UNCG’s Clark taken by Atlanta Braves in fifth round
GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG junior RHP Ryan Clark was chosen in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft with the 150th overall pick Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves. He is the second Spartan pitcher drafted by the Braves organization in as many seasons, joining RHP Max Povse, who was taken in the third round (102nd overall) of last year’s draft. Clark is the first player from the Southern Conference drafted in 2015.
Clark represents the 29th UNCG player drafted since the program began in 1991 and the sixth Spartan player or signee selected under current head coach Link Jarrett.
In three seasons at UNCG, Clark put together a 15-13 record and a 3.62 ERA – the sixth-best career mark in program history. He also tallied 187 strikeouts.
Clark was tabbed the 2015 preseason Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and earned second-team All-SoCon honors at the conclusion of the campaign. He compiled a 7-6 record and a 4.06 ERA while tallying 94 strikeouts – the fifth-highest single-season total in the program annals. Clark held opposing batters to a .235 average over his 95 1/3 innings pitched.
A solid effort in March earned Clark Southern Conference Pitcher of the Month laurels as he went 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He also tossed a complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts against The Citadel before a national ESPN3 audience back on April 17. Clark notched a career-best 12 strikeouts against VMI in the first round of the conference tournament and produced double-digit strikeouts in four appearances.
Clark pitched into the seventh inning on 12 occasions and turned in seven quality starts. In one of his finest outings of the season, he tossed seven scoreless innings in UNCG’s 17-2 victory over defending league champion Western Carolina on March 20 in Greensboro.
As a sophomore, Clark settled into the Friday spot in the weekend rotation and finished the season with a 3.64 ERA over 14 appearances and 93 innings pitched. He threw his first career complete game against Western Carolina and picked up victories over Georgetown, Georgia Southern and Elon.
Clark enjoyed a stellar debut season for the Blue and Gold as he amassed a 5-1 record with a 2.05 ERA in 30 1/3 innings of work to earn Southern Conference All-Freshman Team accolades. He surrendered just seven earned runs and held opposing hitters to a .253 average while recording wins over UNC Asheville, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Samford and The Citadel.
Philadelphia Phillies take Wofford’s Leftwich in seventh round
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College junior Luke Leftwich was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh round of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. The right-handed pitcher was the 204th overall selection.
Leftwich, from Phoenix, Arizona, was second in the Southern Conference with 114 strikeouts this year. The 114 strikeouts were the second-most in a single season at Wofford and the most since 1956. He started 14 games and posted a 7-2 record on the season. In 89 innings, he had a 4.25 ERA and issued only 28 walks. Among Southern Conference leaders, he was sixth in ERA, eighth in innings pitched, sixth in opposing batting average and fifth in wins.
For his career, he has a 13-13 record with 39 starts and 53 appearances. His ERA is 5.42 in 220 2/3 career innings at Wofford and he is third in school history in career strikeouts with 261. Leftwich’s father, Phil Leftwich, was a second-round draft pick of the California Angels in 1990 and pitched in the major leagues from 1993-96.
Luke Leftwich is the sixth 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) and J.D. Osborne (36th) were also recent selections. The highest selection in school history was Tim Wallace in the second round of the 1982 draft.
New York Yankees select The Citadel’s James Reeves in 10th round
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Citadel starting pitcher James Reeves was selected by the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday.
The Summerville, South Carolina, native was taken in the 10th round as the 303rd overall pick and is the 32nd draft pick to be coached by Fred Jordan at The Citadel.
Reeves pitched in 68 games for the Bulldogs, picking up 20 wins over his 33 career starts. Throughout his 239 innings pitched, he struck out 227 opponents and had a 3.88 ERA.
In 2015, the senior was named Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-Southern Conference and was recognized nationally as a Louisville Slugger Third-Team All-American. He claimed the SoCon and Louisville Slugger Player of the Week titles twice in the season; first on Feb. 16 and again on April 6 for his no-hitter against Mercer.
Reeves made 15 starts over the season, striking out 115 batters over his 95 innings pitched to fashion a 3.69 ERA.
During the 2014 season, Reeves pitched in seven games and finished with a 3.40 ERA, striking out 36 batters in 39 2/3 innings.
As a sophomore in 2013, Reeves appeared in 24 games and tossed 51 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs, striking out 42 batters while holding an ERA of 4.01.
In his first season with The Citadel, Reeves made 22 appearances and posted an ERA of 4.44 over his 53 2/3 innings. He picked up wins in his first three appearances for the Bulldogs and struck out 34 batters over the 2012 season.