June 4, 2002
University of Kentucky junior center fielder Seth Morris became the second Wildcat selected in the first day of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft when he was made the 18th pick (630th overall) in the 21st round by the Chicago White Sox. Morris joins junior right-handed pitcher Joseph Blanton who was taken 24th overall by the Oakland Athletics as the two UK draftees Tuesday.
Morris hit .265 in 53 games this season and led the Wildcats in slugging percentage (.505), RBI (42), triples (3), home runs (12) and total bases (101). An All-America and All-State performer at Hamilton High School, Morris was originally selected in the 13th round by the Minnesota Twins in the 1999 MLB Draft.
The Hamilton, Ohio, native becomes the 62nd player to be drafted and the ninth Wildcat selected by the White Sox in Coach Keith Madison’s 24-year tenure.
CORRADO SELECTED IN 30TH ROUND BY TEXAS
University of Kentucky junior right-hander Rob Corrado became the third Wildcat drafted in the 2002 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft when he was made the 10th pick (892nd overall) in the 30th round by the Texas Rangers Wednesday afternoon. Corrado joins junior pitcher Joseph Blanton (24th pick, first round, Oakland) and junior outfielder Seth Morris (630th pick, 21st round, Chicago White Sox) as the three UK draftees.
In his first SEC start of the season, Corrado sat down 15 of his first 17 batters in a complete-game 1-0 shutout victory at Arkansas on May 5. The nine innings pitched and nine strikeouts were both career highs and the two hits allowed, both infield singles, represented a season-low for the Wildcat pitching staff. Facing 32 batters and hurling a total of 122 pitches, the Dayton, Ohio, native retired 13 straight from the second to sixth innings. He completed his junior season with a 1-4 mark and a 6.71 ERA in 57.2 innings.
Corrado becomes the 63rd player drafted at UK since 1979 and joins former Wildcats Paul Kilgus (1984, 43rd round) and Scott Smith (1993, 32nd) as draft selections of the Texas Rangers. He was originally a fourth round pick of the New York Mets out of Oakwood High School in 1999.
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