ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 13, 2017 – The St. Louis Cardinals selected eight players on the second day of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Three pitchers, two outfielders, two infielders and one catcher made up their first selections in rounds 3-through-10 that were held today.
Scott Hurst, the Cardinals third round pick out of Cal State Fullerton, is a 5-foot-10, 175 lb., centerfielder. The left-handed-hitting junior is batting a team-leading .332 with 12 home runs, five triples, 15 doubles and 39 RBI in 61 games for the Titans. Named to the Big West Conference First Team, Hurst leads the conference in runs scored (54) and total bases (141), ranks 2nd in home runs, and 3rd in slugging percentage (.585) and triples. Earlier this season, Hurst went 5-for-5 with a school-record four home runs against Cal State-Northridge on May 20. Cal State Fullerton faces Oregon State in their opening game of the College World Series on Saturday, June 17.
Kramer Robertson, the Cardinals fourth round pick out of Louisiana State University, is a 5-foot-10, 166 lb., senior shortstop who was recognized as a Third Team All-American and Second Team All-SEC selection this season. Robertson was batting .319 with eight homers, three triples, 18 doubles, 43 RBI and a Division 1-leading 83 runs scored for the Tigers, who face Florida State in their opening game of the College World Series on Saturday, June 17. As a junior, Robertson was voted Second Team All-American and First Team All-SEC before selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 32nd round of the of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. Prior to LSU, Robertson was an All-American and All-State infielder at Midway High School in Waco, Texas, also playing quarterback for the football team and point guard for the basketball squad. His mother, Kim Mulkey, is the head women’s basketball coach at Baylor University and was a 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in basketball in Los Angeles, Calif. His father, Randy, played quarterback at Louisiana Tech.
Zach Kirtley, the Cardinals fifth round pick out of Saint Mary’s College, is a 6-foot-1, 190 lb., junior second baseman. Recognized as a West Coast Conference Honorable Mention, he batted .292 with five home runs, 16 doubles and 42 RBI in 57 games, while leading the Gaels in walks (43) and on-base percentage (.433). Kirtley was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2015, batting .346 with a team-leading 72 hits, 35 runs, 29 RBI and 12 doubles in 54 games while ranking fourth in the WCC in on-base percentage (.429)
Zach Jackson, the Cardinals sixth round pick out of Winter Haven (Fla.) High School, is a 6-foot-3, 215 lb. catcher. After moving from Haines City (Fla.) High School, the backstop batted .441 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 95 plate appearances as a senior. He signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Florida.
Chase Pinder, the Cardinals seventh round pick out of Clemson University is a 6-foot-1, 190 lb. outfielder. Pinder batted .305 with seven home runs, 16 doubles, 32 RBI and 13 stolen bases for the Tigers in 61 games as a junior, earning All-ACC Third-Team honors. An accomplished studio artist, Chase is a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll majoring in sports communications. He is the younger brother of Oakland Athletics infielder Chad Pinder. His father, Chris, played college baseball at Florida State University and Virginia Commonwealth.
Wilberto Rivera, the Cardinals eighth round pick out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Florida, Puerto Rico, is a 6-foot-3, 207 lb., right-handed pitcher. The 18-year-old committed to play next season at Florida International University.
Evan Kruczynski (pronounced Kruh-zen-ski), the Cardinals ninth round pick out of East Carolina University, is a 6-foot-5, 215 lb. left-handed pitcher. The senior southpaw was a preseason All-American, but pitched in only 10 games due to an ankle injury, going 4-3 with a 4.47 ERA. Last season, the left-hander was 8-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 17 starts for the Pirates, ranking 10th among NCAA pitchers in starts and ERA. He pitched the Pirates to an 8-6 win over Texas Tech in the Lubbock Super Regional.
Brett Seeburger, the Cardinals 10th round pick out of San Diego State University, is a 6-foot-2, 225 lb., left-handed pitcher. The college senior was the 2017 Mountain West Pitcher of the Year and the first Aztec to earn the honor since Stephen Strasburg in 2009. Seeburger went 10-3 with a 4.53 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 15 starts for the Aztecs, leading the MWC in wins, ranking T2nd in starts, 3rd in ERA, T5th in strikeouts, and 7th in opposing batting average (.281)
The Cardinals will complete the 2017 MLB Draft with rounds 11-40 on Wednesday.
2017 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT – RECAP
Rd., Player (overall pick) Pos. B-T Ht. Wt. School Hometown
3. Scott Hurst (94) CF L-R 5-10 175 Cal State University, Fullerton Glendora, Calif.
4. Kramer Robertson (124) SS R-R 5-10 166 Louisiana State University McGregor, Texas
5. Zach Kirtley (154) 2B R-R 6-1 190 St. Mary’s (Calif.) College Highland, Calif.
6. Zach Jackson (184) C L-R 6-3 215 Winter Haven (Fla.) HS Haines City, Fla.
7. Chase Pinder (214) CF R-R 6-1 190 Clemson University Poquoson, Va.
8. Wilberto Rivera (244) RHP R-R 6-3 207 Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy Naranjito, Puerto Rico
9. Evan Kruczynski (274) LHP L-L 6-5 215 East Carolina University Franklin, Wis.
10. Brett Seeburger (304) LHP L-L 6-2 225 San Diego State University Oceanside, Calif.
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