Four Roadrunners picked on final day of MLB DraftFour Roadrunners picked on final day of MLB Draft
Baseball

Four Roadrunners picked on final day of MLB Draft


SAN ANTONIO – Four UTSA student-athletes were selected during the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, all of which came on Wednesday. Nathan Alexander, Trent Bowles, Derek Craft and Chance Kirby all heard their names called on the final day. The four selections also tied a program record, which last happened in 1995.

Craft headlined the picks after the New York Yankees selected him in the 16th round (No. 487 overall). Alexander was picked by the Miami Marlins in the 24th round (No. 717 overall), while Kirby followed him in the 25th round as the No. 735 overall selection by the Detroit Tigers. Bowles wrapped up the Roadrunners' selections after he was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 36th round (No. 1,067 overall).

Craft, a junior right-handed pitcher, was the most dominant arm out of UTSA's bullpen this spring. The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder posted a 3-5 record with three saves in 24 appearances, including 21 relief stints. He posted a 1.89 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 52.1 innings of work. He also limited opposing hitters to a .211 batting average. Craft, who hails from Hawkins, Texas, is the first Roadrunner to be selected by the Yankees.

Alexander, also a junior right-handed pitcher, made nine appearances, including seven starts, on the mound for UTSA in 2018. The Lake Jackson, Texas, native was 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 31 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .250 batting average. Alexander is the second Roadrunners to be drafted by the Marlins in as many seasons, as Karl Craigie was a 34th-round pick by the National League organization in 2017.

Kirby, a senior right-handed pitcher, had a breakout campaign for UTSA in 2018. The Austin, Texas, native was 7-4 over 13 starts. He posted a rotation-best 2.63 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 65 innings, while also holding the opposition to a team-low .203 batting average. Kirby, who was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week on May 7 after striking out a career-high 13 batters against Rice a day earlier, is the second Roadrunner to be drafted by the Tigers, joining two-time All-American Michael Rockett, who was a 13th-round selection in 2009.

Bowles, a senior outfielder, also enjoyed a career-best season with UTSA this past spring. The Katy, Texas, native hit .323 with 18 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 40 RBIs in his senior campaign. He also stole a team-high 15 bases in 19 attempts and scored 44 runs. Bowles, who was named the C-USA Hitter of the Week on March 26, is the third Roadrunner to be drafted by the Phillies, and second in the past two seasons. Former outfielder Kevin Markham was picked in the 24th round by the N.L. club in 2017.







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