Pros Pick Seven of SU’s Best

Junior second baseman Rickie Weeks became Southern University‚s baseball team second highest draft pick when the Milwaukee Brewers selected him second overall in Tuesday’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Weeks, described by Cincinnati Reds scout Jerry Flowers as “the perfect player,” led the nation with a .483 batting average and were 31-for-31 in stolen bases this season.
“You can go on and on forever and talk about the wonderful things that Rickie has done,” said Jags head coach Roger Cador in an earlier statement. “Wherever he goes, he will certainly do justice to his team. This whole team is capable of talented things they can show the big leagues.”
Such talent has found five other Jags drafted by major league teams and one signing with a team already.
The Cincinnati Reds found talent in two of the selectees: Juniors Damian Ursin and Marcus Townsend in the eighth round and 14^th round, respectively.
Ursin ended the season with a 3.25 ERA and in 36 innings pitched, had 43 strikeouts. Townsend, an outfielder, was fifth on the team in batting with a .358 batting average and was 19-21 in stolen base attempts.
In the 18^th round, the Houston Astros picked up senior first baseman Kevin Vital. Vital is eighth in the nation with 65 runs batted in and his .318 batting average, 16 homers and .676 slugging percentage made the pick a viable one, said Vital.
“I am just glad that I was picked up,” Vital said. “Waiting can be frustrating and now the wait is over. Now I can get my foot in the door.”
Senior third baseman Antoin Gray joined the draftee list by getting selected in the 25^th round by the Chicago White Sox.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Caracas, Venezuela native Fernando Puebla in the 28^th round. The junior shortstop‚s practically stopped everything coming in his direction during the season, which demonstrates why he has a season-ending .942 fielding average.
The Toronto Blue Jays were already waiting for senior Jags pitcher Dewon Day. The team already had control of the Jackson State transfer. Day led the Jags with 1.93 ERA and was 21^st in the nation in pitching.