Lexington, (Ky.) ? Kentucky pitcher Shane Boyd and outfielder Caleb Stewart were both selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft this week. Boyd, who is slated to be the starting quarterback for the Wildcat football team this fall, was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the 12th round (361st overall pick) while Stewart got the call from the New York Mets in the 22nd round (644th overall pick).

Boyd saw action in 16 games for the Wildcats in 2004, finishing with an 0-1 record and striking out 11 batters in 14 2/3 innings or work. This marks the second time that Boyd has been drafted by the Twins, who also took him in the 13th round of the 2000 draft, following his senior year at Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Ky.

?I think Shane Boyd is going to be a very good pitcher one day,? UK head coach John Cohen said. ?He is a tremendous leader and has all the raw ability to be a great pitcher at the professional level.?

Stewart, a senior from Rush, Ky., led the Kentucky offense in nine statistical categories this spring, including hits (72), runs (50), doubles (20), home runs (10) and slugging percentage (.584). He enjoyed a career-best 20-game hitting streak early in the season and finished his career at Kentucky with a 12-game streak.

?Caleb Stewart is a young man who is capable of really sneaking up on people in professional baseball,? Cohen said. ?He has a physical body that, once it develops, can really make him a great baseball player. I?m so happy that he is getting this opportunity because he?s been a great player for us here at the University of Kentucky and he deserves this chance.?

— UK —