NEW ORLEANS – A total of 17 Sun Belt Conference baseball student-athletes were drafted over the weekend in the 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. Three student-athletes were chosen on day two and an additional 14 were selected in the drafts final day.
Ryan Scott of Little Rock was the highest drafted as he went in the seventh round to the Boston Red Sox. Scott was joined by UT Arlington’s Matt McLean as he was selected just two rounds later by the Red Sox. Lucas Humpal was the other Sun Belt student-athlete to be selected on day two as he went to the Baltimore Orioles just three picks after McLean.
Granger Studdard of Texas State and Jordan Wren of Georgia Southern were selected by the Red Sox on the final day giving the Red Sox four former Sun Belt standouts.
UTA’s Joel Kuhnel started off the selections on Saturday going in the 11th round, pick 318 overall to the Cincinnati Reds. UL Lafayette’s Reagan Bazar was chosen in the 17th round by the Giants and Cole Billingsley was taken in the 19th round by the San Francisco Giants.
The Bobcats led all Sun Belt teams with four total draft selections. UL Lafayette had three selections while South Alabama and UTA added two apiece.
The Sun Belt draft total is improved when adding Coastal Carolina to the mix as a total of six Chanticleers were drafted this season. CCU officially joins the league on July 1.
2016 MLB Draftees
Ryan Scott, Little Rock
7th round, pick 208 - Boston Red Sox
Matt McLean, UT Arlington
9th round, pick 268 - Boston Red Sox
Lucas Humpal, Texas State
9th round, pick 271 - Baltimore Orioles
Joel Kuhnel - UT Arlington
11th round, pick 318 - Cincinnati Reds
Reagan Bazar - UL Lafayette
17th round, pick 515 - San Francisco Giants
Cole Billingsley - South Alabama
19th round, pick 571 - Baltimore Orioles
Stefan Trosclair - UL Lafayette
20th round, pick 616 - St. Louis Cardinals
Jonathan Hennigan - Texas State
21st round, pick 617 - Philadelphia Phillies
Granger Studdard - Texas State
22nd round, pick 658 - Boston Red Sox
Kevin Hill - South Alabama
25th round, pick 757 - Houston Astros
Tanner Hill - Texas State
26th round, pick 779 - Arizona Diamondbacks
Eric Carter - UL Lafayette
26th round, pick 796 - St. Louis Cardinals
Joey Roach - Georgia State
31st round, Pick 930 - Tampa Bay Rays
Brayden Bouchey - UL Monroe
33rd round, pick 1,002 - Toronto Blue Jays
Lucas Brown - Troy
34th round, pick 1,021 - Baltimore Orioles
Pasquale Mazzoccoli - Texas State
35th round, pick 1,065 - Pittsburgh Pirates
Jordan Wren - Georgia Southern
36th round, pick 1,078 - Boston Red Sox
Michael Paez, Coastal Carolina
4th round, pick 130 - New York Mets
Zach Remillard, Coastal Carolina
10th round, pick 296 - Chicago White Sox
Mike Morrison, Coastal Carolina
27th round, pick 806 - Chicago White Sox
Alex Cunningham, Coastal Carolina
28th round, pick 835 - Detroit Tigers
George Young, Coastal Carolina
31st round, pick 924 - San Diego Padres
Connor Owings, Coastal Carolina
34th round, pick 1,019 - Arizona Diamondbacks