Waterloo, Iowa – Eight current or former Waterloo Bucks were drafted on the third day of the 2015 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Wednesday, bringing the total number of Bucks drafted to 12.  Dustin Hurlbutt, Drasen Johnson, Ryan Nagle, Pat MacKenzie, Aaron Rhodes, Keegan Long, Adam Bray, and Tyler Peyton join Day Two draftees Blake Hickman, Grant Borne, Kevin Kaczmarski, and David Kerian as Bucks to be selected.

The first Waterloo player selected in the third day of the 2015 MLB Draft was right-handed pitcher Dustin Hurlbutt.  Hurlbutt was taken in the 16^th round with the 488^th pick by the Oakland Athletics.  A product of Tabor College, Hurlbutt is currently on the Bucks roster but has yet to report to Waterloo.  This spring season for the Bluejays, Hurlbutt was named the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year and a First Team All-KCAC selection after finishing with a 10-3 record and a 3.16 ERA.

With the 767^th overall pick (26^th round), the Colorado Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Drasen Johnson.  A product of the University of Illinois, Johnson played for the Bucks in 2013 and ’14, compiling a 7-0 record with a 2.14 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 19 games.  This season for the Fighting Illini, Johnson was named a first team Mideast All-Region and second team All-Big Ten starting pitcher after finishing with a 10-3 record and a 2.01 ERA.

The third Buck of the day to be selected in the draft was outfielder Ryan Nagle who was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 27^th round with the 817^th overall pick.  Nagle played with Waterloo in 2014 and is currently on the team’s roster but has yet to report.  In 2014, Nagle hit .286 with 33 RBI in 47 games for the Bucks.  This spring for the Fighting Illini, Nagle was named a third team All-Big Ten outfielder with a .339 average, a .449 slugging percentage and 34 RBI.

Pat MacKenzie, a second baseman from Central Michigan University, was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 28^th round.  MacKenzie, selected 850^th overall, played with the Bucks in 2013 and ‘14 compiling a .315 average with 56 RBI and a team-record 61 stolen bases.  This season for the Chippewas, MacKenzie was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Mideast All-Region second team, starting all 57 of CMU's games and finishing with a .348 batting average, 72 hits, 60 runs, 51 walks, 24 stolen bases, and a .489 on-base percentage.

The next former Buck to be drafted was right-handed pitcher Aaron Rhodes.  Rhodes was taken in the 28^th round with the 855^th pick by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  A product of the University of Florida, Rhodes appeared in 11 games for Waterloo in 2013, finishing with a 5-4 record, a 3.19 ERA, and 74 strikeouts.  For the Gators this spring, Rhodes is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 16 appearances.

The next Waterloo player to be selected was right-handed pitcher Keegan Long.  Long was taken in the 29^th round with the 856^th pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks.  A product of St. Joseph’s College, Long is currently on the Bucks roster, but has yet to report to Waterloo.  This spring season for the Pumas, Long appeared in nine games and threw 54.1 innings with 3.15 ERA.

With the 985^th overall pick (33^rd round), the Cincinnati Reds selected right-handed pitcher Tyler Peyton.  A product of the University of Iowa, Peyton played for the Bucks in 2013, appearing in four games and finishing with a 1-0 record, a 3.20 ERA, and 16 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched.  This season for the Hawkeyes, Peyton went 7-4 with a 3.03 ERA on the mound, logging 95 innings where he had 75 strikeouts against 24 walks.

The final former Buck to be selected was Adam Bray, a right-handed pitcher taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 1,002^nd overall pick (33^rd round).  A product of South Dakota State University, Bray played for Waterloo in 2014, finishing the season at 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA.  This season for the Jackrabbits, Bray posted an 8-4 record with a 2.96 earned run average in 14 starts, striking out 80 and walking only 25 in 91 1/3 innings.

The Bucks begin a four-game road trip on Thursday as they travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan to face the Kalamazoo Growlers at 6:05 pm CT.  Tonight’s game can be heard online at www.waterloobucks.com with play-by-play announcer Matt Gruemmer.

The Bucks play at Riverfront Stadium where team ownership has invested more than $70,000 in improvements since the end of the 2014 season including painted bleachers, public Wi-Fi, sound system, group outing areas, and concessions equipment.  Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com.

 

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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22^nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com.