Twelve D-III players taken in MLB draft


Bruce Maxwell will skip his senior season to start his professional career with the Oakland Athletics. Birmingham-Southern athletics photo

Today started as did Tuesday with a D-III player named early in the day. Methodist's Chris Perry was the 17th selection of the St. Louis Cardinals (540 overall). Perry, the fourth D-III player taken in the draft, is the division's third junior and third pitcher who has heard his name called in the MLB draft.

D3baseball.com 2012 Pitcher of the Year Austin Blaski, Marietta and Tucker Healy, Ithaca followed Perry as pitchers drafted on the final day of the MLB draft. Blaski was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 21st round and Healy was taken by Oakland in the 23rd round.

In the 32nd round, 2B Richard Palase, Lynchburg was selected by Seattle. Three picks later, it was Tim Saunders's turn as the Chicago Cubs made the Marietta shortstop their 32nd pick.

In the final three rounds, four players were selected. Kenyon catcher Jack Graham led the group being claimed by the Baltimore Orioles in the 38th round. The 39th round saw second baseman Mitch Glasser from Macalester go to the Chicago White Sox. The final round had Amherst outfielder Kevin Heller go to Boston and Emory pitcher Paul Schwendel was the final choice of the Texas Rangers.

Birmingham-Southern catcher Bruce Maxwell was the first D-III player selected in the 2012 MLB amateur draft. Maxwell was taken by Oakland with the 62nd overall pick in the second round.

The first D-III player drafted in the last 10 previous drafts was a pitcher. The last time a position player was the first D-III player taken in the MLB draft was 2001, when the first D-III player drafted was Ursinus outfielder Rich Barrett. Barrett was selected in the fifth round (158th overall) by Arizona.

First D-III player selected in
the last 10 years of the MLB draft

2011 - Ben Hughes, St. Olaf (318 overall)
2010 - Dave Filak, Oneonta State (134)
2009 - Robert Whitenack, Old Westbury (260)
2008 - Ryan Kulik, Rowan (245)
2007 - Jordan Zimmermann, UWSP (67)
2006 - Mike Eisenberg, Marietta (251)
2005 - Ryan DiPietro, Eastern Connecticut (172)
2004 - Scott Hyde, George Fox (194)
2003 - Jason Hirsh, Cal Lutheran (59)
2002 - Jonah Bayliss, Trinity (Conn.) (198)

Maxwell is D-III's fifth highest selected position player ever. The four position players selected higher were Tony Woods, Whittier (17th overall); Jeff Carl, UW-Oshkosh (21); Terry Jorgensen, UW-Oshkosh (25); and Dorian Boyland, UW-Oshkosh (45).

Chapman pitcher Brian Rauh was the second D-III player selected in the 2012 MLB draft. He was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 11th round. The three-time D3baseball.com All-America junior was the 354th pick overall and becomes the 11th Panther since 1999 to be drafted by an MLB organization.

The final D-III name called on day two was that of Ben Klimesh, Trinity (Texas). The record-setting righthander was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 372nd overall selection in the 15th round.

The MLB draft concludes on today through round 40.