Mankato, Minn. – It was a monumental day for the Mankato MoonDogs as 14 former and current MoonDogs went in the second day of the 2009 Major League Baseball amateur draft. That group was highlighted by Carlos Ramirez, who was selected in the eighth round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. <\/p>\n
Ramirez, last year\u2019s Northwoods League MVP, hit .315 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI for the MoonDogs and followed it up this spring by helping to lead his Arizona State Sun Devils to the College World Series. Ramirez is hitting .349 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI thus far for ASU. <\/p>\n
Five other players from last year\u2019s playoff team were also picked up. Michael Rockett was the next MoonDog snatched, as he went in the 13th round to the Detroit Tigers. Rockett (Texas-San Antonio) was named to the North Division All-Star team last year and was the Home Run Derby champ, as he finished his summer with a .290 mark with four home runs and 46 RBI. <\/p>\n
Two other All-Stars from last year was taken 20 picks later, as Elon\u2019s Cory Harrilchak was taken in the 14th round by the Atlanta Braves. Harrilchak posted similar numbers to Rockett\u2019s, posting a .283 average, with one home run and 23 RBI to go along with 10 stolen bases. Brendan Lafferty (UCLA) was the other All-Star, as the southpaw posted a 4-1 record with a 3.96 ERA and 41 strikeouts in just over 37 innings. <\/p>\n
Dale Dickerson (Nicholls State) and Scott Matyas (Minnesota) rounded out the batch of 2008 MoonDogs selected. Dickerson was taken in the 16th round by the Cleveland Indians, as he was second on the MoonDogs in appearances last season with 28, all in relief. He posted two saves and whiffed 29 batters in 27 innings. Matyas was picked up by the New York Yankees in the 29th round after finishing tops on the MoonDogs staff with seven saves and a stellar 1.59 ERA.<\/p>\n
Three 2009 MoonDogs were also taken, with Danny Jimenez (John A. Logan) coming off the board to the Indians in the 23rd round. Jimenez has made two starts this summer and is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA, striking out seven in 10 innings pitched. It was the second time that Jimenez has been drafted as he was taken by the Cardinals in the 37th round last year. <\/p>\n
Also getting drafted for the second time was catcher Xorge Carrillo (Central Arizona). Carrillo, signed to Arizona State next fall, has played in nine of the 12 MoonDog games this season, swinging at a .233 clip with one home run, four RBI and eight runs scored. Carrillo was taken in the 2007 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 28th round.<\/p>\n
Polishing off the batch of 2009 MoonDogs was pitcher Matt Swynenberg (Black Hawk College). Swynenberg was taken by the Washington Nationals in the 28th round, after he made two appearances for the MoonDogs this summer. He finished his MoonDogs tenure with an 0-1 mark with a 3.86 ERA, and 10 strikeouts in seven innings. <\/p>\n
Four others from the 2007 team were taken, as rounds three through 30 were held today with rounds 31-50 will be held tomorrow. Tony Sanchez of Boston College set a Northwoods League best, as he was taken with the fourth overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The catcher was an All-Star in 2007 for the Battle Creek Bombers. <\/p>\n
Mankato MoonDogs 2009 Draft Class \u2013 Day Two of Three<\/p>\n
8th Round (261st) – LAA \u2013 Carlos Ramirez \u2013 Arizona State \u2013 C \u2013 Jr. \u2013 2008
\n13th Round (398th) \u2013 DET \u2013 Michael Rockett \u2013 UT-San Antonio \u2013 OF \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2008
\n13th Round (406th) \u2013 MIL \u2013 Sean Halton \u2013 Lewis & Clark State \u2013 RHP \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2006
\n14th Round (418th) \u2013 ATL \u2013 Cory Harrilchak \u2013 Elon \u2013 OF \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2008
\n14th Round (440th) \u2013 CHC \u2013 Daniel Keefe \u2013 Tampa \u2013 RHP \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2007
\n16th Round (472nd) \u2013 WSH \u2013 Sean Nicol \u2013 San Diego \u2013 SS \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2007
\n16th Round (485th) \u2013 CLE \u2013 Dale Dickerson \u2013 Nicholls State \u2013 RHP \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2008
\n18th Round (542nd) \u2013 KCR \u2013 Brendan Lafferty \u2013 UCLA \u2013 LHP \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2008
\n22nd Round (654th) \u2013 SDG \u2013 Cody Decker \u2013 UCLA \u2013 1B \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2007
\n23rd Round (695th) \u2013 CLE \u2013 Danny Jimenez \u2013 John A. Logan \u2013 LHP \u2013 Fr. \u2013 2009
\n23rd Round (707th) \u2013 PHI \u2013 Evan Porter \u2013 Nebraska-Omaha \u2013 SS \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2007
\n28th Round (832nd) \u2013 WSH \u2013 Matt Swynenberg \u2013 Black Hawk \u2013 RHP \u2013 So. \u2013 2009
\n29th Round (875th) \u2013 CLE \u2013 Xorge Carrillo \u2013 Central Arizona \u2013 C \u2013 So. \u2013 2009
\n29th Round (885th) \u2013 NYY \u2013 Scott Matyas \u2013 Minnesota \u2013 RHP \u2013 Sr. \u2013 2008 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mankato, Minn. – It was a monumental day for the Mankato MoonDogs as 14 former and current MoonDogs went in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-team-news"],"yoast_head":"\n