Rox opt for infield talent in early Day 2 rounds

Club takes SS Hampson in 3rd round, 3B Welker in 4th before run of OFs, arms

June 10th, 2016

DENVER -- After picking pitchers with their first three selections in the 2016 Draft, the Rockies went about choosing quality and depth in all areas on Friday, the second day of the event. Day 2 of the 2016 MLB Draft consists of Rounds 3-10. Follow every Rockies pick live. The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 10 a.m. MT.
The picks come a day after the Rockies took three pitchers -- righty Riley Pint of Overland Park (Kan.) St. Thomas Aquinas High at fourth overall, University of Georgia righty Robert Tyler at No. 38 overall in the Lottery A round and Vanderbilt left-hander Ben Bowden 45th overall in the second round. The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 10 a.m. MT.
Here are the Day 2 picks:
:: Complete 2016 Draft coverage ::
Round 3 (81st overall), Garrett Hampson, SS, Cal State Long Beach
Hampson, 21, hit .302 with a .387 on-base percentage, a .395 slugging percentage and was 23-for-31 on stolen-base attempts as a junior in 2016, with two home runs and 26 RBIs. According to scouting reports, Hampson has above-average speed that could make him a top-of-the-lineup threat, and enough range and arm to play short, although he could easily move to second.
Hampson played second, short and third for the USA Collegiate National team last summer in the Americas Baseball Festival in Cary, N.C. He hit .233 in 30 at-bats with five runs scored and went 3-for-3 on stolen-base attempts.
It's not the first time the Rockies have grabbed a Long Beach State shortstop. They nabbed Troy Tulowitzki with their top pick in 2005.
Round 4 (110th overall), Colton Welker, 3B, Parkland (Fla.) Stoneman Douglas
Welker, ranked No. 170 among MLB.com Draft prospects, led his school -- the same one that produced Cubs star Anthony Rizzo -- to a state championship and was named Broward County Player of the Year.

Going into the Draft, some felt Welker -- who played shortstop in high school but has a big body (6-foot, 205 pounds) and power bat that will give him many positional possibilities -- would be difficult to sign since he is committed to the University of Miami. But the Rockies have a history of creativity with the bonus pool, and rarely miss out on signing a player in the upper rounds.
Round 5 (140th overall), Brian Serven, C, Arizona State
A starter since his freshman year, Serven, a 21-year-old junior, was considered one of the nation's top defensive catchers this past season, as he threw out 41 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Serven started all but one of the Sun Devils' 59 games, hitting .293 with four home runs while finishing second on the team with 36 RBIs.

Round 6 (170th overall), Willie Abreu, OF, University of Miami
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Abreu entered Friday's NCAA Super Regional with 12 home runs and a team-leading 55 RBIs. A Reds 14th-round pick in 2013 out of high school, Abreu could become a fast riser if he can improve at making contact, and he has the size/speed combination that could allow him to play right field.
Round 7 (200th overall), Reid Humphreys, RHP, Mississippi State
The Rockies selected Humphreys as a pitcher, and he earned seven saves for the Bulldogs. Because of 2012 Tommy John right elbow surgery, much of his career was spent playing the outfield. He hit .317 with five homers and 44 RBIs in 2016, but on the mound, his 28 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings this year indicate that his arm is back.
Round 8 (230th overall), Ty Culbreth, LHP, Texas
As a senior in 2016, Culbreth went 8-4 with a 3.74 ERA and a 4.58 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 86 2/3 innings. Culbreth also has extensive experience. He took advantage of the educational opportunity by graduating with a degree in physical culture and sports, and a minor in business.
Round 9 (260th overall), Justin Calomeni, RHP, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
In addition to displaying a solid fastball, Calomeni, 20, throws a changeup and a slider that, during the collegiate season, helped him to a 5-2 record with a 2.95 ERA and eight saves while making all but one of his 23 appearances in relief.

Round 10 (290th overall), Vince Fernandez, OF, University of California-Riverside
Fernandez hit .340 with eight home runs, nine doubles, one triple, 42 RBIs and a .431 on-base percentage as a junior.