocket, and it has mobile blood drives, she noted.
On Sunday, the center’s website said “Donors urgently needed. Hours extended at some donor centers, 12/14.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Evacuations ordered in 3 south Seattle suburbs after levee fails after week of heavy rain
The best things to do this week in San Diego: Dec. 15-19
Wauwatosa West rises in area boys basketball rankings with team of the week nod
Security tightened for Hanukkah celebrations across metro Atlanta after Sydney mass shooting
ICE agents clash with dozens of residents in streets of South Minneapolis
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Rob Reiner and His Wife Are Found Dead in Their Los Angeles Home
Biden officials go silent when asked about Afghan refugee program after guardsmen shooting
South Korea indicts ex-leader Yoon over power plot provoking North
BBC Verify: Videos show impact of mass drone attacks launched by Ukraine and Russia
Bill and Hillary Clinton’s Stance on Epstein Testimony Nov. 3
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington6 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Iowa2 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World1 week ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
