The Milwaukee Brewers selected second baseman Keston Hiura from the University of California, Irvine with their first pick (ninth overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. The announcement was made by Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Johnson.
 
Hiura, a junior at the University of California, Irvine, led the nation with a .442 batting average (88-for-199) and .567 on-base percentage, and tallied 24 doubles, 8 home runs and 42 RBI in 56 games this season. He is a business economics major and was scouted by Area Scout Wynn Pelzer.
 
The second baseman was named the Big West Field Player of the Year, First-Team All-Big West and is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. He led the Big West Conference in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage (.693), doubles and walks (50). In 2016, he owned a 52-game on-base streak (the longest in the country) which included a 19-game hitting streak. Overall, in three seasons with UC Irvine, Hiura batted .375 (236-for-630) with 129 runs, 54 doubles, 22 home runs and 135 RBI in 165 games.
 
The Brewers have selected ninth overall only once before in franchise history. Milwaukee selected Geoff Jenkins from the University of Southern California with the ninth overall pick in the 1995 First-Year Player Draft. Jenkins spent 10 years with the Brewers and hit .277 with 287 doubles, 212 homers and 704 RBI.
 
The Brewers have two more draft picks tonight, coming in the Competitive Balance Round A (#34 overall) and the second round (#46). The MLB Draft, which is comprised of 40 rounds, will continue on Tuesday at noon CT for Rounds 3-10. The Draft will resume on Wednesday for Rounds 11-40 at 11:00 a.m. CT and will continue through its conclusion.