Aaron Blair fulfilled a life long dream Thursday night as he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Major League Baseball draft. The 36th overall pick in the Competitive Balance Round A, Blair becomes the highest ever selection for Marshall's baseball program.
Blair gained national attention in the Cape Cod League between his sophomore and junior seasons. Widely regard as the premier collegiate wooden bat league, Blair punched up a 6-0 record with an ERA of 1.17 and 44 strikeouts over 38.1 innings.
Blair's summer success carried over to his junior year at Marshall as the 6-foot-5, 220 pound right hander was named a All Conference USA First Team selection. Leading the Thundering Herd's pitching staff, Blair accumulated a 2.85 ERA over 82 innings pitched with 84 strikeouts and 36 walks. In thirteen starts opposing batters only hit .198 against him.
Arizona selected Blair with their second pick despite his positive test for Adderal during pre-draft testing, a banned substance in MLB. According to a Baseball America report Blair's Adderal use was a one time indiscretion.
Blair's fastball reaches the mid nineties and is accompanied by a strong change up with two other plus breaking pitches. As a junior Blair has the option of returning to Marshall for his senior year although, he is likely to sign with Arizona before the July 12th deadline.
No comments:
Post a Comment