Three Texas Tech student-athletes – junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Moseley, senior outfielder Tyler Neslony and junior outfielder Stephen Smith – were selected Friday during the second day of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Moseley was the first Red Raider taken as the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the eighth round at No. 241 overall. Neslony came off the board not long after as the Atlanta Braves used the third pick of the ninth round (No. 259 overall) on the outfielder while Smith was chosen No. 299 overall (10th round) by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This is the second-straight season where Tech has had three players selected within the top-10 rounds. Tech had not previously had two position players selected within the first 10 rounds since Barrett Barnes (Supp. 1st Round) and Jamodrick McGruder (9th Round) were drafted in 2012.
Tech remains the only Big 12 school to have at least one player drafted in the top-14 rounds every season since the league formed prior to the 1997 season. In addition, Tech has also had at least one player drafted in the top 26 rounds in each of the past 26 seasons.
Moseley is the first Red Raider to be selected by the Orioles since Zach Fowler was drafted in the 34th round in 2011. A Lubbock native, Moseley is currently 6-4 this season with a 5.44 earned-run average entering his scheduled start Sunday in what would be the “if necessary” game of the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional.
Moseley leads all active Red Raiders with 11 wins over his career as he has gone back and forth between the bullpen and the weekend rotation. His selection marks the second time in his career where he’s heard his name called during the MLB Draft as the Tampa Bay Rays previously picked the right-hander in the 36th round in 2013.
Neslony, meanwhile, was drafted for the first time in his career as he is third Red Raider in the past two seasons to be selected by the Braves. Atlanta previously used picks a year ago to take Matt Withrow in the sixth round and then Matt Custred in the 31st round.
Neslony, who homered for the 10th time this year a few hours after being selected, leads the Big 12 with 57 RBI this season as he is hitting .310 overall entering Saturday’s second game of the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional. An All-Big 12 second team honoree, Neslony’s 10 home runs match his combined total from his three previous seasons as a Red Raider.
Smith joins 2015 draftee Cameron Smith as the only Red Raiders in program history to be selected by the Diamondbacks. A Lubbock native like Moseley, Stephen Smith was drafted for the first time in his career after hitting .324 this season with 10 home runs and 39 RBI.
An All-Big 12 first team honoree this year, Smith has connected on 10 home runs in each of his past two seasons as he is hitting .303 over his career with 40 doubles, eight triples, 21 homers and 91 RBI. He is also among the most patient hitters in program history as he has drawn 120 career walks, fifth-most in program history.
In addition to the three current Red Raiders, Tech also had three signees selected on the second day of the draft as Northwest High School right-handed pitcher Dustin May went in the third round to the Los Angeles Dodgers while San Jacinto College left-hander Devin Smeltzer was chosen by the Dodgers two rounds later and Boswell High School infielder UA Cantu was taken in the sixth round by the Indians.
The third and final day of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft begins at 11 a.m. CT Saturday morning with the final 30 rounds.
(Press Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics)
