PCL1 Omaha Storm Chasers

Royals Select 50 in 2010 Draft

June 9, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release


Kansas City, MO (June 9, 2010) - The Kansas City Royals completed the 2010 First-Year Rule 4 Player Draft today, selecting a total of 50 players over three days.

Kansas City selected Christian Colon, a shortstop from Cal State Fullerton, with the fourth overall pick on Monday. The 6'0", 180 lb. right-handed hitter was recently named to the All-Big West First Team. Colon has compiled a .358 average with 16 home runs, 67 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 61 games for the Titans.

The 21-year old native of Cayey, Puerto Rico, played for Team USA's Collegiate National Team in 2009. He became the first player in the history of the Collegiate National Team to earn the title of captain. Colon led Team USA in hits (34), home runs (5), RBI (37), runs (31) and stolen bases (24) and was named Summer League Player of the Year by Baseball America.

The Royals chose University of Arkansas centerfielder Brett Eibner in round two. The Houston native has batted .337 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI for the Razorbacks. Eibner was named to the watch list for the Olerud Award, which recognizes baseball's best two-way player.

Kansas City selected 20 players on Wednesday, with the first nine selections being pitchers. The group included 38th round selection Nick Graffeo, stepson of hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Graffeo, a graduate of Raytown High School, recently completed his senior year at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Other day three selections include Park University's Darian Sandford in the 47th round and 50th round selection Joseph Jackson, the great-great-great nephew of Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Overall, the club selected nine players out of high school, 41 from the college ranks, including six junior college picks. The 50 players included five sets of teammates: Auburn's Ryan Jenkins and Brian Fletcher, Eric Cantrell and Thomas Zebroski of George Washington University, Daniel Hernandez and Jose Rodriguez of Miami Dade CC, Middle Tennessee State's Alex McClure and William Robertson, and South Carolina's Whitley Merrifield, Parker Bangs and Jordan Propst. The position-by-position breakdown includes: 26 pitchers (21 right-handers, five left-handers), seven catchers, eight infielders and nine outfielders.

Below is a complete list of the players selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 2010 Rule 4 First-Year Player Draft.

RND SEL # NAME DOB POS B T HT WT SCHOOL

1 4 Colon, Christian 5/14/89 SS R R 6'0" 190 Cal State Fullerton

2 54 Eibner, Brett 12/2/88 CF R R 6'3" 205 University of Arkansas

3 86 Antonio, Michael 10/26/91 SS R R 6'2" 190 George Washington HS

4 119 Chapman, Kevin 2/19/88 LHP L L 6'3" 210 University of Florida

5 149 Adam, Jason 8/4/91 RHP R R 6'4" 225 Blue Valley Northwest HS

6 179 Alexander, Scott 7/10/89 LHP L L 6'2" 190 Sonoma State University

7 209 Cantrell, Eric 7/25/89 RHP R R 6'4" 210 George Washington University

8 239 Mariot, Michael 10/20/88 RHP R R 6'0" 190 University of Nebraska

9 269 Merrifield, Whitley 1/24/89 RF R R 6'1" 165 University of South Carolina

10 299 Ferguson, Timothy 10/25/88 OF R R 6'1" 190 University of Mississippi

11 329 McClure, Alex 6/16/89 SS S R 6'0" 185 Middle Tennessee St. Univ.

12 359 Hernandez, Daniel 4/14/89 RHP R R 6'1" 180 Miami Dade CC South

13 389 Gray, Jonathan 11/5/91 RHP R R 6'5" 245 Chandler HS

14 419 Giovenco, Michael 1/14/88 RHP R R 6'6" 235 North Park University

15 449 Mitchell, Jason 3/13/88 RHP R R 6'2" 185 University of Texas-Arlington

16 479 Byrne, Charles 1/26/89 RHP S R 6'3" 185 East Tennessee St. University

17 509 Jenkins, Ryan 1/26/87 C R R 6'2" 220 Auburn University

18 539 Fletcher, Brian 10/26/88 OF R R 6'1" 194 Auburn University

19 569 David, Kevin 4/10/88 C R R 6'1" 205 Oklahoma State University

20 599 Conner, Cam 1/16/88 OF R R 6'1" 205 Indiana University Southeast

21 629 Liberto, Michael 6/21/88 SS R R 5'7" 170 University of Missouri

22 659 Graham, Tyler 10/5/87 RHP R R 6'4" 250 University of Nevada-Reno

23 689 Neff, Steven 2/24/89 LHP L L 6'2" 205 University of South Carolina

24 719 Glazer, Brandon 1/29/92 SS R R 6'3" 190 Clear Spring HS

25 749 Sosnoskie, Merritt 5/23/91 LF L L 6'1" 180 Virginia Tech University

26 779 Dooley, Jonathan 8/22/88 RHP R R 6'0" 205 Henderson State University

27 809 Rodriguez, Jose 11/25/87 CF S R 5'8" 165 Miami Dade South CC

28 839 Watts, Murray 10/9/87 1B L R 6'7" 270 Arkansas State University

29 869 Marquez, Alexander 12/10/92 C R R 5'11" 190 Alfonso Casta Martinez HS

30 899 Blauer, Chad 12/21/87 RHP R R 6'3" 215 Point Loma Nazarene Univ.

31 929 Bangs, Parker 12/22/87 RHP R R 6'4" 210 University of South Carolina

32 959 Hageman, Justin 11/23/91 RHP R R 6'2" 205 Hopkinsville HS

33 989 Lohden, Anthony 6/13/88 RHP R R 6'4" 220 Southern Arkansas University

34 1019 Blackmar, Mark 4/28/92 RHP R R 6'2" 205 Carroll HS

35 1049 Carlson, Kris 10/30/89 RHP R R 6'3" 190 Wenatchee Valley CC

36 1079 Beacom, Mitchell 7/4/89 LHP L L 6'8" 240 UCLA

37 1109 Penny, Robert 11/8/88 RHP L R 6'3"

Pitt CC

38 1139 Graffeo, Nick 12/14/87 RHP R R 6'2" 190 Univ. of Alabama-Birmingham

39 1169 Rivers, Alexander 8/13/88 RHP R R 5'10" 170 Santa Clara University

40 1199 Cornstubble, Dale 3/4/88 C R R 5'11"

Central Michigan University

41 1229 Ridings, Matt 10/17/87 RHP R R 6'0" 190 Western Kentucky University

42 1259 Botelho, Michael 10/3/91 C R R 6'2" 215 Chabot College

43 1289 Wilson, Dillon 12/25/89 LHP L L 6'7" 210 Western Oklahoma State Coll.

44 1319 Payne, Rashawn 7/13/89 2B R R 6'1" 190 Georgia Southern University

45 1349 Zebroski, Thomas 9/8/88 SS R R 5'10" 188 George Washington University

46 1379 Robertson, William 12/22/87 C R R 6'3" 185 Middle Tennessee St. Univ.

47 1409 Sandford, Darian 4/28/87 CF S R 5'9" 170 Park University

48 1439 Hanneman, Jacob 4/29/91 CF L L 6'1" 190 Lone Peak HS

49 1469 Propst, Jordan 9/13/88 RHP R R 6'6" 205 University of South Carolina

50 1499 Jackson, Joseph 5/5/92 C L R 6'1" 180 Mauldin HS

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