Daytona Beach News-Journal, 6/5/12 – Two players affiliated with the Stetson baseball program were selected Tuesday on the second day of the 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft. Relief pitcher Tucker Donahue (Coral Springs, Fla.) was selected 145th overall in the fourth round by the Toronto Blue Jays while NLI signee Alfredo Escalera was taken in the eighth round by the Kansas City Royals.

Donahue became the first Stetson player since Corey Kluber in 2007 to be selected as high as the fourth round. Donahue finished his Stetson career with 110 strikeouts in 76 career appearances and earned a win against NC State to lift the Hatters into the 2011 NCAA Columbia Regional championship game. He was drafted in the 38th round by the Texas Rangers before deciding to return to Stetson for his senior season.

Escalera, part of a deep and talented 14-man signing class for Head Coach Pete Dunn’s squad had his name called 253rd overall in Round 8 by Kansas City after his senior year as a 6’1″ center fielder at the Pendleton School in Bradenton, Fla.

Daytona Beach News-Journal, 6/7/12 – The 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft wrapped up on Wednesday with six Stetson Hatters and two incoming National Letter of Intent signees for Head Coach Pete Dunn’s baseball program being selected in the final 25 rounds. Four of the picks were seniors with two headed to the same organization.

The Baltimore Orioles began Stetson’s afternoon by taking junior catcher Sam Kimmel (West Palm Beach, Fla.) in the 18th round with the 552nd pick overall. Kimmel hit .327 with two doubles, a home run, 26 RBI and nine stolen bases in his first season with the Hatters after transferring from Indian River State College. He earned Second Team All-Atlantic Sun honors at catcher, playing in all 58 games with 57 starts and throwing out 16 attempted base-stealers. Prior to Stetson, the Cincinnati Reds picked Kimmel in the 35th round last June.

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers made senior right-handed pitcher Lindsey Caughel (Orlando, Fla.) their 23rd round pick. Caughel started 15 games in Stetson’s weekend rotation, pitching to a 3.86 ERA with a 7-3 record and 80 strikeouts against just 18 walks in 88.2 innings. A 2011 Second Team All-Atlantic Sun and 2009 A-Sun All-Freshman Team honoree, he had previously drafted in the 35th round last June by the Orioles.

 

Senior pitchers Robbie Powell (Punta Gorda, Fla.) and Jake Boyd (West Palm Beach, Fla.) were drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after their final seasons with the Hatters. Powell, a First Team All-Atlantic Sun selection and Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American, tied the conference record with 18 saves in 2012 and finished with a 1-1 record, 2.05 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 innings across 30 games.

 

He was picked in the 32nd round while Boyd, an All-Conference Academic Team pick who led all Stetson relievers with four victories, was taken by the Angels in the 38th round.

 

 

 

Senior third baseman Ben Carhart (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) was drafted between Powell and Boyd by the Chicago Cubs in Round 35. Carhart led the Hatters with a .339 batting average, 17 doubles and 37 RBI while ranking second on the team with four home runs in 2012. He started all 58 games at third base and earned Second Team All-Atlantic Sun honors.

 

Junior right-handed pitcher Kurt Schluter (Jupiter, Fla.) was the final Hatter drafted this season as the Boston Red Sox selected him in the 39th round. The 2011 A-Sun Pitcher of the Year, Schluter won five games in 2012 and struck out 53 batters in 12 starts and one relief appearance. He was one of four Stetson players to earn All-Conference Academic laurels along with Boyd, Mitchel Brennan and Will Dorsey.

 

Along with the current players, two incoming National Letter of Intent signees were selected Wednesday as well. The Milwaukee Brewers tabbed third baseman Carlos Garmendia from Opa-Locka, Florida’s Monsignor Edward Pace High School in the 19th round while the San Francisco Giants drafted North Broward (Fla.) Prep infielder Kevin Fagan in the 39th round three picks before Schluter went to Boston.

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