Five Blue Raiders were selected on Day Two of the Major League First Year Player Draft.
Juniors Alex McClure, Tyler Burnett and Justin Miller and seniors Blake McDade and Kenneth Roberts all heard their names announced on Tuesday when the draft resumed.
McClure was the first Middle Tennessee player taken when the Kansas City Royals took him in the 11th round. McClure did not play in 2010 due to the NCAA transfer rule after transferring from Vanderbilt to join the Blue Raiders.
Burnett, a third baseman, was the next Blue Raider off the board when the Houston Astros selected him in the 17th round.
Burnett performed well in a number of different positions in the line-up this season beginning the year as the lead-off and then moving to the clean-up spot for a while. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native ended the 2010 season batting .351 with 12 home runs, 46 RBI and scored 56 runs.
Another Middle Tennessee infielder was taken in the draft when the Washington Nationals selected second baseman Miller.
After being a role player the past two seasons, Miller stepped into the starting second base position and with his offensive production never looked back. Miller led the team in RBI with 74 which were 22 more than any other player on the team. He also had 20 home runs which was five more than last season's NCAA and team RBI leader Bryce Brentz.
First baseman McDade was selected in the 20th round by the Colorado Rockies while Roberts, the only pitcher, rounded out the Blue Raiders taken in the second day of the MLB First Year Player draft when the Colorado Rockies picked him in the 25th round.
McDade led the Blue Raiders at the plate most of the season rounding out his senior campaign batting .399 with 89 hits, 19 doubles, 47 RBI and scored 63 runs. Roberts struggled this season after posting an impressive 11-1 record with a 3.04 ERA in 16 appearances as a junior. In 2010, the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native went 4-6 in 15 appearances with a 5.31 ERA with a team high 55 strikeouts.
The Blue Raiders have had six student-athletes drafted including 36th overall pick Brentz. It is the most players drafted since 2001 when Middle Tennessee also had six student-athletes taken in the draft.
The MLB First Year Player Draft continues on Wednesday, May 9th with rounds 31-50. |
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