McCormick Headlines Big Day for Baylor in Draft

June 7, 2005

WACO, Texas - Junior right-handed pitcher Mark McCormick headlined a group of seven Baylor baseball student-athletes selected in Tuesday's first-day session of the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The draft's first 18 rounds were held Tuesday; rounds 19 through 50 will be held Wednesday.

The St. Louis Cardinals used their third selection in the draft, the 47^th overall in the supplemental portion of the first round, on McCormick. Other Bears drafted Tuesday were Kyle Reynolds to the Chicago Cubs (ss, 6^th round, 190^th pick), Tyler Bullock to the Atlanta Braves (rhp, 6^th round, 197^th pick), Trey Taylor to the Chicago Cubs (lhp, 7^th round, 220^th pick), Josh Ford to the Arizona Diamondbacks (c, 9^th round, 261^st pick), Michael Griffin to the Cincinnati Reds (2b, 14^th round, 422^nd pick) and Paul Witt (ss, 15^th round, 456^th pick).

Baylor's seven draftees bring the program's draftee total to 51 during head coach Steve Smith's 11-year tenure. Major League teams have used 25 picks on Baylor players over the past four seasons, including two first-round selections, 11 picks in the first 10 rounds and 16 first-day selections.

This year's Baylor squad tied Big 12 Conference records with seven players selected in the first 15 rounds and five players selected in the first 10 rounds. Baylor also established program records in both categories.

McCormick has posted a 7-3 record this season with a 3.12 ERA, 97 strikeouts in 92.1 innings pitched and .185 opponents' batting average. Drafted in the 11^th round out of high school by the Baltimore Orioles in 2001, McCormick is Baylor's ninth first-round selection, the fifth since 1998.

Reynolds, who started each of Baylor's first 55 games this season at first base before suffering a broken thumb, was a 50^th-round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks out of high school in 2001. Taylor was drafted for the third time; he was selected in the 2^nd round by the Colorado Rockies out of high school in 2001 and in the 20^th round by the Cubs last year.

Baylor, ranked sixth in this week's Baseball America Top 25, returns to action this weekend, hosting No. 13 Clemson for the 2005 NCAA Waco Super Regional at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears and the Tigers meet Saturday at 11 a.m. CDT and Sunday at 3 p.m. If necessary, a third game would be played Monday at a time yet to be determined. Saturday's game will be televised live nationally on ESPNU; Sunday's game will be televised live nationally on ESPN.

2005 BAYLOR BASEBALL MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFTEES

Player, Pos. Year Round Pick Team Rank at Position

Mark McCormick, RHP Jr. 1^st 43^rd St. Louis Cardinals 15^th

Kyle Reynolds, SS Jr. 6^th 190^th Chicago Cubs 20^th

Tyler Bullock, RHP Jr. 6^th 197^th Atlanta Braves 92^nd

Trey Taylor, LHP Sr. 7^th 220^th Chicago Cubs 32^nd

Josh Ford, C Sr. 9^th 261^st Arizona Diamondbacks 19^th

Michael Griffin, 2B Sr. 14^th 422^nd Cincinnati Reds 13^th

Paul Witt, SS Sr. 15^th 456^th Florida Marlins 37^th

McCormick Headlines Big Day for Baylor in Draft

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