FAYETTEVILLE -- Blaine Knight was the first Arkansas Razorback off the draft board Tuesday as the junior from Bryant was selected in the third round with pick No. 87 by the Baltimore Orioles.
Knight, a second-team All-America pick by Baseball America and ranked as the No. 48 prospect by MLB.com, had been projected as a first-day pick, but he was taken as the ninth pick on the second day.
The right-hander will take an 11-0 record and 2.74 ERA into this weekend's NCAA super regional series against SEC foe South Carolina at Baum Stadium. The series begins Saturday at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. start Sunday. The finale would be played Monday at 6 p.m., if needed.
Other Razorbacks drafted Tuesday were outfielder Eric Cole in the fourth round by the Kansas City Royals, catcher Grant Koch in the fifth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, shortstop Jax Biggers in the eighth round by the Texas Rangers, and second baseman Carson Shaddy in the 10th round by the Washington Nationals.
Knight has the highest victory total among unbeaten pitchers in all of college baseball. The 6-3, 165-pounder was a draft-eligible sophomore last June but his asking price was prohibitive for signing. He stayed off the board until the Texas Rangers picked him in the 29th round.
Knight's approximate slot value is just over $663,000, according to the MLB website.
Knight's fastball is consistently in the low-to-mid 90s, and his curveball has one of the highest spin rates in the country, according to Baseball America. Knight also throws a slider and a change-up.
His University of Arkansas, Fayetteville record is 21-5 with 230 strikeouts to rank fifth on Arkansas' career list. His 11 victories this season tie him for the third most on the school's single-season list. He is the 14th Razorback to be drafted in the top three rounds since 2010, and the fifth pitcher since 2013.
Knight led a group of five players from Arkansas who were drafted on Tuesday. Arkansas had four or more players drafted in the top 10 rounds for the second consecutive year.
Cole was the No. 122 overall pick by the Royals, who have a Class AA affiliate in Springdale with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The switch-hitter from Southlake, Texas, is fourth on the team with a .328 batting average, tied for first with 13 home runs and 56 runs scored, second with 47 RBI, and first with 81 hits.
A second-team All-SEC pick last month, Cole is the first Arkansas outfielder selected in the draft since Clark Eagan was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016. Cole's approximate slot value is $451,200, according to MLB.com.
Koch was taken with pick No. 144 by the Pirates. The right-handed hitter from Fayetteville has a .250 average with 7 home runs and 34 RBI and has thrown out 7 of 23 base stealers (30 percent).
Koch is the 18th Arkansas catcher drafted and the first since James McCann was taken in the second round in 2011 by the Detroit Tigers. He was selected to the SEC's all-defensive team after making one error on the year. Koch's approximate slot value is $364,600, according to MLB.com.
Biggers was drafted with pick No. 239 by his home state Rangers. The native of Missouri City, Texas, who transferred in last season from Cisco (Texas) Junior College, is hitting .281 with 4 home runs, 22 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 7 attempts.
Biggers is the 13th Arkansas shortstop taken in the draft and the first since Michael Bernal went to the San Francisco Giants in 2016. Biggers' approximate slot value is $166,400, according to MLB.com.
Shaddy was pick No. 311. The Fayetteville native played multiple positions as a Razorback before settling at second base.
Shaddy came back in a groove from a bruised hand suffered at Mississippi State on April 21 and is third on the team with a .331 batting average, and fourth with 11 home runs and 43 RBI. Shaddy's approximate slot value is $136,900.
Razorbacks signee Josh Breaux of McLennan (Texas) Community College was taken in the second round late Monday by the New York Yankees with the No. 61 pick, which has a slot value of $1.1 million.
Rounds 11 through 40 will take place today, beginning at 11 a.m. Central on MLB.com. Other Razorbacks with the possibility of being drafted are senior outfielder Luke Bonfield, senior first baseman Jared Gates, junior pitchers Kacey Murphy, Jake Reindl, Barrett Loseke and Cody Scroggins, and redshirt sophomore pitcher Isaiah Campbell.
Sports on 06/06/2018