COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For the first time since 1993 and only the second time ever the Texas A&M baseball team had two players drafted in the first round of the Major League First-Year Player Draft as Monday juniors Tyler Naquin and Michael Wacha were each selected.
Naquin was selected by the Cleveland Indians with the 15th overall pick while Wacha went to the St. Louis Cardinals with the 19th overall selection. The only other Aggie teammates to go in the first round during the same year were Jeff Granger and Kelly Wunsch in 1993.
Naquin has developed into one of the country’s top all-around players during his time in Aggieland, garnering All-America honors each of the last two seasons. The Spring, Texas, native led the country in hits in 2011 with 104, batting .381 for the year with 23 doubles and seven triples to earn Big 12 Player of the Year accolades.
This season, the rifle-armed outfielder batted .380 while leading the Aggies in runs (56), doubles (18) and triples (6) to garner second team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball. Additionally, he connected on three home runs with 49 RBI while stealing a career-best 21 bases on 26 attempts.
For his career the outfielder was a consistent run-producer, scoring 153 runs and driving in 112 with 69 extra base hits during 187 career games.
In addition to his outstanding credentials at the plate, Naquin’s string arm all but neutralizes opponents’ running games as he’s collected 17 career outfield assists.
Wacha, meanwhile, has been one of the most proficient winners on the pitching mound since he arrived on campus prior to the 2010 campaign. After garnering Freshman All-America honors that season, the Texarkana, Texas, native has garnered All-American accolades each of the last two seasons including second team honors from Collegiate Baseball this spring.
In 2012, Wacha won his first eight starts of the season before finishing the year with an 8-1 record and a 2.06 ERA, the lowest of his career and the lowest among A&M starters. He ranked among the leaders in the Big 12 Conference with 116 strikeouts in 113.1 innings of work.
For his three-year Aggie career, the 6-foot-6 right-hander is 27-7 with a 2.40 ERA and 336 strikeouts, the fourth most all-time at Texas A&M. Additionally, his 27 victories place him in a tie for seventh all-time in school history with former A&M great Casey Fossum.
The MLB draft continues Tuesday with rounds 2-15 before concluding on Wednesday when rounds 16-40 are unveiled.
