BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Six Hilltopper baseball players heard their names called in the Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft this past June, and even though five of them are no longer playing at WKU they are still helping the program in more ways than one.
“Finishing in the Top 25 and having six kids drafted kind of put the icing on the cake of a great 2009 season,” WKU head coach Chris Finwood said. “It’s helped us from a recruiting standpoint and from a recognition standpoint. Now our job is to take it and try to continue to be that type of program.”
WKU seniors J.B. Paxson, Chad Cregar, Terrence Dayleg and Evan Teague, as well as juniors Wade Gaynor and Matt Ridings were selected in the 50-round draft, and all but Ridings have moved forward with their professional careers.
Gaynor became the highest-drafted player in WKU baseball history when he was taken in the third round by the Detroit Tigers. He set numerous offensive records at WKU and was named an All-American in 2009. He hit .371 with 20 doubles and 25 home runs in his junior campaign, and his runs scored total of 83 was good for fourth in the nation.
After signing a professional contract he played 67 games for the Oneonta Tigers, a Class A Short-Season affiliate of the Tigers in the New York-Penn League. He knocked 10 doubles and three home runs, as well as scored 37 times and drove in 23 runs. He also swiped eight bases in 11 attempts and drew 21 walks.
Paxson was taken in the 13th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting .345 with five home runs and 24 RBI for WKU in 2009. He finished his career on the Hill with 17 round-trippers and 81 RBI. He mainly played behind the plate, but also saw time on the mound in his senior season. The Dodgers had him pitch out of the bullpen for the Ogden Raptors in the Rookie Pioneer League after they selected him in the draft, and he made 17 appearances and logged 29.1 innings. He fanned 29 hitters while on the mound and also saved three games.
Cregar was selected two rounds after Paxson by the Florida Marlins, and he appeared in eight games for the Jamestown Jammers of the Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League before his season was cut short due to injury. Cregar was an offensive force for WKU for two seasons, hitting .343 with 40 home runs, 28 doubles and 145 RBI in his Hilltopper career.
Dayleg also became a Marlins farmhand when he was taken in the 22nd round of the draft. He spent a majority of the season in the Rookie Gulf Coast League, but also saw action in the Low Class A South-Atlantic League. Dayleg hit .269 and drove in 19 runs in 35 games for the Gulf Coast League Marlins.
Teague, a valuable arm out of the bullpen for WKU in 2009, enjoyed success at the start of his professional career in the Toronto Blue Jays’ farm system. A 35th-round selection, Teague made 22 appearances for teams at two different levels, holding opponents to a .232 batting average and striking out 30 in 28.1 innings pitched. He pitched 40.2 innings for the Hilltoppers in 2009, compiling a 3.32 ERA and allowing just 10 extra-base hits.
Ridings was selected in the 25th round by the Washington Nationals, but elected not to sign a professional contract and will be back in a WKU uniform for his senior season in 2010. The right-hander was 8-2 with a 4.84 ERA for the Hilltoppers in 2009, logging 102.1 innings and notching 93 strikeouts. His 264 strikeouts at WKU are good for a tie for most all-time.
In addition to the six MLB draft selections, former Hilltopper pitcher Ben Paxton began his professional career in the independent Frontier League with the Evansville Otters. He had an outstanding season for the Otters, compiling a miniscule 1.12 ERA and scattering 28 singles out of his 34 hits allowed. In recognition of his work in Evansville, Baseball America named him the fourth-best prospect in all of independent league baseball after the season.
“Ten About ‘10” Series Continues Thursday: The “Ten About ‘10” feature series detailing for fans 10 aspects of the 2010 WKU Hilltopper baseball team will continue on Thursday with item number five. A different element of the 2010 Hilltoppers will be highlighted each weekday, leading up to the start of the Fall World Series on November 5. Item number one will be revealed on Wednesday, November 4. Keep checking the website each day to find out what’s ahead for the baseball team in 2010. If you missed any of the previous stories in the countdown, you can catch up by clicking on the links at the top of the page.
Paul Orberson Baseball Clubhouse Photo Gallery Updated: More pictures have been added to the photo gallery following the construction of the new baseball clubhouse at Nick Denes Field. Photos will continue to be added throughout the construction process, and the gallery can be accessed at the link on the baseball home page.
