Cubs finish first night of 2015 First-Year Player Draft, select outfielder Ian Happ in first round

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs tonight made two selections in the opening rounds of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including outfielder Ian Happ out of the University of Cincinnati with the ninth overall pick. In the second round (47th overall), the Cubs selected outfielder Donnie Dewees out of the University of North Florida.

Happ was recommended by area scout Daniel Carte, and Dewees was recommended by area scout Tom Clark.

Happ, 20, this season batted .369 (73-for-198) with 47 runs scored, 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 44 RBI for the Bearcats. He walked 49 times to contribute to a .492 on-base percentage, and his .672 slugging mark gave him a 1.164 OPS. Happ led the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and tied for the lead in walks. Additionally, he led his team in runs, hits, doubles, home runs and RBI.

Named a semi-finalist for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, the switch-hitting Happ was recognized as the 2015 AAC Player of the Year, named First Team Academic All-American, Second Team Louisville Slugger All-American and was a unanimous first team All-Conference member as voted on by the league's head coaches.

The six-foot, 205-pound Happ has batted .338 (194-for-574) with 120 runs, 44 doubles, two triples, 25 home runs and 107 RBI in three seasons at Cincinnati. He has drawn more walks (128) than strikeouts (116), contributing to a .463 on-base percentage, and along with his .552 slugging mark has recorded a 1.015 OPS through his junior season. His walks and on-base percentage both rank third-most in school history while his 56 stolen bases are fifth. Happ has seen time in both right field and center field, as well as second base, third base and shortstop.

Dewees, 21, was named a semi-finalist for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and was named the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year. The redshirt sophomore batted .422 (106-for-251) with 88 runs, 12 doubles, eight triples, 18 home runs and 68 RBI in 60 games for North Florida this season. Thanks to 30 walks compared to 16 strikeouts, the left-handed hitter recorded a .483 on-base percentage and a .749 slugging percentage, good for a 1.232 OPS. He led the nation in hits (106), runs, slugging percentage and total bases (188).

Earlier in 2015, Dewees held the nation's longest hitting streak of 31 games, and he recorded two hit streaks of 16 games or more this season, helping the Ospreys to their first Atlantic Sun regular season championship.

Dewees in 2014 hit .340 (51-for-150) with 31 runs, nine doubles, one triple, three homers, 20 RBI and 20 walks for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League. In 2013 with North Florida, the five-foot, 11-inch, 180-pounder was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. A native of Crystal River, Fla., Dewees graduated from Crystal River High School.

The 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continues tomorrow with rounds three-through-10 at 12 p.m. CT and concludes Wednesday with rounds 11-through-40.