We have a few names to watch this year. The big one is Ryan Butler who was drafted in the 16th Round last year by the Yankees and decided to pitch a year at Charlotte instead.
Butler will probably go in the top 5 or 6 rounds as he is rated the 141 best prospect by Baseball America.
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/67565098/v33270437/draft-report-ryan-butler-college-pitcher
Senior Brock Hudgens is also listed on the eligible list on MLB.com. He would likely be a late round pick or sign as a free agent somewhere after the draft.
Des Roberts is also listed on MLB.com, so we will see if he gets selected or not.
One of our incoming recruits from Panther Creek HS , LHP Josh Maciejewski is listed as well. I’m not sure how high he will go, but he is not listed in the top 500 prospects for this draft by Baseball America.
After the 1st 2 rounds, we have seen 2 C-USA players drafted and Kyle Freeland picked who pitched against us at the Hayes this year. When Hoffman of ECU got drafted, MLB Network showed highlights of him pitching at the Hayes earlier this season.
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/67565098/v33467341/draft-2014-blue-jays-draft-rhp-jeff-hoffman-no-9
Round 1
8. Colorado Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland, Evansville
9. Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Jeff Hoffman, East Carolina
Round 2
52. San Francisco Giants: C Aramis Garcia, Florida International
Butler goes to the Padres in 7th round at pick 207.
http://m.charlotte49ers.com/mobile/ViewArticle.dbml?atclid=209518794&DB_OEM_ID=23200&
Brock Hudgens became the 75th player in program history to be selected in the MLB Draft being picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 31st round of the annual draft on Saturday afternoon. Hudgens was the 926th pick overall and 31st selection out of Conference USA. Hudgens is the second Niner picked in this year’s draft and gives Head Coach Loren Hibbs his 28th player drafted as the Charlotte skipper.
http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/060514aae.html
[font=verdana][size=1em]Eleven teams that played in Conference USA during the 2014 season had at least one player chosen, with Rice producing the most picks with seven, while East Carolina, FIU, Southern Miss and UTSA each had four apiece.[/size][/font]
[size=1em]C-USA’s 2014 MLB DRAFT PICKS[/size]
[size=1em]Rd. Player Pos. School MLB Team[/size]
[size=1em]1 Jeff Hoffman RHP East Carolina Toronto Blue Jays[/size]
[size=1em]2 Aramis Garcia C FIU San Francisco Giants[/size]
[size=1em]3 Zech Lemond RHP Rice San Diego Padres[/size]
[size=1em]4 Ryan Yarbrough LHP Old Dominion Seattle Mariners[/size]
[size=1em]4 Austin Gomber LHP Florida Atlantic St. Louis Cardinals[/size]
[size=1em]6 Skyler Ewing 1B Rice San Francisco Giants[/size]
[size=1em]6 Zac Curtis LHP Middle Tennessee Arizona Diamondbacks[/size]
[size=1em]7 Ryan Butler RHP Charlotte San Diego Padres[/size]
[size=1em]7 Mike Franco RHP FIU Tampa Bay Rays[/size]
[size=1em]8 Bradley Roney RHP Southern Miss Atlanta Braves[/size]
[size=1em]10 Randy LeBlanc RHP Tulane Minnesota Twins[/size]
[size=1em]10 Ryan Williams RHP East Carolina Chicago Cubs[/size]
[size=1em]13 Mike Gomez LHP FIU Chicago White Sox[/size]
[size=1em]13 Zach Houchins 3B East Carolina Los Angeles Angels[/size]
[size=1em]14 Chase Mallard RHP UAB Toronto Blue Jays[/size]
[size=1em]14 Justin Anderson RHP UTSA Los Angeles Angels[/size]
[size=1em]14 Ian Tompkins LHP WKU Kansas City Royals[/size]
[size=1em]15 Connor Overton RHP Old Dominion Miami Marlins[/size]
[size=1em]15 Caleb Smith RHP Rice Milwaukee Brewers[/size]
[size=1em]15 Matt Ditman RHP Rice St. Louis Cardinals[/size]
[size=1em]17 Shane Hoelscher 3B Rice Colorado Rockies[/size]
[size=1em]19 John Bormann C UTSA Los Angeles Angels[/size]
[size=1em]20 Kyle McKenzie RHP Tulane Tampa Bay Rays[/size]
[size=1em]24 Conor Fisk RHP Southern Miss Toronto Blue Jays[/size]
[size=1em]25 Mason Robbins OF Southern Miss Chicago White Sox[/size]
[size=1em]27 Taylor Nunez RHP Southern Miss Boston Red Sox[/size]
[size=1em]27 Matt Sims RHP UTSA Atlanta Braves[/size]
[size=1em]29 Matt Blackham RHP Middle Tennessee New York Mets[/size]
[size=1em]29 Mitch Morales SS Florida Atlantic San Diego Padres[/size]
[size=1em]30 Tyler Mapes RHP Tulane Washington Nationals[/size]
[size=1em]31 Brock Hudgens RHP Charlotte Milwaukee Brewers[/size]
[size=1em]33 Tyler Bolton RHP East Carolina Arizona Diamondbacks[/size]
[size=1em]33 Louis Silverio OF FIU Chicago White Sox[/size]
[size=1em]37 Michael Kraft LHP UTSA Toronto Blue Jays[/size]
[size=1em]40 Trent Miller OF Middle Tennessee Toronto Blue Jays[/size]
Butler has been assigned to the Eugene Emeralds, short season single A for the Padres. Check out the college listed… ???
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=t461&t=p_pbp&pid=643240
Hudgens was assigned to the Arizona League Brewers, Rookie League.
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=642841
[quote=“Mr. Bojangles, post:7, topic:28849”]Butler has been assigned to the Eugene Emeralds, short season single A for the Padres. Check out the college listed… ???
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=t461&t=p_pbp&pid=643240
Hudgens was assigned to the Arizona League Brewers, Rookie League.
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=642841[/quote] Nice pictures, though. Talk about blank expressions!
Butler’s school now listed as UNC Charlotte.
Ryan Butler is ranked the top reliever in the Padres Farm system and looks like he has a chance ot end up in the bigs later this season.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/feb/13/padres-prospect-rankings-relievers-ryan-butler/
[size=3]Need to know: Among the heap of pitchers drafted in 2014, Butler boasts the best fastball of the class at 99 mph, which he pairs with a fading change-up and an average slider. A rocky start in short-season ball (8.22 ERA) gave way to a dominant showing in low Single-A Fort Wayne, where Butler fashioned a 0.83 ERA, 30 strikeouts and six walks over 21 2/3 innings. That’s reason enough to start the season in Lake Elsinore and potentially end it with a September call-up to the majors. Also worth noting: Butler, whom the Padres signed for $186,900, had Tommy John surgery long before the Yankees drafted him in the 16th round in 2013[/size].
