D-backs select 5 college pitchers on 2nd day of draft

By foxsports
Published

PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks added five pitchers, one catcher, one infielder and one outfielder on the second day of the Major League Baseball draft.

All five of the pitchers --three right-handed, two lefties -- are college experienced. Third-round pick Jon Duplantier, a right-hander out of Rice, was the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year. Fourth-rounder Curtis Taylor, another right-hander, is out of the University of British Columbia and joins catcher Andrew Yerzy in giving the D-backs two Canadians among their first four picks.

The D-backs selected Auburn center fielder Anfernee Grier and Yerzy on the first day of the draft, which concludes with rounds 11-40 on Saturday. Here are summaries of the players selected on Friday.

--Duplantier, 6-4, 225, RHP, Rice, 3rd round, 89th overall: 7-7 with 3.24 ERA with 148 strikeouts in 17 games for Rice. Averaged 12.0 strikeouts per 9 innings.

--Taylor, 6-6, 215, RHP, British Columbia, 4th round, 119th: 9-4 with 1.96 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings.

--Joey Rose, 6-1, 205, IF, Toms River (N.J.)  North HS, 5th round, 149th: Oklahoma State commit, hit .437 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in senior season.

--Mack Lemieux, 6-3, 205, LHP, Palm Beach State College, 6th round, 179th: 3-3, 1 save, 2.79 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings. Was a 14th-round choice of Washington Nationals in 2015. Distant cousin of hockey great Mario Lemieux.

--Jordan Watson, 6-0, 185, LHP, University of Science & Arts (Okla.), 7th round, 209th: 10-2 with 1.38 ERA and NAIA-leading 176 strikeouts in 16 starts, first-team NAIA All-American.

--Ryan January, 6-3, 195, C, San Jacinto North junior college, 8th round, 239th: .339 average with 10 home runs, 24 doubles and 46 RBI as a freshman at San Jacinto North.

--Tommy Eveld, 6-5, 195, RHP, South Florida, 9th round, 269th: 2.21 ERA with 9 saves and 67 strikeouts as a junior at South Florida. Football recruit as quarterback/wide receiver who switched to baseball after knee injury in 2014.

--Stephen Smith, 6-1, 215, OF, Texas Tech, 10th round, 299th: .325 average with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 39 RBI as a junior at Texas Tech. Starting pitcher in championship game of 2007 Little League World Series.