In addition to Russell Wilson, who was taken by the Colorado Rockies with the 140th pick in the 2010 MLB draft, four other Wolfpack players were drafted Tuesday on the second day of the three day, 50-round draft.
Junior pitcher Jake Buchanan, who the Houston Astros selected in the eighth round, was the next player off the board after the Rockies chose Wilson.
“It was definitely exciting sitting there with my parents,” Buchanan said. “This is one of the most exciting times for me in my baseball career. I was expecting to go any time from the sixth through the tenth or eleventh. It was right in the middle. I wasn’t too surprised because that’s about what I was hoping for.”
The junior from Dallas, N.C. enjoyed a breakout junior campaign after posting a 5-8 combined record during his freshman and sophomore seasons. But Buchanan was one of the Pack’s best arms during his junior year, going 8-6 with a 3.68 ERA and 96 strikeouts in a little more than 100 innings pitched. He was at his best at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, earning all-tournament team honors for his efforts.
Senior second baseman Dallas Poulk, a first-team All-ACC selection and third team All-American, was the third State player off the board when he went to the Florida Marlins in the 19th round. He enjoyed an extremely productive four-year career with the Pack and was at his best during his final season, when he hit .360, with 60 RBI, 80 runs scored and 11 home runs. He leaves Raleigh with the sixth-most career at-bats, with 868, and the seventh-most hits and runs scored, with 281 and 184, respectively.
Five rounds later, the San Francisco Giants took senior outfielder Kyle Wilson in round 24. Wilson led his team in batting average by hitting .368 in his fourth and final season playing for coach Elliott Avent. Wilson also recorded 34 RBI and 61 runs, and he leaves State with the record for stolen bases in a single season after stealing 30 as a junior.
The last Wolfpack player taken in the draft was senior pitcher Alex Sogard, who will follow Buchanan to Houston after the Astros chose their second Wolfpack hurler of the day in Sogard, who they selected in the 26th round. Sogard helped his stock late in the 2010 season by going 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA in his final four appearances, three of which were starts.
