Mariners select 8 players on day two of 2015 MLB Draft
Seattle Mariners Director of Amateur Scouting Tom McNamara announced today that the club selected 8 players on the second day of the 2015 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. Rounds 3 to 10 were conducted today and the draft will conclude with rounds 11-40 tomorrow. The Mariners have selected 10 players combined in the first two days of the draft.
In the first 10 rounds, the Mariners have selected six pitchers (all RHP), three infielders and one outfielder. Seven of the 10 draft picks have been college selections and three from high school.
The Mariners selected outfielder Braden Bishop out of the University of Washington with their 3rd-round pick (No. 94 overall). Bishop hit .293 (154x525) with 26 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, 65 RBI and 42 stolen bases in 149 games during his college career with the Huskies. He was a 2015 All-Pac-12 first-team selection and two-time All-Pac-12 Defensive selection (2014 & 2015). As a junior in 2015 the center fielder hit .295 (57x193) with 14 doubles, 4 home runs and 25 RBI in 49 games. His 43 career hit-by-pitches rank 2nd in Husky baseball history. Bishop is the 12th player selected by the Mariners out of the University of Washington, and first since current Tacoma Rainiers RHP Forrest Snow (36th round 2010).
Right-handed pitcher Dylan Thompson out of Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, SC was selected 125th overall (4th round). Thompson compiled a 16-4 record (6-2 as a sophomore, 5-1 as a junior and 5-1 as a senior), and never had an ERA above 1.99 and struck out 173 batters in that time frame and he was named to the South Carolina Select team this season.
Shortstop Drew Jackson was selected in the 5th round (155th overall) out of Stanford University. As a junior in 2015 Jackson hit .320 (47x147) in 40 games/39 starts. He was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention. He was also selected in the 37th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Miramonte High School in Orinda, CA. His brother, Brett, was a first round selection by the Cubs in the 2009 MLB Draft out of the University of California and has appeared in 51 MLB games with the Cubs and Diamondbacks.
Right-handed pitcher Kyle Wilcox was selected in the 6th round (185th overall) out of Bryant University in Rhode Island. As a junior in 2015 Wilcox posted a 7-3 record with a 3.24 ERA (29 ER, 80.2 IP) in 15 games/14 starts. In three seasons at Bryant he was 10-6, 3.40 ERA (58 ER, 153.1 IP) and recorded 110 strikeouts. He was named the 2015 Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year. He is a native of Sandy Hook, CT and attended Newton High School.
First baseman Ryan Uhl was selected in the 7th round (215th overall) out of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Uhl led the Division II Crimson Hawks with 29 home runs and 74 RBI in 44 games, batting .415 (59x142). He is a finalist for the 2015 Tino Martinez Award presented annually to the top Division II player in the nation. In four seasons at IUP he combined to bat .337 (177x525) while setting school records in home runs (42) and slugging percentage (.646). He is a native of St. Marys, PA and attended the same high school (St. Marys) as current Mariners LHP Joe Beimel.
Right-handed pitcher Cody Mobley out of Mount Vernon High School in Indiana was selected in the 8th round (245th overall). Mobley went 6-2 with 1 save and a 1.69 ERA (13 ER, 54.0 IP) in 12 pitching appearances as a senior. He recorded 104 strikeouts for a 17.33 K/9.0 IP average. He was named a Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and 2nd-team All-Central Region. He was named an All-Big Eight Conference and All-Southwest Indiana All-Star in 2014 and 2015. He signed a national letter of intent to play college baseball at the University of Evansville.
First baseman/third baseman Conner Hale out of LSU was selected in the 9th round (275th overall). Hale, who is still playing as LSU has advanced to the College World Series, is batting .343 (86x251) with 17 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs and 56 RBI in 61 games for the Tigers. He led the Tigers with 18 multi-RBI games and recorded 24 multi-hit games. He made starts at third base (48 G), first base (8 G), second base (4 G) and designated hitter (1 G). Hale was named to the Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team and was a 2015 All-SEC selection. Prior to his senior season Mobley was named a Cape Code League All-Star batting .327 (56x171) with the Falmouth Commodores. Hale transferred to LSU from State College of Florida and is a product of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, FL.
Right-handed pitcher Darin Gillies out of Arizona State University was selected in the 10th round (305th overall) to round out the second day of the draft. Gillies made 84 career appearances as a Sun Devil, ranking 6th in the storied history of the program. As a senior in 2015 he posted a 3-6 record with a 3.83 ERA (21 ER, 49.1 IP) in 28 appearances (3 starts). He was a three-time All-Pac-12 Academic selection and recently graduated from ASU with a Bachelor's of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology.
The 2015 Draft concludes tomorrow with rounds 11-40, beginning at 9:00 am PT. On Twitter, the official Draft Twitter account, @MLBDraft, will provide up-to-the-moment updates and commentary while @MLBDraftTracker will tweet all picks as they are made