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Associated Press
Clemson freshman left-hander Chris Dwyer was selected in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. Dwyer was one of four Tigers — all of them pitchers — on the second day of the draft.
SECAUCUS, N.J. — After a grand total of one player from either Clemson or South Carolina, Tigers junior first baseman Ben Paulsen, was selected on the first day of the Major League Baseball amateur draft, it didn’t take long to get the ball rolling for the Palmetto State rivals on day two.
Just 11 picks into the fourth round, the first round of selections on Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals chose Clemson freshman left-hander Chris Dwyer with the 122nd overall pick.
By the time the day ended, seven total players — four Tigers and three Gamecocks — from the state’s two major universities were off the board.
Dwyer, the first draft-eligible freshman at a four-year college since the draft was instituted in 1965, finished the 2009 campaign with a 5-6 record and a 4.92 ERA. The Swampscott, Mass. native led the Tiger pitching staff in starts, complete games and strikeouts, after opting to come to Clemson despite being drafted in the 36th round by the New York Yankees a year ago.
“We liked him last year, but went a different direction and he obviously ended up at Clemson,” Royals scouting director J.J. Picollo told The Associated Press. “He's a quality pitcher and when we looked at the board, as I'm sure a lot teams probably did, with the break we had after three rounds he was a guy we liked and was still on the board.”
Although he was only a freshman in 2009, Dwyer was draft-eligible since he is already 21 years old.
The next Tiger to be selected on Wednesday was senior left-hander Ryan Hinson, who was chosen in the 10th round with the 294th overall pick by the San Diego Padres.
It marked the third time the Rock Hill native has been drafted, as the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him in the 31st round in 2008 and in the 28th round by the Boston Red Sox out of high school in 2005. Hinson had a 2-1 record and 3.76 ERA over a team-high 28 appearances (two starts) in 2009.
Another Clemson pitcher, sophomore right-hander Graham Stoneburner, was drafted in the 14th round with the 435th overall pick by the New York Yankees.
Stoneburner had a 7-4 record, 3.52 ERA and one save in 64.0 innings pitched over 20 appearances (seven starts) in 2009.
The final Tiger chosen on day two was senior right-hander Trey Delk, who was selected in the 29th round (883rd overall pick) by the Chicago White Sox. The Elgin native had a 4-1 record and 3.44 ERA in 49.2 innings pitched over 11 starts this season.
The first Gamecock selected was junior catcher Justin Dalles, who was the No. 176 overall pick in the sixth round by the Baltimore Orioles. Dalles had been drafted three previous times, but this marked his highest selection.
Dalles earned second team All-SEC honors this past season after hitting .324 with 15 home runs and 47 RBI. He was also part of the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team after batting .589 with three homers in the Greenville (N.C.) Regional.
South Carolina sophomore right-handed pitcher Sam Dyson was picked in the 10th round with the 303rd overall selection by the Oakland Athletics.
Dyson was a frontline starter for Carolina this season and compiled a 9-4 record with a 5.21 ERA and hurled a team-high 102 innings. In his two-year career to date, Dyson owns a 17-4 record and has 138 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched.
Gamecocks junior outfielder DeAngelo Mack was selected in the 13th round with the 405th overall pick by the New York Yankees. Mack earned second team All-SEC honors this season after leading the team with a .361 batting average to go along with 14 homers and 60 RBI.
The first 30 rounds of the draft were held on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the last 20 rounds will be held today.
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