BALTIMORE - Davidson senior midfielder Alex Caskey became the highest-selected Major League Soccer draftee in Wildcats men's soccer history when the Seattle Sounders FC took him 47th overall in the third round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday afternoon.

Caskey becomes the fourth Wildcat to be picked in an MLS draft. Rob Ukrop was selected in the 1996 Inaugural Player Draft, while Erik Ozimek and Dane Erickson were taken with the 49th and 64th picks, respectively, in the 2002 SuperDraft.

"I speak for Alex's teammates and I represent our other coaches plus our alumni in expressing our deep pride and excitement that Alex has been drafted," said head coach Matt Spear. "He is a wonderfully talented player, he has pushed himself year-round, he loves the game, and he has honed his craft. His participation in and very strong level of play in the recent Combine earlier this week in Florida was the tipping point."

A Dunwoody, Ga. native, Caskey recently competed in the MLS Player Combine and scored a goal in his third-and-final match.

A two-year team captain, Caskey was a three-time All-Southern Conference first team selection and a two-time NSCAA All-South Region second team selection. He finished his Davidson career with 19 goals and 15 assists for 53 points and did not miss a single match, starting all 76.

Caskey's top single-game performance came in 2009 when he led the 'Cats past No. 25 South Carolina with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win. He scored a career-best and team-leading 18 points (7 goals, 4 assists) in 2010 and led the team with four game-winning goals.

Seattle Sounders FC is Major League Soccer's 15th team and was founded in 2007. Sounders FC has sold more season tickets than any other MLS club in the league's 13-year existence. Seattle earned a wildcard berth in the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs after finishing fourth in the Western Conference with a 14-10-6 record.