Cardinals sign two more 2013 draftees
Colllymore & Higgins boost No. of players signed to 34
ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 20, 2013 - The St. Louis Cardinals signed two more players today from their 2013 draft class, bringing their total number of draftees signed to 34.
Signing today were 10th round pick, infielder Malik Collymore (pronounced mah-LEEK), a Mississauga, Ontario, resident who played at Port Credit Secondary School in Canada and 16th round pick, right-handed pitcher Blake Higgins (Jackson Community College, Mich.).
"Malik is a high ceiling premium athlete," explained Cardinals Scouting Director Dan Kantrovitz. "He played shortstop for the Canadian National team this spring and flashes major league tools across the board. On the bases, he can fly. He's got a good arm and will hit for power. Malik will need some time to grow both offensively and defensively, but with an outstanding work-ethic, we think he will thrive in our system. Charles Peterson, our Upper Midwest scout who joined us in January, was very instrumental in both our thorough evaluation of Malik as well as in establishing a strong relationship with the family."
Higgins, a Mount Pleasant, Mich., native, played collegiately at Jackson Community College in Michigan.
"We are really excited to have landed a high-caliber power arm," said Kantrovitz. "Our scout, Brian Hopkins, did an excellent job of seeing Blake multiple times before he went down with an injury early in the Spring. Brian saw his fastball up to 96 with a real quality curveball. Blake underwent successful Tommy John surgery before the draft and will begin pitching for us in 2014. We are looking forward to getting him healthy and back out on the mound."