Four Auburn baseball players will be continuing their baseball careers in the Big Leagues.
Joseph Sanders, Scott Shuman, Paul Burnside and Taylor Thompson were picked in days two and three of the MLB draft last week.
Sanders, drafted in the 5th round, is going to the Colorado Rockies. Shuman, taken in the 19th round, will play for the Tampa Bay Rays. Burnside and Thompson, drafted in 39th and 44th rounds respectively, are going to the Chicago White Sox.
Sanders, a second team All-SEC pick this season, was the 152nd pick overall. A junior from Millbrook, Sanders hit .320 with 19 home runs this season, a career high. He had a team-best 55 RBIs and scored 38 runs, despite missing three weeks because of a broken jaw.
"Colorado was actually my first choice," Sanders said. "I just loved the city of Denver. The field was incredible, and I just loved the atmosphere of sports there."
Sanders said he gave much of his credit to his coaches and teammates at Auburn.
"I am definitely going to miss Auburn and all the people involved with Auburn baseball," Sanders said. "Auburn has been my home for the last three years, and I have fell in love with the city and the people. Most of all, I will miss my teammates, and I can only hope for the best for all of them."
Sanders was the highest-picked Auburn player since Josh Donaldson was taken in the supplemental round of the 2007 draft by the Chicago Cubs.
Shuman, a left-handed pitcher from Valdosta, Ga., was the 589th pick overall. This was Shuman's second time being chosen in the draft. He was chosen in the 23rd round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 before enrolling at Auburn.
"It's always exciting when you get a chance to play professional baseball," Shuman said. "I really like the Rays' organization and I can't complain about going to an organization on the rise that is competing for World Series titles every year."
In three seasons at Auburn, Shuman had a 7-3 record with a 5.76 ERA and three saves. In 41 appearances, he struck out 59 in 75 innings.
"Living and playing ball in Auburn the last three years has truly been a blessing," Shuman said. "I wouldn't trade it in for anything at all."
Shuman said he can't wait to start playing for the Rays' organization.
"I get to play the great game of baseball every day while being paid," Shuman said. "I can't think of a better career choice."
Burnside is a right-handed pitcher from Montgomery.
"I am pretty stoked right now," Burnside said. "It has been a great four years at Auburn. I wouldn't change a thing from the last four years and my experience there. "
Thompson, a junior from Montgomery, was chosen by the White Sox for the second consecutive season. Picked in the 25th round in 2008, Thompson chose to return to Auburn for a third season. In three seasons, he went 11-11 with a 6.65 ERA with 135 strikeouts.
Auburn has had at least one player chosen in the draft for the past 35 drafts. This run is tied with Arkansas for the second longest in the SEC, behind Georgia's 37-year streak.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
