SECAUCUS, N.J. — Kentucky junior two-way star Braden Kapteyn and senior shortstop Taylor Black have been drafted during Day 2 of the 2011 MLB Draft, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Kapteyn came off the board in the 15th round as a selection of the Boston Red Sox, while Black was picked in the 16th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Four UK players have been selected so far in the MLB Draft, including junior right-hander Alex Meyer, who became the second-highest draft pick in UK baseball history after the Washington Nationals picked him with the No. 23 pick in the first round. UK junior outfielder Chad Wright went in the ninth round to the Detroit Tigers.
A native of Easley, S.C., Black stepped right into the shortstop job for UK and excelled, finishing his career on a 95-game consecutive starting streak. A 28th-round pick as a junior by the St. Louis Cardinals, Black had a great senior season, batting .319 with 16 doubles, two triples, four homers and 38 RBI, stealing 12 bases. In his two-year career, Black hit .297 with 22 doubles, two triples, 15 homers, 75 RBI and 24 stolen bases.
A 6-foot-4, 220-pounder, Kapteyn has been a fixture in the bullpen and the middle of the lineup since arriving on campus as part of UK’s school-record No. 4 ranked recruiting class in 2008. A 39th-round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft out of Lansing, Ill., Kapteyn hit .300 with six homers and a team-high 42 RBI as a junior, posting a 0-3 record and a 9.00 ERA in 14 relief outings on the mound, saving two games. Kapteyn ranks tied for eighth in UK career history with eight saves, posting a 7-3 record with a 6.15 ERA in his career, totaling 55 relief outings. Offensively, Kapteyn owns a .304 career average with 31 doubles, 16 homers and 97 RBI.
Since the Wildcats burst onto the college baseball scene in claiming the SEC Championship in 2006, Kentucky has boasted a bevy of draft selections, including a school-record seven selections following a 44-win season in 2008. Since 2006 and including the picks on Tuesday, the Wildcats have had a total of 38 players selected in the MLB Draft or signing a free agent contract. Since 1965, UK has had a total of 150 players drafted or sign a free agent contract, with 25-percent of the 150 total players coming since the 2006 season.
The MLB Draft will resume on Wednesday, with the remaining 20 rounds. Several UK stars are expected to be selected on Day 3 of the draft, which will be live on MLB.com.
BLACK BIO
• 28th round draft pick in 2010 (Cardinals)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2010)
• 16th round draft pick in 2011 (Phillies)
2011
Senior shortstop finished his career on a club-high 95-game consecutive starting streak … Made all but one start of his two-year UK career at shortstop … Finished the 2011 season batting .319 with 16 doubles, two triples, four homers and 38 RBI, stealing 12 bases … In SEC play alone, hit .292 with six doubles, two homers and 15 RBI … Ranked second in the SEC in at bats (229) and total plate appearances (262) … Led the team with 20 two-out RBI, batting .364 (24-for-66) with two outs, .406 (28-for-69) with runners in scoring position and .379 (39-for-103) with runners on base … Totaled 22 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI outings … Hit at the top of the order throughout the year, batting .372 as the leadoff hitter (19 games), .300 as the No. 3 order (31 games) and .238 as the No. 3 hitter (five games) … Launched four homers as a senior, including homers off Georgia ace Michael Palazzone, Florida All-America Hudson Randall and Western Kentucky closer Rye Davis … Was named SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 28 after batting .529 with nine RBI during a five-game UK week … Totaled four game-winning RBI … Finished his UK career on a five-game hitting streak, including multiple hits in four games, batting .480 (12-for-25) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI during the stretch … Launched two grand slams … Had a career-best four hits in wins over Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Canisius and totaled three four-RBI outings … Went 4-for-4 with two walks, two double, two steals and four runs in a win over TTU … Owning a strong arm and great range and shortstop, totaled 153 defensive assists, including an eight-assist game vs. Houston in the 2011 Houston College Classic.
Summer
Spent the summer playing in both the prestigious Cape Cod League and the Coastal Plains League … Played in 11 games for Cotuit in the CCL, along with UK outfielder Chad Wright … Hit .125 (3-for-24) with an RBI, three walks and eight strikeouts for Cotuit … Played for Columbia in the Coastal Plains League, starting 22 of 23 games played … Hit .303 (20-for-66) with 16 runs scored, one double, one homer and nine RBI … Was disciplined at the plate in the CPL, drawing 21 walks and striking out 16 times … Stole an eye-popping 28-of-31 bases in 23 games.
2010
Emerged as UK’s starting shortstop in his first season after transferring, starting 55 of 56 games … Hit .270 (48-for-178) with 44 runs scored, six doubles, 11 homers and 37 RBI, drawing 15 walks and striking out 37 times … With 11 homers, became the first UK shortstop to hit 10 or more homers since Eddie Brooks belted 14 homers in 1993 … Stole 12-of-12 bases … Was hit by 20 pitches, which ranked third in the SEC and the second-most in UK single-season history … Finished the season ranked second in the SEC in defensive assists (175) and 11th in double plays (34) … Started the season in a bad slump going .182 (6-for-33) to start his UK career in the first 12 games of the season, with five runs, one double, five RBI, one walk, eight strikeouts and eight of his season-total of 22 errors … In a game against IUPUI, the UK staff elected to give Black a day off in the slump and he responded after that game as one of the top offensive and defensive shortstop in the SEC … After that day off, Black hit .290 (42-for-145) the remainder of the season, with five doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBI, starting the final 44 games of the year … Laid down a team-best eight sacrifice bunts on the year, ranking tied for 14th in UK single-season history … One of the top bats in SEC play this year, batting .300 (30-for-100) with 10 of his 11 homers coming in league play … Had 22 RBI and four steals in SEC play … 10 homers hit in SEC play alone ranked seventh-best in the league … Hit .231 (18-for-78) with four doubles, one homer and 15 RBI in non-conference play … As the leadoff hitter, batted .390 (16-for-41) with a double, three homers, two walks and four hit by pitches … Hit homers against some of the best pitchers in the SEC, belting round trippers off Arkansas’ Brett Eibner, Alabama’s Jimmy Nelson and Tucker Hawley, Florida’s Alex Panteliodis, Tennessee’s Bryan Morgado and Steven Crnkovich and Georgia’s Justin Grimm … Had 12 multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI games … Ran up a season best five-game hitting streak … Hit in the sixth (three), seventh (seven), eighth (11) and ninth (34) spots in the lineup during the season … Had a great month of April, batting .345 (20-for-58), with three doubles, six homers and 15 RBI in 16 games … In the last 15 SEC games of the season, Black belted six homers and had 12 RBI … Over the last 30 games, had 10 homers and 24 RBI … With 44 runs scored, 37 RBI and 11 homers, ranked second on the team … Had two hits in his UK debut against Virginia Tech … Went 1-for-1, with a walk, two runs scored, three RBI against Xavier, hitting his first career homer … In the series finale against Arkansas, Black hit a clutch two-run homer to help get UK back into the game of an eventual 17-16 thriller … Had a stretch of three consecutive games with a homer … Had a career-high two homers and career-best five RBI in the series-opening win at Tennessee … Drew two walks in a game twice, at Indiana and against South Carolina … Was hit by a career-best three pitches in a win at San Diego … During the summer played in the Northwoods League for the Mankato MoonDogs … Joined former UK teammate Lance Ray on the MoonDogs … Played in 48 games, totaling a .213 (27-for-127) average, with five doubles, one triple, one homer and 13 RBI … Stole 6-of-7 bases, laying down eight sacrifice bunts.
Junior College
Played at Spartanburg Methodist College for Tim Wallace … Led SMC to the conference and district championship in 2009, advancing to the Junior College World Series … Named all-region in 2009 … Hit .366 in 2009 with 12 doubles and six homers.
Charleston Southern (2008)
Was named a freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger at Charleston Southern for coach Jason Murray … As a freshman, hit .333 (58-for-174) with 17 doubles, five homers and 34 RBI … Ranked fourth in CSU single-season history with 17 doubles … Played in 53 games, scoring 31 runs, stealing 1-of-1 base, drawing seven walks and striking out just 23 times … Reached base at a .364 clip and slugged .517, with an OPS of .881 … Laid down five sacrifice bunts … Named to the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll, given to student-athletes with a 3.0 GPA or better.
High School
A four-year letterwinner for coach Roger Finley at Easley High School … Was named all-region in 2007 as a senior … Played in the North-South All-Star game in 2007.
Personal
Full name is John Taylor Black … Born February 17, 1989 in Lexington, S.C. … Son of Tim and Lori Black … Has a younger brother, Daniel (17).
KAPTEYN BIO
• 39th round draft pick in 2008 (Giants)
• SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll (2009)
• Best prospect in the New York Collegiate Baseball League by Baseball America/PGcrosschecker.com (2009)
• John Olerud Two-Way Player Watch List (25 players)
• Cape Cod League Summer All-Star (2010)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2010)
• 51st best prospect in the Cape Cod League by PerfectGame.com (2010)
• 16th round draft pick in 2011 (Red Sox)
2011
Started all 55 games for UK as either the designated hitter or first baseman, leading the team with 42 RBI … Hit .300 with nine doubles, one triple, six homers and a team-high 42 runs … Made 14 relief appearances on the mound, posting a 0-3 record and a 9.00 ERA with two saves … Hit .257 in SEC play, with three homers and 21 RBI … Was held to a .229 average in 19 road games … In games UK won, hit .360 with 23 RBI and in games UK lost, batted .245 … Batted .336 with runners on base, .350 with runners in scoring position, adding 20 two-out hits and 14 two-out RBI … Ranked second on the team with 20 two-strike hits … With eight career saves ranks tied for eighth in UK school history … Was scoreless in eight of his 14 appearances, posting two saves in 11.2 innings, allowing only six hits, no walks and striking out 20 in those eight games … Blew the save in his first chance of the year vs. UIC, allowing four runs in the ninth inning to erase a three-run lead … Picked up a save vs. Tennessee in the best game of his career, going 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI, before taking the mound to get the final six outs without a base runner for his first save of the year … Notched second save with three strikeouts in the ninth of a win over Cincinnati … Threw one pitch that resulted in a walk-off hit at Alabama … Second-best outing of the year came vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt, tossing 2.1 shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three … … Launched a homer in the season opener at College of Charleston, collecting three RBI … Had two four-RBI games, coming against Auburn and Canisius … Had three-hit outings vs. Louisville, Auburn, Xavier, Tennessee Tech and Niagara … Hit homers vs. Rice, COC, Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss and Louisville.
Summer
Named a prestigious Cape Cod League summer all-star as a relief pitcher, appearing in the CCL All-Star game at Fenway Park … In 15 relief outings for the Harwich Mariners, posted a 3-1 record and a 0.64 ERA … Tallied one save and tossed 28.2 innings … Allowed an eye-popping nine hits in his 28.1 innings, walking 11 and striking out 29 … At the plate, appeared in seven games, batting .176 (3-for-17) with one RBI, two walks and two strikeouts … In the all-star game, came on the pitch the fifth inning … First pitch at Fenway Park hit the leadoff batter, with the runner coming around to score during the inning on wild pitches … Took the loss in the all-star game, allowing the first run of the game, despite striking out one and not allowing a walk or hit … Did not allow a hit in his first 7.1 innings on the mound.
2010
Exceptionally talented two-way player played in 43 games with 40 starts and pitched in 18 games out of the bullpen … Mainly started at first base and designated hitter and came out of the bullpen in late-game situations … Totaled a 2-0 record and a 4.09 ERA, posting two saves in 22 innings, allowing 20 hits and walking 15, with 22 strikeouts … At the plate, hit .294 (45-for-153) with 31 runs scored, 11 doubles, six homers and 29 RBI … Drew 19 walks and struck out 22 times, stealing 2-of-3 bases and fielding .986 … For the second consecutive year, hit for a better average in SEC play, batting .308 (24-for-78) in 22 games, totaling four doubles, four homers and 19 RBI … Got off to an extremely slow start at the plate, batting .063 (1-for-16) to start the year, with one double and one RBI … After pelting a hard-hit double off the leftfield wall at San Diego State, a no-doubt homer in nearly any other venue but a night game in San Diego, Kapteyn broke out of the slump … Without those 16 at bats to open the season, Kapteyn hit .321 (43-for-137) with 10 doubles, six homers and 27 RBI … Had a great outing in his first pitching appearance at Coastal Carolina, tossing three shutout innings, allowing only two hits and one walk, striking out three for his first win of the year … Picked up first save of the season, getting the final out of a win over Bowling Green … Extended his scoreless streak to start the season to 6.2 with a 1.1 shutout innings against Murray State … After going through a rough patch in conference play on the mound halfway through the season, rebounded with a dominating two innings in a save against eventual NCAA Champion South Carolina, hurling the final two innings without allowing a base runner and striking out a season-best four … Was dynamic on the mound in the series sweep over LSU, tossing a scoreless ninth of UK’s Friday-night walk-off win to improve to 2-0 and closing out the Saturday game with two shutout innings … Had 11 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games, running up a 10 game hitting streak … Ended the season on a five-game hitting streak … Made six starts at first base and 34 starts as the DH … Hit all over the order, batting No. 3 (six times), No. 4 (15), No. 5 (nine), No. 6 (six), No. 7 (two) and No. 8 (two) … Was 1-for-3 on the year with the bases loaded, with three RBI and one HBP … Hit .292 (26-for-89) with 26 RBI, five doubles and four homers with runners on base … Four of his six homers came in the first two innings of a game … Hit homers off Ole Miss’ relievers Matt Tracy and David Goforth, Arkansas right-hander Mike Bolsinger and Auburn lefty Corey Luckie … Has a quick pickoff move, nabbing a team-best three runners, including picking off Coastal Carolina speedsters Rico Noel and Scott Woodward on consecutive plays in a win at CCU … Had a breakout game at Monmouth in San Diego, going 4-for-5 with three RBI, including driving home the walk-off run with a bases-loaded HBP … Hit first homer of the year against Murray State … Had a career-high six RBI game against Ole Miss on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and his first career two-homer game … In a Friday-night win at Arkansas, batted 4-for-5 with three RBI and an opposite-field homer, driven into the wind, down the right-field line … Had a three-hit game in the finale against Alabama, totaling two RBI … Got one start in the series against LSU, going 3-for-4 with two doubles … A better hitter on the road, away from the hitter-friendly confides of Cliff Hagan Stadium … Hit .315 (17-for-54) in 17 road games, with three doubles and three homers … Hit .341 (30-for-88) with eight doubles, three homers and 18 RBI in games UK won and had a 0.90 ERA, a 2-0 record and two saves in seven games pitched that UK won, allowing only one run in 10 innings … In 19 games UK lost, hit .231 (15-for-65) with three homers and 10 RBI and posted a 6.75 ERA on the mound in 11 games UK lost … Did not allow a run on the mound in 11 day game appearances and 13.2 innings pitched … Hit .345 (30-for-87) with seven doubles, four homers and 19 RBI in 25 day games … Earned regular season and playoff MVP honors for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the New York Collegiate Baseball League … Was arguably the top hitter and pitcher in the league … Also named to the mid-season All-Star game, starting on the mound, at designated hitter and winning All-Star MVP honors … Led the NYCBL with 72 strikeouts in 47.1 innings … In eight games and seven starts, totaled a 4-1 record and a 2.47 ERA … Allowed only 23 hits and 13 earned runs in 47.1 innings, walking 25 … Opponents hit just .145 against him … Offensively, started 37 games and hit .319 (46-for-144) with eight doubles, a team-high four homers and 24 RBI, stealing 5-of-7 bases … Amsterdam finished with a 30-12 overall record … Had a .458 slugging percentage, reaching base at a .387 clip.
2009
Had a dynamic season at the plate and as UK’s closer during his true freshman campaign … At the plate, totaled a .319 average (45-for-141), with a team-high 11 doubles, four homers and 27 RBI … Played first base and designated hitter … On the mound, pitched in 23 games in relief, totaling a 5-0 record and a 6.06 ERA, with a team-high four saves … Struck out 42 in 32.2 innings, with 16 walks … Had a 2-0 record with a save and a 5.87 ERA in 12 games in SEC play, striking out 18 in 15.1 innings … Batted .284 (21-for-74) with five doubles, two homers and 15 RBI in 20 SEC games … Hit .358 (24-for-67) in non-conference games with six doubles, two homers and 12 RBI … Totaled 20 of his 27 RBI at Cliff Hagan Stadium … Was 3-0 with four saves and a 5.85 ERA in 15 games on the mound at home … Hit .296 (24-for-81) with runners on base and .500 (3-for-6) with seven RBI with the bases loaded … On the mound, forced 26 fly outs and 28 ground outs … Struck out 11.57 hitters per nine innings … Hit all over the order, with 10 games as the clean-up hitter, nine games as the No. 7 hitter and five games each as the No. 5 and No. 6 batter … Was 7-for-10 with three runs and three RBI in the ninth inning or later … Opened his UK career on an 11-game hitting streak, the second-longest streak on the team … Hit safely in the last nine games of the year, carrying the longest active hitting streak on the team … In his first career start, at Coastal Carolina, hit 1-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run and a walk … Had a 3-for-4 outing, three-RBI outing against Western Michigan … Totaled 12 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games … Totaled three RBI against Vanderbilt … Hit first career grand slam against Morehead State, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored, four RBI and two doubles … Totaled four RBI in the series finale against Tennessee … Had a double in all three games against South Carolina … Hit three of his four homers in the final 10 games … With UK trailing by three runs in the top of the ninth inning at Alabama, belted a home run that scored two and put UK within one run … Was excellent in his first two outings on the mound, going a scoreless frame at Coastal Carolina, striking out two, and pitching 1.1 innings without allowed an earned run against Western Michigan, recording his first career save … With a perfect ninth inning against eventual NCAA Regional team Indiana, locked up his second save … Arguably his best outing came in three innings at Louisville, holding the Cardinals to one hit and one run with four strikeouts … Tossed 2.1 hitless innings against Marshall for his third save of the year … Got fourth save of the year against Tennessee, going one inning with one walk and one punch out … Hurled two innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts against Morehead State, a game that also saw hit total four hits and five RBI at the plate … Recorded wins against EKU, Louisville, Mississippi State, Auburn and Morehead State … Longest outing came at Mississippi State in the series opener on Super Bulldog Weekend, when he pitched 3.2 innings, allowing four hits and two runs, walking one and fanning a career-best five.
High School
Louisville-Slugger High School All-American … Named all-state, all-conference MVP, all-conference and all-area as a senior … Four-year letterwinner of the Illiana Christian High School baseball team, playing for coach Dave Beezehold … Led team to the district championship as a senior … Stole a total of 163 bases during his four-year career … School-record holder for career average (.492) … Hit .552 with 46 runs, 16 doubles, seven homers and 44 RBI as a senior … On the mound as a senior, earned a 8-2 record and a 0.99 ERA, striking out 93 in 56 innings … Participated in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Area Code Games for the Chicago White Sox team …Totaled a .468 batting average during his junior year in 2007, with 15 doubles, four home runs, and 35 RBI, stealing 22 bases … As a sophomore, batted .500 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 52 RBI, also earning a 1.43 ERA on the mound, along with a 5-2 record … As a freshman in 2005, batted .429 with 20 doubles, four home runs, and 44 RBI … On the mound in 2005, earned a 6-0 record, striking out 40 in 27 innings … A member of the all-conference team each year of high school … Played basketball for three years … Earned honor roll honors.
Personal
Full name is Braden Scott Kapteyn … Born September 28, 1989 in Munster, Ill. … Son of Scott and Julie Kapteyn … Has a brother Wade (23), pitched at Evansville and against UK in 2009, and a sister, Katie (25) … Wade was drafted in the 24th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, spending his first professional season in the rookie-level New York Penn League.
Breaking down Kapteyn
• Junior first baseman and right-handed reliever Braden Kapteyn led UK with 42 RBI in 2011, batting .300 with nine doubles, one triple and six homers, also adding a team-high 42 runs.
• Set new career highs with his 42 RBI, 92 total bases, 210 at bats, 42 runs scored and 63 hits.
• Started all 55 games at first base or as the designated hitter, making 14 relief appearances.
• Tallied two saves on the mound, posting a 0-3 record and a 9.00 ERA, with his three losses coming as the first of his three-year pitching career. Struck out 27 in 17 innings.
• Now owns eight career saves, tied with Aaron Lovett (2007-08) and Adam Shadburne (1993-96) for eighth-place in UK career history.
• In his career, owns a 7-3 record and a 6.15 ERA, striking out 91 in 71.2 innings.
