The Chicago Cubs yesterday completed the second day of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The club thus far has selected 17 players. The third and final day of the draft is today with rounds 16-40.
The Cubs selected right-handed pitcher Duane Underwood out of Pope High School in Marietta, Ga., in the second round (67th overall) and right-handed pitcher Ryan McNeil out of Nipomo (Calif.) High School in the third round (101st overall).
Underwood, 17, was 6-1 with a 2.36 ERA on the hill, striking out 75 and walking 34 in 50.1 innings pitched this past season for Pope. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder struck out 15 hitters in 6.1 innings of work, March 9 vs. Lassiter. At the plate, Underwood batted .337 (35-for-104) with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 19 RBI. Underwood has committed to the University of Georgia.
McNeil, 18, logged a 1.10 ERA and held the opposition to a .175 batting average last season for Nipomo High School. He struck out 94 hitters in 57.1 innings pitched, good for an average of 14.76 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, while walking just 21 hitters. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound McNeil hit .392 (20-for-51) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 18 RBI. He has committed to Long Beach State University.
The Cubs selected right-handed pitcher Josh Conway out of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., in the fourth round (134th overall). The 21-year-old made nine starts last season, going 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA (13 ER/54.2 IP) and a complete game. He struck out 50, walked just 18 and held the opposition to a .222 batting average. Conway was selected by Atlanta in the 42nd round of the 2009 draft, but did not sign. He was recommended by area scout Keith Lockhart.
With the club’s eighth-round pick, the team selected left-handed pitcher Michael Heesch out of the University of South Carolina Beaufort. A Crystal Lake, Ill., native who graduated from Prairie Ridge High School, the 22-year-old attended the University of Illinois–Chicago for two years before transferring to South Carolina Beaufort. In 2012, he went 9-3 with a 2.21 ERA in 18 games, holding the opponent to a .246 batting average.
Through the first two days, the Cubs have selected 11 pitchers (nine righthanders and two lefthanders), one infielder, three outfielders and two catchers. Additionally, the Cubs have selected 11 college players and six high school players.
Rd. (pick No.) Player Pos. School Birthday B T Ht. Wt.
1 (6) Albert Almora OF Mater Academy Charter School (Fla.) 4/16/1994 R R 6-2 180
1A (43) Pierce Johnson RHP Missouri State University 5/10/1991 R R 6-3 180
1A (56) Paul Blackburn RHP Heritage High School (Calif.) 12/4/1993 R R 6-2 185
2 (67) Duane Underwood RHP Pope High School (Ga.) 7/20/1994 R R 6-2 205
3 (101) Ryan McNeil RHP Nipomo High School (Calif.) 2/1/1994 R R 6-3 210
4 (134) Josh Conway RHP Coastal Carolina University (S.C.) 4/12/1991 R R 6-1 175
5 (164) Anthony Prieto LHP Americas High School (Texas) 11/16/1993 L L 5-11 170
6 (194) Trey Lang RHP Gateway CC (Ariz.) 5/18/1992 R R 6-3 225
7 (224) Stephen Bruno INF University of Virginia 11/17/1990 R R 5-9 175
8 (254) Michael Heesch LHP University of South Carolina Beaufort 5/15/1990 R L 6-5 260
9 (284) Chadd Krist C University of California, Berkeley 1/28/1990 R R 5-11 190
10 (314) Chad Martin RHP Indiana University 5/17/1990 R R 6-7 230
11 (344) Rashad Crawford OF Mundy’s Hill High School (Ga.) 10/15/1993 S R 6-3 185
12 (374) Justin Amlung RHP University of Louisville (Ky.) 5/21/1990 R R 6-1 180
13 (404) Bijan Rademacher OF Orange Coast College (Calif.) 6/15/1991 L L 6-0 200
14 (434) Corbin Hoffner RHP St. Petersburg College (Fla.) 7/30/1993 R R 6-5 235
15 (464) Carlos Escobar C University of Nevada 12/31/1990 R R 6-2 185
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