Rays pick Hurricanes ace McKendry

The Miami Hurricanes baseball team had to wait until the ninth round, but their first player is finally off the board.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected right-handed pitcher Evan McKendry with the No. 278 overall pick in the ninth round on Tuesday.

McKendry, a Pembroke Pines native and the Hurricanes’ ace over the past two seasons, posted a career 3.96 ERA and an 18-10 record over his three-year career.

GULLIVER PREP

Two Gulliver Prep alumni had their names called Tuesday.

The Cincinnati Reds selected left-handed pitcher Evan Kravetz, who played collegiately at Rice, with the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round while the St. Louis Cardinals took catcher Pedro Pages, who played at FAU, with the No. 185 overall pick in the sixth round.

Kravetz, 6-8 and 240 pounds, went 10-4 with a 3.54 ERA over his college career. He moved from a bullpen role to a spot in the weekend rotation for his senior year, posting a 6-2 record.

Pages, a junior, has hit .295 over his college career with 14 home runs, 98 RBI and 85 runs scored.

STATE COLLEGES

FSU had four players selected Tuesday: Third baseman Drew Mendoza (third round, No. 94, Washington Nationals); outfielder/pitcher JD Flowers (fourth round, No. 124, Pittsburgh Pirates), pitcher Drew Parrish (eighth round, No. 229, Kansas City Royals), and shortstop Mike Salvatore (ninth round, No. 276, Seattle Mariners)

Two Florida Gators were drafted: Pitcher Tyler Dyson (fifth round, No. 153, Nationals) and outfielder Wil Dalton (eight round, No. 257, Boston Red Sox)

FIU third baseman Austin Shenton went No. 156 overall in the fifth round to the Mariners.

The Houston Astros drafted Miami Dade Community College outfielder Luis Guerrero with the No. 256 overall pick in the eighth round.