The Citadel’s Hunter drafted by Phillies in 12th round, Mason taken by Diamondbacks in 17th
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Citadel reliever Skylar Hunter was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies and starting pitcher Austin Mason was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Hunter, a right-handed junior, was taken in the 12th round as the 354th overall pick, and is the 33rd draft pick to be coached by Fred Jordan at The Citadel. Mason, a junior right-hander, was taken in the 17th round as the 496th overall pick.
Hunter, Hanahan, South Carolina, native, appeared in 95 games during his career at The Citadel, recording 147 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.49 over 131 1/3 innings. This season, Hunter broke the program and Southern Conference records for career saves with 41.
As a junior in 2015, Hunter tossed 53 innings for the Bulldogs, earning 13 saves and striking out 59 opponents with an ERA of 3.74.
During his 2014 season, Hunter posted an impressive 1.67 ERA over his 43 innings pitched, allowing just eight runs while striking out 44. He earned 15 saves, tying The Citadel record for saves in a season.
In 2013, Hunter was a second-team All-Southern Conference performer and was also named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.
A native of Greer, South Carolina, Mason finished his Citadel career with a 5.28 ERA over 165 1/3 innings pitched. He started in 32 of his 53 appearances, striking out 126 opponents.
In the 2015 season, Mason posted a 4.19 ERA through 53 2/3 innings of work and struck out 53 batters over his 25 appearances.
As a sophomore, Mason returned from offseason shoulder surgery to play in 14 games of the 2014 season. He earned an ERA of 5.02 over 57 1/3, innings, striking out 39 opponents.
In the 2013 season, Mason appeared in 14 games with 13 starts, contributing to his 6.63 ERA. Over 54 1/3 innings on the mound, the freshman struck out 34 batters.
VMI’s Winn selected in 14th round by Giants, Tarsovich in 22nd by Dodgers
NEW YORK – Former VMI catcher Matt Winn was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 14th round and infielder Jordan Tarsovich was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 22nd round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, which was held Wednesday via conference call.
Winn is the first VMI player to ever be selected by San Francisco and the highest Keydet draft pick since Michael Bowman was chosen in the eighth round by Milwaukee in 2008.
Tarsovich is the first middle infielder drafted out of VMI since Chad Rice in 2007.
Winn closed out his career with a bang, finishing with 14 home runs in his senior season, tied for the third-most in Keydet history. He was not only a first-team All-Southern Conference honoree, but also became the first VMI player to make an All-American team outright when he was named a third-team selection by Collegiate Baseball in mid-May. He is a Johnny Bench Award finalist, as well, one of three from which the top catcher in Division I will be chosen later this month.
Tarsovich finished his Keydet career hitting .337 with a SoCon-best 24 stolen bases while playing both second base and shortstop. He finished in the top 10 in VMI career history in seven different categories - doubles, triples, stolen bases, on-base percentage, hit by pitches, walks and runs scored.
Of note, Tarsovich's name was called as a second baseman.
Western Carolina’s Strong drafted by White Sox in 28th round
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina infielder Bradley Strong was selected on the third day of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The program’s career leader in triples, Strong was drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the 832nd overall pick in the 28th round on Wednesday afternoon.
Strong was one of 10 players from the Southern Conference drafted during the three-day, 40-round event. All told, 1,215 players were selected in the 2015 draft, the 50th anniversary of the selection.
In addition to Strong, WCU also saw a member of its incoming class drafted on Wednesday as Bradley Keller, an outfielder from Shelby, N.C., and Crest High who signed a National Letter of Intent, was picked in the 15th round. Keller was selected with the 450th overall pick by the Atlanta Braves.
A four-year starter for the Purple & Gold, Strong is the fourth Catamount infielder taken in the past four seasons. Last year, his former middle infield counterpart, Aaron Attaway, was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 20th round with Tyler White (33rd round, Houston Astros) and Ross Heffley (18th round, Atlanta Braves) selected in 2013 and 2012, respectively.
A .322 career hitter, Strong racked up numerous honors and accolades during his playing career in Cullowhee. The Richlands, Va., product was twice named first-team All-Southern Conference. He garnered All-America and All-Atlantic Region plaudits following his junior season, helping guide the Catamounts to back-to-back SoCon regular-season championships. He was also a two-time NCCSIA All-State selection.
Strong’s name appears throughout WCU’s career record books. He holds the program’s career mark for triples, legging out 18 during his career – tied for third in SoCon history – with his 65 career stolen bases in 84 career attempts, ranking tied for second only to Wayne Tolleson. He finished his collegiate career with 55 doubles and 20 home runs, driving in 163 in four seasons.
Wofford’s Stillman taken by Boston Red Sox in 29th round
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College junior Will Stillman was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The right-handed pitcher was the 861st overall selection.
Stillman joins pitcher Luke Leftwich, who was selected in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. This marks the first time in school history that two Wofford players have been selected in the MLB Draft in the same season.
Stillman, from Charlotte, North Carolina, led the Southern Conference and is sixth in the nation with 15 saves. The 15 saves are a school record and his 19 career saves are tied for second in school history. He posted a 4.60 ERA this season, along with 50 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings on the mound. In his 28 appearances, he also had one victory and an opponent’s batting average of .261 to be named All-Southern Conference second team by the media.
For his career at Wofford, Stillman is third in relief appearances with 83 and has a 2.88 ERA. He has 140 strikeouts in three seasons and a total of 103 innings pitched.
Stillman is the seventh Terrier drafted in the last nine years. Brandon Waring was selected in the seventh round in 2007 as the 229th overall pick, while Michael Gilmartin (27th), John Cornely (15th), Alex Wilson (15th), J.D. Osborne (36th) and Leftwich (seventh) were also recent selections.
Samford’s Gracia taken in 31st round by San Diego Padres
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford relief pitcher Andres Gracia was selected in the 31st round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the San Diego Padres on Wednesday afternoon.
Gracia is Samford's all-time career leader in saves with 27 in his Samford career. This season, Gracia registered 10 saves, and he posted a 2.78 ERA and a record of 4-0. He struck out 42 batters, while walking just nine in 2015. At the conclusion of the season, Gracia was named first-team All-Southern Conference by both the league's coaches and media.
As a junior in 2014, Gracia contributed 14 saves, and he allowed just three earned runs for an impressive 0.79 ERA. He posted a record of 2-1 with 38 strikeouts and 12 walks. Gracia was also named first-team All-SoCon as a junior.
For his career, Gracia has posted an ERA of 2.82 in 127 2/3 innings of work. In addition to his school-record 27 saves, Gracia has recorded 116 strikeouts, while allowing just 34 walks and posting a record of 8-5 while in a Samford uniform.
Samford has now had 16 players taken in the MLB Draft over the last five years. Prior to this season, four Bulldogs were drafted in 2011, seven Samford players were taken in 2012, two were drafted in 2013 and two were taken in 2014. Prior to the current run, Samford had never had more than one player drafted in a single year in program history.