June 8, 2010
Record-setting seven Hokies selected on day two of MLB Draft
Wright also chosen on day three

BLACKSBURG, Va.A school-record seven Virginia Tech Hokies were chosen on the second day of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday, surpassing the old mark of five set back in 1982.

Among the Hokies selected were: outfielder Austin Wates (third round to Houston), right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn (sixth round to Tampa Bay), right-handed pitcher Mathew Price (eighth round to Boston), catcher Steve Domecus (ninth round to the Los Angeles Dodgers), shortstop Tim Smalling (14th round to Washington), right-handed pitcher Ben Rowen (22nd round to Texas) and outfielder Buddy Sosnoskie (25th round to Kansas City).

The St. Louis Cardinals then made left-handed pitcher Justin Wright the eight Hokie selected, taking him in the 47th round on Wednesday.

It was also the first time Tech had four players taken in the first 10 rounds, and the second time the Hokies had two players chosen in the first six rounds. Virginia Tech’s draft history can be viewed here.

By getting chosen 90th overall, Wates became the highest-drafted Hokie since Joe Saunders went 12th overall in 2002 and the seventh-highest draftee in Tech history. The junior from Richmond, Va., batted a team-high .382 this season and was voted to the all-tournament teams at both the ACC Championship and the NCAA Columbia Regional.

Hahn was made the 191st overall pick after going 5-4 in 13 starts on the mound with a 3.70 earned-run average. The Groton, Conn., junior struck out 76 batters in 73 innings, while allowing 71 hits and 20 walks.

Despite being a sophomore, Price was draft eligible because he will turn 21 before the cut-off date. Previously drafted out of high school in 2008, he was chosen 263rd overall on Tuesday by Boston. He made 15 starts and two relief appearances in 2010, going 7-4 with a 4.95 ERA. The Marietta, Ga., native struck out 85 batters in 91 innings.

Domecus was taken 292nd overall to become Tech’s highest-drafted catcher since Johnny Oates went 38th in 1966. The Novato, Calif., senior tied the single-season school record with 92 hits this season, while setting a new mark with 27 doubles.

Smalling was taken 416th overall by the Nationals. The redshirt junior from Raleigh, N.C., batted .349 this year with 14 doubles, four triples and seven home runs, while stabilizing an improved Hokie defense.

Rowen led the Hokies with a 2.67 ERA this season, while setting a new school record for relief appearances with 38. Selected 676th overall, the Hokies’ closer fanned 63 batters, while walking just 10, in 54 innings on the mound. The Ranchos Palos Verdes, Calif., accumulated a 5-2 record and six saves.

Finally, Sosnoskie went 749th overall after having a breakout offensive season. A third-year sophomore, the Front Royal, Va., native tied with Domecus for the team lead with 13 home runs, while hitting .347 with 48 RBIs.

Wright was taken 1,429th overall by the Cardinals after a stellar junior season in which he earned second-team All-ACC honors. Serving as Tech's Friday starter, the Montclair, Va., native went 8-5 with two complete games in 16 starts, compiling a 3.95 ERA. He struck out 100 batters in 98 innings pitched, falling two strikeouts short of fifth place on Tech's all-time single-season list.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Baseball).

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