Four Players Drafted
June 08, 2007 05:33 PM | General
June 8, 2007
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| Kenny Durst |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Pitcher Kenny Durst was on his couch watching television when his roommate Justin Parks told him he had just been drafted in the 15th round by the Colorado Rockies.
Durst, already enrolled in summer school and getting ready for his senior season at West Virginia University, thought Parks was just messing with him.
“I didn’t believe him at first,” Durst said. “Then I got off the couch and went over and looked at the computer and sure enough he was right.”
Durst is one of four West Virginia players taken on the second day of the major league draft that began Thursday afternoon with the first five rounds being televised live on ESPN2. Centerfielder Adam White went in the ninth round to the Cleveland Indians, right-handed pitcher Levi Maxwell was taken in the 18th round by the Chicago White Sox, and shortstop Tyler Kuhn was picked in the 33rd round by the Indians.
White is the highest WVU player selected since outfielder Jarod Rine went in the ninth round to the Baltimore Orioles in 2003. It’s the first time since a school-record six were drafted in 2001 that more than four West Virginia players have gone in the same year.
“I’m thrilled to be selected by a very good organization,” White said.
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| Adam White |
White admits his workout with the Indians last week wasn’t one of his best and he was a little surprised Cleveland wound up picking him.
“They were the last team I worked out for and I guess they saw enough of me this year and liked what they saw,” White said.
Maxwell almost signed a free agent contract with the Anaheim Angels last year and is thrilled to be taken in the 18th round by the White Sox this year.
“Getting a shot at pro baseball is all I’m asking for,” Maxwell said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional baseball.”
Of the three, Durst is obviously the most surprised his name came up having already planned on returning for his senior season at WVU.
“I didn’t even have an idea I might be picked until last night when a scout from the Rockies called me,” Durst said. “I’ve had a chance to talk to (former WVU teammate) David Carpenter and I’ve also talked with my parents. Things are moving pretty fast. I’m in summer school and now we’re talking about moving out west.
“We’ll figure things out in the next couple of days,” Durst said.
White was virtually a lock to be picked in the top 10 rounds after working out for several teams after the end of West Virginia’s regular season on May 19. He was rated the fifth-best prospect in the Mid-Atlantic Region by Baseball America.
He batted .365 as a sophomore while also stealing a team-best 11 bases. White has major league speed and the only question mark is his ability to consistently hit professional pitching.
If White signs, he will most likely join WVU teammate Justin Jenkins at Single-A Mahoning Valley.
“That’s comfortable to know that Justin will be there playing right beside me in the outfield,” White said. “Mahoning Valley is only about three hours away from home so it will be easy for my family to see me play.”
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| Tyler Kuhn |
Kuhn could very well be joining his WVU teammates at Mahoning Valley, too. He hit .332, with five home runs, 15 doubles and a team-best 52 RBI in 2007 as a junior. Kuhn will most likely move to second base in the pros.
“The Indians called me right before the 20th round and asked me what it would take to sign me, I told them, and they wound up drafting another guy they think they can turn into a middle infielder,” Kuhn said. “My plan right now is to go down to the Valley League to play for the Luray Wranglers and then see how things go down there before making up my mind what I want to do.”
Maxwell’s arm strength attracted the interest of professional scouts despite a disappointing junior season in which he posted a 4-5 record with a 6.04 earned run average.
“I had workouts with the Cardinals and the Tigers but this is the first I’ve heard from the White Sox,” Maxwell said.
Durst was 5-5 with a 4.53 earned run average in 14 starts. He struck out 72 while pitching a team-best 89 1/3 innings. Like Maxwell and White, Durst says playing professional baseball has always been a dream of his growing up in Point Pleasant, W.Va.
“Ever since I can remember that’s all I ever thought about,” he said.
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| Levi Maxwell |
Meanwhile, West Virginia quarterback Patrick White was a re-draft selection by the Anaheim Angels in the 27th round. Three years ago, White was a fourth-round draft pick out of high school.
“I appreciate the Angels thinking that highly of me,” White said in a statement released from West Virginia’s Sports Communications office. “But right now I’m concentrating on playing football at West Virginia University.”
Also, WVU baseball signees Tobias Streich of Ridgeway, Pa., was taken in the 26th round by the Oakland A’s and Damian Seguen of North Bergen, N.J., was selected in the 46th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
