Missouri State junior outfielder Ryan Mantle, junior relief pitcher Matt Frevert and sophomore pitcher Tim Clubb were chosen in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Draft.
Mantle went as the 567th overall pick in the 19th round to the San Francisco Giants, Frevert was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 28th round, 845th overall, and Clubb was the first pick of the 42nd round, going 1,253rd overall to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Mantle completed his junior season with a .298 batting average and 30 RBIs after starting 52 games in the outfield. He slugged four home runs, three triples and is one of 12 players in school history to hit 20 doubles in a season after knocking that many two-baggers as a junior.
The Bears’ closer the last two seasons, Frevert was 6-1 with eight saves and a 4.19 ERA this season with 42 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. He has a 3.41 ERA and 124 strikeouts in three seasons as a Bear, and his 15 career saves rank second all-time at MSU. A native of Columbia, Mo., Frevert was a first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference choice in 2008.
Clubb, a first-team All-American and MVC Pitcher of the Year, finished his sophomore season 11-0 with a 2.52 ERA. A draft-eligible sophomore after redshirting his first year on campus in 2006, the Eureka, Mo., product set a school record for most wins without a defeat this year and pitched the fourth-highest inning total in school history with 103.2. The righthander’s .850 (17-3) winning percentage in two seasons is good for third in MSU baseball history.
Professional clubs must sign drafted players by August 15 or the rights to that player are lost and they can reenter the draft in 2009. Underclassmen have the option to return to Missouri State.
Information courtesy, MSU sports information.
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