FGCU鈥檚 Bleier headed for the ASUN Hall of Fame
FORT MYERS, Fla. (BVM) — The Atlantic Sun Conference continues to churn out big league pitching talent with names like Corey Kluber, Chris Sale and Jacob DeGrom all hailing from the ASUN. Likewise, all of these MLB stars are in the conference hall of fame. Now, another major-leaguer and Florida Gulf Coast alum, Richard Bleier, will join them there.
Bleier will be inducted and remembered for his time with the Eagles from 2006-08. During that time, the southpaw was a first team All-ASUN selection and FGCU鈥檚 first-ever ASUN Pitcher of the Year during his junior year. In that season, Bleier posted a 7-1 record with a 2.09 ERA and 76 strikeouts.聽
His freshman and sophomore seasons were impressive as well, though, as Bleier dominated on the hill from the get-go. Through three seasons, the lefty went 17-4 with an overall 2.70 ERA, striking out 181 batters. His ERA is fourth-best in FGCU history.聽
In the MLB, Bleier has been more than serviceable for whatever bullpen he鈥檚 been a part of. In six years of work, he holds an 11-2 record with a sub-3.00 ERA at 2.92. His talents were recognized internationally as well, playing for the Israel National Team in 2013 thanks to his Jewish heritage.聽
Bleier will be the most recent ASUN pitcher inducted into its hall of fame, but with its history for developing aces, he likely won鈥檛 be the last.
