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Rays sign four Day 2 Draft picks

James (sixth round), Franco (seventh), Miles (eighth), Pike (ninth) all agree

The Tampa Bay Rays announced Sunday night that they have signed four of their first 10 selections from the 2014 First-Year Player Draft.

The signees include catcher Mac James (sixth round), right-hander Mike Franco (seventh round), third baseman Daniel Miles (eighth round) and right-hander Chris Pike (ninth round).

James was the first catcher selected by the Rays out of Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners with a .330 batting average this season as a junior. He has started at five different positions, but is primarily a catcher or first baseman.

Franco, from Florida International, posted a 1.09 ERA this season as a senior, the second-best mark in Division I, and struck out 112 batters. The 22-year-old right-hander spent his first two seasons at Howard Junior College in Texas and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012.

Miles, a senior from Tennessee Tech, hit .380 this season with 17 doubles, 11 home runs and 54 RBIs in 58 games on his way to being named a first-team Louisville Slugger All-American third baseman.

Pike posted a 1.89 ERA and struck out 125 hitters in 90 2/3 innings during his senior season at Oklahoma City University. Pike threw a perfect game on March 7 against St. Gregory's in an NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference game, striking out 18 batters. He followed it up with a no-hitter a week later.

The four signings represent four of the eight players the Rays selected on Day 2 of the Draft.

Alex Halsted is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
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