Here’s the press release from the New York Mets:
FLUSHING, N.Y. -- The New York Mets selected left-handed pitcher Steven Matz with their first selection, 72nd overall, in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.
Matz, a senior at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, NY, went 6-1 with a 0.47 ERA in his first seven starts of the season. In 44 innings, he allowed 11 hits, 15 walks with 81 strikeouts.
Matz, 18, tossed a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts and two walks in a complete game in the first round of the Class AA playoff on May 19th. The 6-2, 192-pounder also went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI.
With the 103rd pick, the Mets selected Robert Shields, a 6-0, 220-pound shortstop out of Florida Southern College. The 21-year-old Shields, a junior, hit .345 (76-220) with 65 runs scored, 19 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 37 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 57 games for the Division II Moccasins this season. A native of Dade City, Fla., Shields hit .329 (215-653) over his three-year career at Florida Southern, while starting all 167 games. He was named second-team all Sunshine State Conference as a sophomore.
