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posluszny taken by mariners in 34th round

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University right fielder Stan Posluszny was selected in the 34th round by the Seattle Mariners in today’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Yesterday, catcher David Carpenter went in the 12th round to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Posluszny batted .332 with 10 home runs and a team-best 60 RBI as a senior for the Mountaineers. The Aliquippa, Pa., resident finished his career with a school-record 174 runs batted in. He also smacked 33 home runs and had a career .290 batting average.

Posluszny was drafted in the 21st round by the Anaheim Angels in 2004.

He becomes the 57th West Virginia University player selected since baseball began drafting players in 1965.

carpenter taken by cardinals in 12th round

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – David Carpenter was playing cards with his mother and girlfriend when the St. Louis Cardinals called to inform him that he was selected in the 12th round of today’s Major League baseball first-year player draft.

“Our game stopped right then,” laughed Carpenter.

Now the bigger game starts for Carpenter this afternoon.

“St. Louis has a great history and a great organization,” said Carpenter. “They are not only interested in developing your skills, but they are also interested in developing you as a person.”

The junior was the 15th player selected by the Cardinals and the 24th catcher taken during Tuesday’s draft, which culminated after the 18th round. He was the 376th player picked overall.
“I told everyone that I wanted to go in the top 15 rounds so I can’t complain,” Carpenter said.

The Fairmont, W.Va., resident was the only West Virginia University player picked today, although outfielder Stan Posluszny and pitcher Levi Maxwell could be selected tomorrow when the draft resumes at noon and lasts 50 rounds.

Carpenter says he wasn’t surprised that St. Louis had a beat on him.

“I had a lot of contact with them and my workout with them went really well,” he said. “I was impressed with their professionalism.”

Carpenter, an outstanding defensive catcher, boosted his draft stock this spring by hitting .316 with seven home runs and 38 RBI in 58 games for the Mountaineers. In three seasons at WVU he hit 12 home runs and 17 doubles while driving in 65 runs. Defensively, Carpenter threw out 17 of 36 base stealers this season while also picking off 13 runners.

“We’re real happy for David,” said West Virginia coach Greg Van Zant. “Catching is in such short supply from professional baseball all the way down to the Little Leagues. This says a lot for our program to have a player like David who wasn’t drafted out of high school be picked in the 12th round, and it says a lot for all of the hard work David has done to get to this point.”

“The opportunity to play professional baseball has always been a dream of mine,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter becomes the 23rd player recruited by Van Zant to go in the draft, and he’s the highest WVU player taken since outfielder Jarod Rine was picked in the ninth round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2003. Carpenter becomes the 56th WVU player selected since the Major League began drafting players back in 1965.

Carpenter said the Cardinals will meet with him Thursday to begin contract negotiations.

efhs alum and wvu player looks good for mlb draft

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With questions about his hitting now cleared up, West Virginia University’s David Carpenter has a pretty good feeling about this year’s First-Year Player Draft that begins next Tuesday.

“The way people are talking and from what I’ve read, there is a shortage of catchers throughout the minor leagues right now. I’m looking forward to the draft and taking everything in,” said Carpenter.

The junior has heard directly from 18 of the 30 professional organizations and has had workouts with St. Louis and Cincinnati already with another one scheduled with Cleveland at Jacobs Field this weekend. Carpenter had to cancel a workout with the New York Mets because it conflicted with West Virginia’s appearance at the 2006 Big East baseball tournament.

“There are other teams that don’t believe in workouts and they will just call and talk to you and get a feel for your sign-ability,” he said. “They’ve seen enough of you during the season.”

The Fairmont, W.Va., resident has always shown an ability to receive pitches and throw out runners, and questions about his hitting were answered this year after he batted .316 with seven home runs and 38 runs batted in for a 36-22 West Virginia team.

“No one has ever hit 1.000 so everyone has to work on it,” Carpenter reasoned. “I was a little more pleased with it this year that I was able to contribute with the bat as well as out in the field throwing guys out and helping out the pitchers.”

Carpenter has been told by scouts that with additional instruction, hitting shouldn’t be a major problem for him at the professional level.

“They have been telling me to keep working hard and they believe with a little bit of pro instruction the hitting will keep coming along as it did this year,” he said.

Although Carpenter isn’t listed among Baseball America’s Top 200 draft prospects, he is pretty confident his name will be called reasonably high. He also understands to expect the unexpected on draft day.

“A certain team came up to me and I hadn’t heard a thing from them at all,” Carpenter said. “The guy was telling me how much video (they had acquired) and how much the guys in the front office liked me. It was a big surprise to me because I hadn’t heard a word from them.”
Carpenter isn’t the only West Virginia player on the draft board. Right-handed pitcher Levi Maxwell opened eyes late in the year with a strong relief performance at Cincinnati. He comfortably throws in the 90-91 mph range.

“One of the scouting bureau guys and another one from the White Sox gave me questionnaires to fill out (after WVU’s win over the Bearcats),” Maxwell said. “I’ve had other questionnaires, too, but I haven’t talked to anyone directly.”

The Shinnston, W.Va., resident pitched just 33 innings this year for the Mountaineers but has the arm strength pro scouts desire. Maxwell said it has always been a dream of his to play professional baseball.

“I’d like to get drafted but if I don’t I’ve always got that option to come back,” Maxwell said.
The same applies to Carpenter.

“(Returning) is in the back of my mind,” he said. “I really haven’t discussed a round that I would come back to school but that is still an option.”

One thing that is not an option, according to Carpenter, is sitting around his computer all day on Tuesday waiting to see if or when he is picked.

“My dad joked that he’s going to send me on a fishing trip with my best friend. If I go I’ll keep my cell phone with me,” he said.

Senior Stan Posluszny, selected by the Anaheim Angels in the 21st round after his sophomore season in 2004, is a draft candidate after hitting .332 with 10 home runs and 60 RBI in 2006.
Junior Justin Jenkins is another possibility. The Ridgeley, W.Va., resident hit .375 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 58 games with a school-record 94 hits.

The draft begins Tuesday, June 6 at noon and continues through Wednesday. Last year’s draft lasted 50 rounds and 1,501 picks.