A day after the Angels selected LHP Hunter Green out of Kentucky with their first pick (2nd round, 59th overall), on Day 1 of the Amateur Draft, Ric Wilson and staff selected seven consecutive pitchers from rounds 2-8, equaling the most consecutive pitchers selected to open a draft in team history (1999).
With their third round pick (93rd pick overall), the Angels selected right-handed pitcher Kenyan Middleton, a two-sport standout at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR. Standing at 6’3” and weighing 210 pounds, the freshman played shooting guard on the basketball team (11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game). On the mound, he went 2-3 with a 3.42 ERA (42 IP – 16 ER) and one save in 2013 (14 G). The right-hander struck out 45 batters and allowed 23 hits in his only season for the Titans.
A two-sport star at Milwaukie High School, Middleton went 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 55 innings as a senior. He also batted .532 at the plate, hitting seven home runs and stealing 28 bases without being caught, in addition to scoring 20 points per game for the basketball team.
The Halos’ fourth round pick (127th pick overall) was RHP Elliot Morris, a sophomore at Pierce College in Lakewood, WA. Morris, 21, went 4-3 with a 1.76 ERA (66.1 IP – 13 ER) for Pierce, striking out 95 batters while allowing only 44 hits in 12 games (11 starts). Hailing from Federal Way, WA, the birthplace of current Halo catcher Hank Conger, Morris had a 1.58 ERA and 12.4 K/9 in two years at Pierce.
With their fifth round pick, the Angels selected RHP Kyle McGowin, a junior at Savannah State University. McGowin, 21, went 12-2 with a 2.02 ERA (120.1 IP – 27 ER) and two saves last season for the Tigers, striking out 135 (third in Division I) while walking just 30. A semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, McGowin is the first pitcher ever drafted out of SSU. In the MEAC Championship Game against Bethune-Cookman, he threw 10 shutout innings on 144 pitches to earn the win and send Savannah State to the NCAA tournament.
The sixth round featured RHP Harrison Cooney from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 21 appearances on the season (5 starts), Cooney finished with a 6-6 record and a 3.24 ERA in 66.2 innings of work as a junior. The Angels selected yet another pitcher in RHP Garrett Nuss from Seminole State College (FL) with their sixth pick. Halos’ eighth round selection LHP Nate Smith from Furman University (SC). The seven consecutive pitchers selected to open the draft matched the most in club history (1999).
The club took their first position player in the ninth round (8th pick) with catcher Stephen McGee from Florida State University. McGee batted .299 with 8 HRs and 45 RBI in 55 games for the Seminoles during his junior campaign. To round out the second day, the Angels chose RHP Grant Gordon from Missouri State University with their 10th round pick (9th overall pick).
With their third round pick (93rd pick overall), the Angels selected right-handed pitcher Kenyan Middleton, a two-sport standout at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR. Standing at 6’3” and weighing 210 pounds, the freshman played shooting guard on the basketball team (11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game). On the mound, he went 2-3 with a 3.42 ERA (42 IP – 16 ER) and one save in 2013 (14 G). The right-hander struck out 45 batters and allowed 23 hits in his only season for the Titans.
A two-sport star at Milwaukie High School, Middleton went 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 55 innings as a senior. He also batted .532 at the plate, hitting seven home runs and stealing 28 bases without being caught, in addition to scoring 20 points per game for the basketball team.
The Halos’ fourth round pick (127th pick overall) was RHP Elliot Morris, a sophomore at Pierce College in Lakewood, WA. Morris, 21, went 4-3 with a 1.76 ERA (66.1 IP – 13 ER) for Pierce, striking out 95 batters while allowing only 44 hits in 12 games (11 starts). Hailing from Federal Way, WA, the birthplace of current Halo catcher Hank Conger, Morris had a 1.58 ERA and 12.4 K/9 in two years at Pierce.
With their fifth round pick, the Angels selected RHP Kyle McGowin, a junior at Savannah State University. McGowin, 21, went 12-2 with a 2.02 ERA (120.1 IP – 27 ER) and two saves last season for the Tigers, striking out 135 (third in Division I) while walking just 30. A semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, McGowin is the first pitcher ever drafted out of SSU. In the MEAC Championship Game against Bethune-Cookman, he threw 10 shutout innings on 144 pitches to earn the win and send Savannah State to the NCAA tournament.
The sixth round featured RHP Harrison Cooney from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 21 appearances on the season (5 starts), Cooney finished with a 6-6 record and a 3.24 ERA in 66.2 innings of work as a junior. The Angels selected yet another pitcher in RHP Garrett Nuss from Seminole State College (FL) with their sixth pick. Halos’ eighth round selection LHP Nate Smith from Furman University (SC). The seven consecutive pitchers selected to open the draft matched the most in club history (1999).
The club took their first position player in the ninth round (8th pick) with catcher Stephen McGee from Florida State University. McGee batted .299 with 8 HRs and 45 RBI in 55 games for the Seminoles during his junior campaign. To round out the second day, the Angels chose RHP Grant Gordon from Missouri State University with their 10th round pick (9th overall pick).
The Angels selected 30 players on day three of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, as announced by Angels’ Director of Scouting Ric Wilson. The Angels selected LHP Hunter Green (Warren East HS, Bowling Green, KY) with their first overall selection during the second round of the Draft on Thursday and yesterday selected eight players on the Draft’s second day. The club selected seven consecutive pitchers from rounds 2-8, equaling the most consecutive pitchers selected to open a draft in team history (1999). In total, the Angels selected 39 players.
Overall, the club selected 35 college players and four high school players; 21 pitchers (15 RHP, 6 LHP), six infielders, three catchers and nine outfielders.
Among the final draft day's noteworthy picks includes two players with ties to California: LHP Jonah Wesley (11th round, Tracy, CA) & LHP Cole Swanson (19th round, San Diego, CA). Additionally, the Angels selected three players from Furman University (LHP Nate Smith, 8th round, RF Taylor Johnson, 31st round & RHP Dan Tobik, 40th round). Four colleges had two players selected by the Angels: Illinois State - (CF Chad Hinshaw, 15th round & RF Eric Aguilera, 34th round), Texas A&M – Corpus Christi - (RHP Trevor Foss, 22nd round & C Eric Weiss, 35th round), UNLV - (CF Mark Shannon, 24th round & LF Brandon Bayardi, 36th round) & Univ. of Texas – San Antonio (CF Riley Good, 14th round & RHP Clint Sharp, 38th round).
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