December 21, 2014

Top 14 Moments Of 2014 (No. 11): Four Selected In MLB Draft

AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken was well represented in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as a school-record tying four student-athletes were selected. It also marked the most selected by any team in the PBC.

The student-athletes selected were Ryan Metzler, Caleb Smith, Danny Wissmann and Derek Beasley.

Metzler was taken in the ninth round by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 264^th pick. Smith was chosen in the 17^th round by the San Francisco Giants. Wissmann was selected by the San Diego Padres with the 657^th overall pick, which came in the 22^nd round while Beasley was taken by the Oakland Athletics in the 30^th round with the 912^th selection.

A 6-3, 190 lb., second baseman, Metzler had an outstanding two seasons under head coach Kenny Thomas after transferring from Siena. As a Pacer, he started all 108 games. He garnered all-Southeast Region honors in 2013 and was a first-team all-PBC honoree. Metzler batted .361 during his time on the diamond, including a .365 effort this year. He tallied a .507 slugging percentage and a .425 on-base percentage. Collectively, Metzler posted 88 RBI while scoring 90 runs. Of his 148 hits, 37 went for extra bases.

Smith, a 6-3 left-handed hurler from Aiken, S.C., wrapped up his redshirt-sophomore campaign in 2014. During the 2014 season, Smith saw action in 17 games. He picked up two saves on the season while tossing 26.2 innings of work. Dominant from the mound, Smith averaged 12.15 strikeouts per game. He sported a 3.71 ERA on the season. For his career with the Pacers, Smith threw 51.1 innings with one win and three saves. He also tossed a complete game in 2013. Smith posted 74 strikeouts in 51.1 career innings, averaging 12.97 strikeouts per game in 42 appearances. He carried a mere 2.18 ERA.

Wissmann, a 5-10 junior left-handed hurler from Arbutus, Md., appeared in 11 games in 2014, earning eight starts. He posted a team-best seven victories while throwing 43.2 innings. He struck out 62 batters and held the opposition to a mere .201 batting average. In 2013, Wissmann saw time on the mound in 24 games, including one start. He posted a 3.80 ERA while throwing 23.2 innings. Wissmann also posted a 4-0 record while notching a save. As a rookie, Wissmann held batters to a .163 batting average while striking out 20 in 12 innings.

Beasley, a 6-0 left-handed pitcher from Harlem, Ga., was one of the most efficient hurlers in USC Aiken history. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, he ranks second on the career list with 29 victories. He posted a 29-13 record over four seasons while working 310.1 innings. Beasley struck out 292 batters for an 8.47 strikeouts per game average while carrying a 3.65 career ERA. He produced back-to-back nine win seasons and struck out a career-high 89 batters two different years. As a junior, Beasley was selected to the all-Southeast Region squad by ABCA, NCBWA and Daktronics.