Cardinals take Cox at No. 25

LITTLE ROCK — Zack Cox will take a little letdown over a big letdown.

The Arkansas Razorbacks’ sophomore third baseman was projected as a possible top-10 pick in Monday night’s first round of the Major League Baseball draft.

That’s not how it worked out, but given that the Razorbacks are advancing to an NCAA Super Regional against Arizona State, Cox has no complaints.

Cox was taken with the 25th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals, which was something of a slide. Junior Brett Eibner, an outfielder/ pitcher whose athletic ability was graded highly by scouts, wasn’t taken in the first round nor in the subsequent compensation round.

The draft will continue today, with Eibner and Arkansas left-hander Drew Smyly expecting to be taken.

“It’s an honor,” Cox said. “I haven’t necessarily been a Cardinals fan. I grew up a White Sox fan, but I’m a Cardinals fan now.”

Cox was expected to be the first player with Arkansas ties drafted, but that changed when the Chicago Cubs made Southern Arkansas right hander Hayden Simpson a surprise pick at No. 16.

Cox was sitting in the dugout when the Cardinals made their pick, something of a surprise on two fronts. With the draft starting an hour before the first pitch, it was assumed Cox would hear his name called before the Razorbacks started playing Washington State. That didn’t happen.

In fact, by the time the pick came in, Cox was out of the game, having tweaked a lingering rib injury after going 2 for 3 with a single and a double.

“It’s not a bad injury, it’s just in a bad spot,” Cox said. “Every twist and turn you do in baseball just kind of pinches a nerve on it. I’m just going to have to battle and play through it.”

There was no announcement made at Baum Stadium when Cox was drafted.

“Came out of the game with a little rib injury and I heard people yelling, ‘Cox is a Cardinal,’ ” Cox said. “So I just kind of figured.”

At least one transplanted Midwesterner in the Razorbacks dugout applauded the selection.

“I’m just excited for him, being a Cardinals fan,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “I grew up in Kansas City and I’m still a Royals fan, but I’m also a Cardinal fan.”

The selection makes Cox, a native of Louisville, Ky., the fourth-highest drafted Razorback in the program’s history.Jeff King was taken with the first overall pick in 1986, and more recently left-hander Nick Schmidt was taken 23rd overall by the San Diego Padres in 2007.

Before being slowed by injuries, Cox was enjoying a season that seemed to fulfill the expectations he brought as a highly-touted high school player. He entered Monday with a .425 batting average and 11 doubles, 9 home runs and 48 RBI.

Better yet, he hit .344 with a wooden bat last summer while playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League.

Monday marked the second time Cox has been drafted. He was a 20th-round selection of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 after an All-America senior season at Pleasure Ridge Park High School.

“Like I tell everybody, if I wanted to sign for money, I would have signed out of high school,” Cox said. “I knew this was a special place. I knew I had to come here and improve. I had some things that would have limited me if I had gone straight out of high school.”

Cox said he probably would have been placed in the outfield had he signed out of high school. He still has that option and could be developed into an offensive second baseman if he doesn’t stay at third.

“I’m just excited for him and his family,” Van Horn said. “You know, Zack turned down a lot of money to come here. He did us a favor by coming. He’s been fun to watch.”

It isn’t over, either.

“I’ve still got a lot of unfinished business here at Arkansas,” Cox said. “I want to win a national championship.”

Tom Murphy of the Democrat-Gazette contributed to this story.

Major League Baseball draft - First round1. Washington, Bryce Harper, C-OF, JC of Southern Nevada.

2. Pittsburgh, Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands (Texas) HS.

3. Baltimore, Manny Machado, SS, Brito (Fla.) HS.

4. Kansas City, Christian Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton.

5. Cleveland, Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Mississippi.

6. Arizona, Barret Loux, RHP, Texas A&M.

7. N.Y. Mets, Matt Harvey, RHP, North Carolina.

8. Houston, Delino DeShields Jr., CF, Woodward Aca., College Park, Ga. 9. San Diego, Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley (Fla). HS.

10. Oakland, Michael Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington.

11. Toronto, Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech.

12. Cincinnati, Yasmani Grandal, C, Miami.

13. Chicago White Sox, Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast.

14. Milwaukee, Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha (Calif). HS.

15. Texas, Jake Skole, Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga.

16. Chicago Cubs, Hayden Simpson, RHP, Southern Arkansas.

17. Tampa Bay, Josh Sale, OF, Bishop Blanchet H.S., Seattle.

18. L.A. Angels, Kaleb Cowart, Cook County (Ga.) HS.

19. Houston, Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka (Ill.) Community HS.

20. Boston, Kolbrin Vitek, 2B-RHP, Ball St.

21. Minnesota, Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio St.

22. Texas, Kellin Deglan, C, R.E. Mountain SS, B.C., Canada.

23. Florida, Christian Yelich, Westlake HS, Westlake Village, Calif.

24. San Francisco, Gary Brown, OF, Cal State Fullerton.

25. St. Louis, Zack Cox, 3B, Arkansas.

26. Colorado, Kyle Parker, RF, Clemson.

27. Philadelphia, Jessie Biddle, LHP, Germantown School, Philadelphia. 28. LA Dodgers, Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney (Texas) HS.

29. LA Angels, Cam Bedrosian, RHP, East Coweta HS, Sharpsburg, Ga. 30. LA Angels, Chevy Clarke, CF, Marietta (Ga.) HS.

31. Tampa Bay, Justin O’Conner, C, Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind.

32. N.Y. Yankees, Cito Culver, Irondequoit HS, Rochester, N.Y.