Junior Zach Rosenbaum was the first Charlotte player this season selected in the 2008 Amateur Baseball Draft. |
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Four Niners Selected in 2008 Amateur Baseball Draft
June 6, 2008
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - Following three draft picks in 2008, the Charlotte 49ers baseball program saw four names selected in day two of the 2008 Amateur Baseball Draft. Junior right-handed pitcher Zach Rosenbaum went on the board first, selected by the New York Mets in the 19th round, while seniors Shayne Moody, Brad McElroy and Chris Taylor were drafted by Atlanta, Toronto and St. Louis respectively.
Rosenbaum had his best season in 2007, when he finished with season highs for wins, appearances, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. He was 9-1 that season, with a 3.33 ERA in 15 starts. In 81 innings pitched, he struck out 60 and allowed 23 walks. This past season, the Charlotte native and former North Mecklenburg Viking standout battled injuries and finished 5-2 with a 4.34 ERA and his first career complete game. In 64.1 innings, he struck out 41 and walked 40. For his career, he is 16-5 in 27 starts, with a 3.93 ERA. In 167.1 career innings, he has recorded 111 strikeouts. If he signs and plays this summer for the New York system, he would join John Maine as another former Niner affiliated with that club.
Moody, who hails from Midland, Texas, led the Atlantic 10 in hits, at-bats and plate appearances. He was the 2007 Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. He was known for his flashy defense and clutch hitting. He has put together consecutive seasons with 167 assists, the most of any player in that span. He has started 118 games in two seasons, with a .317 average, 88 runs, 23 doubles and 26 stolen bases. He was the toughest player on the roster to strike out last year, with just 19 strikeouts in 261 at-bats. He was the 730th pick overall by the Braves in the 24th round.
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McElroy, an Ontario native, has Charlotte's best-ever career batting average, at .392, after a 5-for-5 performance and six walks in the Raleigh, N.C. Regional last weekend to take first place. He recorded a 29-game hitting streak this season, the second longest in school history. He was a Third-Team All-America selection last year, earning First-Team All-Region Honors, becoming the seventh Niner in team history to hit .400 or better (.401). He led the team and the conference in hits, runs, doubles and RBI. For his two-year career at Charlotte, McElroy had 120 runs, 114 RBI, 42 doubles and 33 stolen bases in 35 tries. He was the 759th pick overall in the 25th Round by the Blue Jays.
Taylor, the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year and first-team all-league selection, set personal bests with 19 home runs and 70 RBI in his senior season. The former Mt. Pleasant High Tiger was selected to the Louisville Slugger/TPX All-America Third Team a week ago and led the Atlantic 10 in home runs with 19 this season. He was the second-team designated hitter in 2007 for the league, and was one of two Niners on the All-Raleigh Regional team this season. With three hits in his final game of his career, he finished with 264 for his career, the fifth-most career total in team history. His 65 doubles and 208 RBI rank third and 35 home runs are fifth for a Charlotte career. Taylor's last home game was a memorable one, as he hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the tenth in Charlotte's 2-1 win over Rhode Island to clinch the conference championship. He was drafted by the Cardinals as pick number 1,354 in the 45th round.
Charlotte finished 43-16 in 2008, winning 40-plus games in back-to-back seasons, a first for the program. Charlotte set the school record with a .333 batting average en route to back-to-back Atlantic 10 Regular Season and Tournament titles, and consecutive appearances in the NCAA Postseason.
