Although there was no Long Islanders selected on the first night of the draft, the wheels began to go in motion yesterday. Three players with Long Island connections had their names announced–all in the ninth round–Brian Hunter, Chris Pike and Kevin Krause.
We’ll start with Krause, because he is the only one that plays college on the island. Krause, a junior at Stony Brook, was selected with the No. 281 overall pick in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had a tremendous season, which caused him to be named the MVP of Long Island by us.
Krause, a native of Staten Island, led the Sea Wolves in virtually all offensive categories this season. He hit .354 with eight home runs and 51 RBI in 52 games. He compiled an OPS of .991 with terrific plate disciple; 26 walks and only 28 strikeouts. He is an outfielder/catcher, and despite being drafted in the ninth round, he could be a fast-mover, thanks to his combination of discipline and power.
I’ll admit I sort of forgot about Chris Pike–who was selected No. 277 by Tampa Bay. He was a name we heard about a lot in the past. He is a 2010 graduate of Southampton, and led them to two Long Island Championships. He threw five no-hitters during his career, and was clearly not challenged by the competition in Class B.
He went on to play for Fordham University, where he starred as a freshman. He was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team for his 8-1 record with three saves and 70 strikeouts in 93.1 innings.
Pike struggled his sophomore year. His record slipped to 4-2 with a 5.21 ERA in 76 innings. In his junior year, his record fell to 4-6 but it was more of a matter of the team’s struggles. He threw 84 innings with 69 strikeouts and had a 2.95 ERA within Atlantic-10 conference play.
After the season, he transferred to Oklahoma City. After not hearing his name in the beginning of the season, I figured he had been injured but then he threw a perfect game on March 9, which made it clear his best days were not behind him. He had a terrific season, with the team going 10-3 in his starts. He had a 1.89 ERA and yielded only 59 hits in 90.2 innings while striking out 125. He walked only 18 batters. Of his 13 starts, he held the opposition scoreless six times.
Brian Hunter was selected No. 275 by Cincinnati. He is a senior at Hartford and a 2010 graduate of St. John the Baptist. He and Sean Newcomb formed a formidable 1-2 for the Hawks. He had been a two-way starter in 2011-’12 but was exclusively a pitcher this season. In 80 innings of work, he compiled a 4.13 ERA while striking out 64. Hunter was named Second-Team America East.
I anticipate a number of other players selected in the draft’s final day, which includes rounds 11-40. There should also be a couple of high school players selected.
