Jonathan Ellis, Chip Cannon, The Citadel
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Citadel pitcher Jonathan Ellis and first baseman Chip Cannon were each selected on the first day of the Major League Baseball amateur draft.
Ellis, a righthander, was the first SoCon player drafted, selected in the sixth round by the San Diego Padres. Ellis led the SoCon in 2004 with a 12-3 record, a 2.18 earned run average, and 131 strkeouts. He was selected first team All-SoCon and was the co-Pitcher of the Year by the SoCon media.
Cannon, a first baseman who also pitched for the Bulldogs, hit .358 in 2004 while topping the conference with a league-record 71 walks, a .514 on-base percentage, and 66 RBI. Cannon was picked in the eighth round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Cannon was a first team All-Southern Conference pick this spring.
Brian Akin, Davidson
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Davidson senior pitcher Brian Akin was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round with the 418th overall pick of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Monday afternoon. The selection is the highest for a Wildcat since shortstop Robert Eenhoorn was taken in the second round of the 1990 draft by the New York Yankees.
Akin, a native of Louisville, Ky., posted a terrific senior season at Division I Davidson College, located just north of Charlotte, N.C. The 6-3, 200-pound right-hander went 8-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 101.0 innings on the mound. Opponents managed to hit just .239 against him, the fourth lowest mark in the Southern Conference. Both his ERA and strikeout total ranked fourth in the league as well.
Three times Akin struck out at least 10 batters in a game this year, including a season-high 11 against Georgetown to open the season and again versus SoCon power UNC Greensboro. He capped his career by hurling a complete-game, 5-2 victory in the Southern Conference Tournament against second-seeded Georgia Southern, Davidson's first victory in the tournament in 10 years.
Akin was named to the All-Southern Conference second team and also selected as the league's pitcher of the week once. He was the third Southern Conference player taken in the draft, after Jonathan Ellis in the sixth round and Chip Cannon in the eighth round, both of whom played at The Citadel.
Jay Metzger, Jarrett Santos, UNC Greensboro
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Former UNC Greensboro starting pitcher Jay Metzger has been selected by the Colorado Rockies in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Metzger was selected in the 23rd round, going 680th overall. Right-handed pitcher Jarrett Santos was selected in the 34th round by the Florida Marlins, going with the 1,028th overall pick.
Metzger, a native of Vernon, CT, finished his career with the Spartans last month ranked in the top ten all-time in career wins (19, seventh overall), complete games (7, tied for second), innings pitched (320, fourth overall) and strikeouts (237, fourth overall).
In 2002, he led the Spartans in ERA (2.71), starts (12), complete games (6) and innings pitched (106.1). He also recorded a career-best 72 strikeouts.
UNCG finished the 2004 season 33-21-1 overall and fifth place in the Southern Conference.
Evan Tartaglia, Brian Hensen, Elon
ELON, N.C. - Elon University seniors Brian Hensen and Evan Tartaglia were selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday afternoon. Hensen, a left-handed pitcher, was taken by the Detroit Tigers in the 28th round while Tartaglia, a centerfielder, was nabbed in the 35th round by the Chicago White Sox.
Hensen posted a 6-2 ledger and a 4.74 ERA in his senior season with the Phoenix. In 93.0 innings he fanned 42 hitters and issued only 21 free passes. Hensen threw a complete game to earn a victory over Clemson earlier this season. In that game he allowed only one run on six hits and two walks. In his junior season Hensen earned two victories over Wake Forest, one with the Demon Deacons rated seventh in the nation, and a single win over 14th-ranked Clemson. In his two seasons in an Elon uniform, Hensen compiled a 12-4 mark and one save. He threw 177.1 innings and allowed 38 walks while striking out 95 and posting a 4.31 career ERA. His 26 starts rank him in a tie for the ninth-most starts by an Elon pitcher in the 102-year history of Elon baseball. In the summer of 2003 he earned Coastal Plain League Pitcher of the Year honors after going 9-1 with a 1.03 ERA in 79.0 innings with the Wilmington Sharks.
Tartaglia batted .300 in 201 at bats over 55 games this season. He smacked a team-best seven triples, scored 49 runs and drove in 21 in his senior campaign. Tartaglia swiped 23 bases in 30 tries in 2004 to lead the team. In Elon's three-game series at 33rd-ranked UNC Greensboro earlier this season, Tartaglia went 7-for-13 with five runs scored, three RBI, a double, two triples and one steal. In his two years at Elon, Tartaglia hit .299 over 431 at bats in 112 games. He legged out 15 triples and 17 doubles among his 129 hits. Tartaglia drove in 43 runs and stole 62 bases in 77 career attempts in the last two seasons. His 62 steals rate fourth on Elon's career stolen base list. In the summer of 2003, Tartaglia was named to the Coastal Plain League All-Star Team.
Phoenix skipper Mike Kennedy said, "We're excited for both Brian, Evan and their families. It's a tremendous honor for them to be able to continue their careers at the highest level."
On Hensen, Kennedy added, "Brian is a left-handed pitcher who has had some quality games against some good teams. With his success in the Coastal Plain League last summer he knows he can pitch and get people out. He's had success against wood before."
On Tartaglia, Kennedy stated, "Evan has proven himself with a wooden bat after being selected to start the Coastal Plain League All-Star game last year."
