Chase Johnson Tops List of 13 Knights MLB Draftees.
June 9, 2013Cal Poly Pitcher Selected by San Francisco in Third Round
Cal Poly junior pitcher Chase Johnson and teammate Jimmy Allen (pictured), key players on the Knights' 2011 West Coast League championship team, were among 13 alums selected this past weekend in the annual Major League Baseball draft.
"Once again the draft validates the high quality of coaching our players get at our partner schools before they ever get to Corvallis," Knights' president Dan Segel said. "And it illustrates our commitment to bringing in high caliber players for the best fans in the West Coast League to enjoy, year after year."
A right-hander, Johnson went to San Francisco in the third round as the 101st overall pick. There's a good chance he'll play for their Northwest League short-season Class A affiliate, the nearby Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, this summer.
Other draftees with ties to the Knights are:
* Oregon State left-handed pitcher Ben Wetzler (2011), drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round as the 151st overall pick.
* OSU lefty Matt Boyd (2010), drafted by Toronto in the sixth round as the 175th overall pick.
* UC Riverside right-handed pitcher Trevor Frank (2012), drafted by Cleveland in the eighth round as the 231st overall pick.
* Oregon righty closer Jimmie Sherfy (2011), to Arizona in the 10th round as the 300th overall pick.
* OSU first baseman Danny Hayes (2009), to the Chicago White Sox in the 13th round as the 393rd overall pick.
* OSU pitcher Scott Schultz (2011), drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 17th round as the 502nd selection.
* OSU catcher Jake Rodriguez (2009), taken by Houston in the 19th round as the 557th pick.
* Allen, a third baseman, went to Boston in the 23rd round as the 683rd overall pick.
* Missouri Western State third baseman Grant Fink (2011), to Cleveland in the 23rd round as the 681st pick.
* Western Oregon pitcher A.J. Burke (2012), selected by Oakland in the 31st round as the 941st overall pick.
* Pacific Lutheran pitcher Max Beatty (2012), picked by San Diego in the 32nd round as the 958th overall selection.
* Santa Clara shortstop Justin Viele (2010), to Baltimore in the 37th round as the 1,119th pick.
List of 2013 draftees
- 3rd round, Chase Johnson (Cal Poly), Giants
- 5th round, Ben Wetzler (OSU), Phillies
- 6th round, Matt Boyd (OSU), Blue Jays
- 8th round, Trevor Frank (UC Riverside), Indians
- 10th round, Jimmie Sherfy (Oregon), Diamondbacks
- 13th round, Danny Hayes (OSU), White Sox
- 17th round, Scott Schultz (OSU), Marlins
- 19th round, Jake Rodriguez (OSU), Astros
- 23rd round, Grant Fink (Missouri Western State), Indians
- 23rd round, Jimmy Allen (Cal Poly), Red Sox
- 31st round, AJ Burke (Western Oregon), A's
- 32nd round, Max Beatty (PLU), Padres
- 37th round, Justin Viele (Santa Clara), Orioles
Also, alum Greg Mahle's (2012) younger brother, Tyler, a senior RHP at Westminster High in Westminster, Calif., was drafted by Cincinnati in the seventh round as the 225th overall pick.
"We will eagerly follow these former Knights stars on their path toward the major leagues," Segel said. "We wish them all the best."
