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UNC-Pembroke's Edgerton tapped in ninth round

Though the Braves did not extend their tradition of selecting hometown products during the early portion of the First-Year Player Draft, they have focused heavily on the Carolinas.

When University of North Carolina-Pembroke third baseman Jordan Edgerton was selected in the ninth round on Friday afternoon, he became the fourth player the Braves drafted from either North Carolina or South Carolina, which are both monitored by scout Billy Best.

Best was also credited with finding three of the club's first four draftees -- Braxton Davidson, Max Povse and Chad Sobotka.

"Every year is different; they come from different places," Braves director of scouting Tony DeMacio said. "This year, the way the board works, it just so happens that Billy Best is getting guys. [Midwest scout] Gerald Turner has gotten guys in the past. That's just the way it is. We're not picking high. We're trying to make the most of what we've got."

Edgerton earned All-American honors for a second straight season after hitting .352 with a career-best 11 home runs this season. He struck out just nine times in 222 at-bats and was successful with 13 of his 16 stolen base attempts.

During his three-year career at Pembroke, Edgerton hit .352 (208-for-591) with 69 extra-base hits. One drawback has been his defense, as evidenced by the 17 errors he made in 185 chances this past season.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com.
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