2012 Houston Astros First-Year Player Draft Information Monday-Wednesday, June 4-6, 2012

HOUSTON SELECTIONS (DAY 1-2): The Houston Astros have selected 16 players through the first two days of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. To date, the Astros have selected four right-handed pitchers, three left-handed pitchers, four infielders, four outfielders and one catcher.

“We are thrilled with the players that we have drafted thus far,” said Astros Assistant GM/Director of Scouting Bobby Heck. “The team has put in a lot of hours of hard work to get to this point and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

The Astros selected 11 of their 16 draft picks out of the collegiate ranks.

Today’s portion of the draft included rounds 2-15 out of a scheduled 40. The final day of the draft will resume tomorrow beginning at 11 a.m. CT and will include rounds 16-40.

TEXAS TIES: The Astros selected right-handed pitcher Brady Rodgers, a Richmond, Texas native, in the 3rd round today out of Arizona State University. Rodgers is a 2009 graduate of Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas. He was a four-time All-District selection, as well as a three-time Fort Bend Herald Pitcher of the Year. Rodgers also earned All-State honors as a junior and senior with the Mustangs. The club also drafted right-handed pitcher Daniel Minor in the 9th round out of Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. Minor earned the district title during his senior season at Dripping Springs High School, going 26-5 with a 1.06 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched.

WALK THIS WAY: In the 8th round today, Houston selected UCLA catcher Tyler Heineman. Heineman, a 2012 semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, joined the Bruins as a preferred walk-on in 2010. This season, the California native hit .351 (68x194) in 54 games with a .994 fielding percentage. His batting average ranked second-best on the team, while his 14 strikeouts were tied for the fewest among Bruins hitters.

ASTROS SELECT CORREA WITH FIRST-OVERALL PICK:

The Astros selected shortstop Carlos Correa with the first-overall pick in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft yesterday.

Correa, 17, played amateur baseball at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in Gurabo, P.R. The 6-foot-4 shortstop is the highest-drafted player ever out of Puerto Rico. That label was held by catcher Ramon Castro, who was picked 17th overall by Houston in 1994. Correa was named a Rawlings First Team All-American this season, in his final year at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy.

“I feel so excited to be the number one pick. I just worked hard to be here,” said Correa, who was one of a select group of amateur players at the MLB Network Studio in Secaucus, NJ, last night. “I feel proud to be here and I’m excited.”

Correa is the first shortstop taken first overall since 2008 (Tim Beckham-TB), and is just the fourth shortstop taken first overall since 1994. Other notable players who were selected as shortstops with the first overall pick were Shawon Dunston (1982-CHC), B.J. Surhoff (1985-MIL), Chipper Jones (1990-ATL), Alex Rodriguez (1993-SEA) and Justin Upton (2005-ARI).

ASTROS SELECT MCCULLERS IN COMPENSATION FIRST ROUND (41ST OVERALL):

The Astros selected right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers with the 41st overall pick in the compensation first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft last night.

McCullers, 18, posted a 13-0 record and a 0.18 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 77.1 innings pitched for Jesuit High School in Tampa, FL. He led his club to the Class 5A state semifinals and picked up the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award in 2012. He also won the 2011 Jackie Robinson Award, which recognizes the country’s top rising senior. McCullers was named an All-American by Louisville Slugger and Baseball America, which ranked him as the 13th overall prospect in the 2012 Draft.

McCullers is the son of former Major League pitcher Lance McCullers, Sr., who played parts of seven seasons with SD (1985-88), NYY (1989-90), DET (1990) and TEX (1992).

The following is the complete list of the Astros 2012 draft selections on Days 1-2:

Rnd (#)     Player                                Pos.      B-T    Ht./Wt.       DOB       Age    School/Hometown                                

1 (1)         Carlos Correa         SS       R-R   6-4/190  9/22/94   17    P.R. Baseball Academy/Gurabo, P.R.

1(41)*      Lance McCullers    RHP     L-R   6-2/205 10/10/93  18    Jesuit High School/Tampa, FL

2 (61)       Nolan Fontana      SS       L-R  5-11/192  6/6/91    20    University of Florida/Winter Garden, FL

3 (96)       Brady Rodgers       RHP     R-R   6-1/195  9/17/90   21    Arizona State/Richmond, TX

4 (129)     Rio Ruiz                   3B       L-R   6-1/180  5/22/94   18    Bishop Amat HS/La Puente, CA

5 (159)     Andrew Aplin         CF       L-L   6-0/194  3/21/91   21    Arizona State/Suisun, CA

6 (189)     Brett Phillips          CF       L-R   6-0/175  5/30/94   18    Seminole HS/Seminole, FL

7 (219)     Preston Tucker       LF       L-L   6-0/220   7/6/90    21    University of Florida/Tampa, FL

8 (249)     Tyler Heineman     C         S-R  5-11/205 6/19/91   20    UCLA/Pacific Palisades, CA

9 (279)     Daniel Minor          RHP     R-R  5-11/188  2/9/91    21    Texas A&M Corpus Christi/Dripping Springs, TX

10 (309)   Joseph Bircher       LHP     L-L   6-4/220  3/27/90   22    Bradley University (IL)/Omaha, NE

11 (339)   Hunter Virant         LHP     R-L   6-3/175  1/22/94   18    Adolfo Camarillo HS (CA)/Camarillo, CA

12 (369)   Terrell Joyce           LF       R-R   6-3/230  5/29/92   20    Florida State College/Newport News, VA

13 (399)   Brian Holmes         LHP     L-L   6-4/205  1/30/91   21    Wake Forest/Lawrenceville, GA

14 (429)   Joseph Sclafani      SS       S-R   5-9/185  4/22/90   22    Dartmouth/Palm City, FL

15 (459)   Erick Gonzalez       RHP     R-R   6-1/175  1/10/92   20    Gateway CC/Gilbert, AZ