Kutztown's Darin Gorski (left) and Mercyhurst's Jamie Walczak (right), the top two PSAC players taken in the 2009 MLB draft.
Six total players from PSAC schools were drafted in this year's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which wrapped up with the final 20 rounds on Thursday afternoon. Four players were selected on Wednesday, which consisted of rounds 4-30, while two more players were picked on Thursday when rounds 31-50 were held.
The six players selected marks the most PSAC players taken in the MLB draft since the 2000 draft, when seven player were chosen from PSAC schools. The six players also is tied for the second-most PSAC players taken in any regular June portion of any single draft along with the 1976, 1979, 1987 and 1995 drafts. In addition to 2000, more than six players have been taken just once, that being in 1969, however some of those selections came in two other now discontinued phases of the draft in addition to the regular June draft, which is the only MLB draft held now.
Darin Gorski of Kutztown, Matt Adams of Slippery Rock, and Mercyhurst teammates Jamie Walczak and Steven Grife were all drafted on Wednesday between the seventh and 26th rounds. Derek Kline of Millersville was taken on Thursday in the 34th round while East Stroudsburg's Mark Angelo was picked in the 44th round.
Kutztown left-handed pitcher Darin Gorski, the 2009 PSAC East Pitcher of the Year, was selected by the New York Mets in the seventh round, becoming the first player from a PSAC school to be drafted this year. Gorski was taken with the 23rd pick of the seventh round and the 224th pick overall.
Mercyhurst outfielder/relief pitcher Jamie Walczak was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 15th round. Walczak, who was a first team All-PSAC West selection this year as both an outfielder and as a relief pitcher, was drafted as a pitcher. He was the eighth pick of the 15th round and the 449th overall selection.
Slippery Rock catcher/first baseman standout Matt Adams, who led the country in hitting at .495 and was named the Daktronics, Inc. National Division II Player of the Year this year, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 18th pick of the 23rd round, the 699th overall pick. Adams was also named the PSAC West Player of the Year and was a first team All-PSAC West selection this year.
Mercyhurst had its second player of the draft taken in the 26th round when pitcher Steven Grife was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 29th pick of the round. Grife was the 800th overall pick of the draft. A right-hander, Grife was a second team All-PSAC West selection this year and also tossed a no-hitter against Lake Erie in early April.
Millersville's Derek Kline became the fifth PSAC player to be selected this year and the first from Millersville and the first on Thursday as he was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 34th round. The 1020th overall pick of the draft, Kline was the ninth pick of the 34th round. Kline was selected as a right-handed pitcher but was one of the top two-way players in the PSAC this year as he led the Marauders in hitting at .393 and also had a 2.87 ERA and a 3-3 record on the mound in 37.2 innings. He was a first team All-PSAC East selection as a utility player this year.
Mark Angelo, a graduate student third baseman from East Stroudsburg, was the second PSAC player drafted on Thursday as he was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the second pick of the 44th round, the 1313th overall pick. Angelo, who played his first three years at Division I Bucknell before moving onto ESU for graduate school after graduating from Bucknell, was a All-PSAC East first team pick this year at third base after hitting .421 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI for the Warriors.
PSAC Players Taken in the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft
Darin Gorski, Kutztown (7th round, 224) - New York Mets
Jamie Walczak, Mercyhurst (15th round, 449) - Cincinnati Reds
Matt Adams, Slippery Rock (23rd round, 699) - St. Louis Cardinals
Steven Grife, Mercyhurst (26th round, 800) - Chicago Cubs
Derek Kline, Millersville (34th round, 1020) - Detroit Tigers
Mark Angelo, East Stroudsburg (44th round, 1313) - Seattle Mariners