June 8, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The total of number of Texas A&M baseball student-athletes selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft grew to eight on Wednesday as three more Aggies were selected by big-league organizations.
Seniors Kenny Jackson, Kevin Gonzalez and Steve Martin were all chosen Wednesday as the three-day draft came to a close. The trio joined fellow Aggies John Stilson, Ross Stripling, Nick Fleece, Adam Smith and Brandon Parrent who were all drafted on Tuesday.
Jackson was picked up in the 31st round by the Florida Marlins organization after spending two seasons at Texas A&M following his transfer from Alvin College. The Corpus Christi native has been steady all season for the Aggies at shortstop, stabilizing the A&M defense while helping lead the Aggies to a school-record fifth-straight appearance in an NCAA Regional. Offensively this season, Jackson has contributed a .274 batting average with 33 runs scored and 25 RBI.
Gonzalez, a four-year letterwinner for the maroon and white, will have the chance to continue his baseball career in the organization of his hometown team as he was selected in the 36th round by the Houston Astros. The catcher has played in 231 games for Texas A&M since joining the program prior to the 2008 season, second most in program history behind Scott Livingston (241 games played from 1985-88). Rounding out his outstanding A&M career, Gonzalez is batting .251 with 15 extra base hits, 26 runs scored and 25 RBI at the plate this season while leading the Aggies to a Big 12 Championship and a Super Regional appearance.
Rounding out Wednesday's selections was pitcher Steve Martin, who was taken in the 37th round by the Astros. The hard-throwing right-hander has appeared in 11 games for the Aggies over two seasons after joining the program out of Seminole State College. This season, the Brenham, Texas, native is 1-0 on the hill with a 5.79 ERA.
Since 1997, Texas A&M has produced 94 major league draft selections, more than any other Big 12 school. Over the last 13 years, 36 Aggie players have gone in the first 10 rounds of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
2011 MLB FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT (TEXAS A&M)
John Stilson - Toronto Blue Jays (3rd Round)
Ross Stripling - Colorado Rockies (9th Round)
Nick Fleece - Cincinnati Reds (13th Round)
Adam Smith - New York Yankees (25th Round)
Brandon Parrent - Chicago White Sox (30th Round)
Kenny Jackson - Florida Marlins (31st Round)
Kevin Gonzalez - Houston Astros (36th Round)
Steve Martin - Houston Astros (37th Round)