Baseball Southern Conference

UNCG's Cable Drafted

Taft Cable, the two-time All-Southern Conference relief pitcher, was selected in the eighth round of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft by Philadelphia June 5.

A junior of Brown Summit, NC, Cable was the 230th selection overall and UNCG's second-highest pick ever. Brian Moehler, now a fifth-year major leaguer, was chosen in the sixth round by Detroit in 1993.

He was the Phillies' sixth pick, behind four high school players and another college junior. Cable said he has been told that if he signs he would likely play a closer role for Batavia in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League, which opens its season June 19. He would report within the next week. Moehler started his pro career with Oneonta in that league. "I wanted to go in the top five rounds, but the Phillies lost two picks (second and third rounds) to free agent deals," he said. "If those picks had not been lost I'd have been a fifth- or sixth-round pick. I'm pretty excited about going as high as I did."

"The Phillies are a great team. This year they're having a great season, contending. They have some older guys in their (bull) pen. Maybe that's a good opportunity for me." The righthander was 5-2 with a 2.50 ERA and nine saves this spring while helping the Spartans to a 31-28 record and a runner-up finish in the Southern Conference Tournament.

Cable was 20-9 in three seasons with 206 strikeouts and 14 saves -- second on the team's all-time list. He was the top reliever in the Cape Cod League last summer. The Northeast Guilford H.S. product needs to complete three full semesters in order to earn his bachelor's degree. He is a business major.

"I'm very thankful for my experience at UNCG," Cable said. "It has been very positive. I think I'm ready to play professionally because the things I've learned have helped me immensely as I work toward a goal of becoming a pro pitcher."