Red Sox Draft Murphy in First Round
6/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 3, 2003
WACO, Texas - Baylor outfielder David Murphy was selected with the 17th overall pick of the first round by the Boston Red Sox in day one of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Murphy was one of a school-record eight Bears to be selected on the two days of the annual amateur draft.
Murphy was the eighth first-round pick in Baylor history. He follows in the footsteps of Jon Perlman (1979), Stan Hilton (1983), Pat Combs (1988), Scott Ruffcorn (1991), Kip Wells (1998), Jason Jennings (1999) and Chad Hawkins (2000). Only Hilton (5th overall pick), Combs (11th overall), Perlman (12th), Wells (16th) and Jennings (16th) were selected with a higher pick.
A junior outfielder from Spring, Texas, Murphy is the first position player in school history to be selected in the first round. He will enter this weekend's NCAA Super Regional against LSU with a team-leading .420 average, 11 home runs, 64 RBI, 82 runs scored and a Big 12-record 118 hits on the year.
Pitcher Steven White was selected in the fourth round by the New York Yankees. White, a senior from League City, Texas, holds the Baylor career records for starts and innings pitched, and is second all-time in wins and strikeouts. He was drafted last year in the 18th round by Milwaukee but did not sign.
The Montreal Expos picked shortstop Trey Webb in the fifth round. Webb, a junior from Mansfield, Texas, has started every game at shortstop this season after starting all 62 games for Baylor in 2002.
Senior outfielder Chris Durbin was picked in the 10th round by Boston. Durbin, from Wylie, Texas, will leave Baylor after four years as the program's all-time leader in doubles and extra-base hits and among the school's career leaders in batting average, hits, runs, home runs and RBI.
The San Diego Padres selected Baylor closer Zane Carlson in the 16th round. Carlson, a redshirt junior from Dallas, Texas, already holds the Baylor single season and career saves records, as well as career saves records in the Big 12 Conference and the Cape Cod League.
The Houston Astros drafted first baseman Mark Saccomanno in the 23rd round Wednesday. Saccomanno, a fifth-year senior from Houston, missed all last season due to injury but rebounded this year and is hitting .377 with eight home runs and 40 RBI.
Milwaukee selected pitcher Jared Theodorakos in the 25th round. The senior pitcher pitched in only two games this season before suffering an arm injury that eventually required surgery and cost him the season. Should Theodorakos not sign, he is expected to receive a medical redshirt.
Philadelphia nabbed former Baylor basketball letterman Jason Pritchard in the 35th round. Pritchard, a 6-foot-8-inch right-handed pitcher, worked out with the baseball team in the fall but did not stick with the club this spring. He played three seasons of basketball, appearing in 19 games as a forward.
In total, a school-record eight players were drafted from Baylor, surpassing the previous high of seven, set in 2000 and matched in 2002.
Name, Position Draft Position Team * David Murphy, OF 1st Round (17th overall) Boston Red Sox Steven White, RHP 4th Round (124th) New York Yankees * Trey Webb, SS 5th Round (147th) Montreal Expos * Chris Durbin, OF 10th Round (294th) Boston Red Sox Zane Carlson, RHP 16th round (461st) San Diego Padres * Mark Saccomanno, 1B 23rd Round (689th) Houston Astros Jared Theodorakos, LHP 25th Round (729th) Milwaukee Brewers * Jason Pritchard, RHP 35th Round (1,045th) Philadelphia Phillies* indicates players who have signed professional contracts
