North Carolina State University Athletics
Five Wolfpackers Taken in MLB Draft
6/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State’s Russell Wilson and Jake Buchanan were among five Wolfpack players selected on the second day of the MLB Draft. Wilson was chosen by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round with the 140th selection, while the Houston Astros took Jake Buchanan with pick 243 in the eighth round.
In addition, the Florida Marlins took senior second baseman Dallas Poulk in the 19th round, the San Francisco Giants took senior outfielder Kyle Wilson in the 24th round, and the Astros took senior lefthander Alex Sogard in the 26th round.
Wilson, out of Richmond, Va., hit .306 in 47 games for the Wolfpack baseball team this season. He also made 10 appearances on the mound, going 0-1 with a 5.84 ERA in 12 1/3 innings of work.
On the gridiron Wilson has served as the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback for the past two seasons. In 2008 he became the first freshman ever to be selected first-team All-ACC quarterback, in addition to being tabbed league rookie of the year after tossing 17 touchdown passes and running for four scores. This past year he set an NCAA record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception (379), and led the ACC and ranked fourth nationally with 31 touchdown passes.
Wilson ranks fifth in school history in career passing yards (4,982), second in passing efficiency (141.94), fifth in completions (374), sixth in attempts (653), and third in touchdowns (48). He also stands fourth in the Wolfpack record books in career total offense with 5,630 yards, fourth among active ACC players in career total offense, second in passing yards and touchdowns. His 56 total touchdowns throughout his career is the third-best mark in school history
Buchanan, out of Dallas, N.C., posted an 8-6 record with a 3.86 ERA for the Wolfpack during the 2010 campaign. He fanned 96 batters in 105 innings of work this season after going 5-8 through his first two years in Raleigh.
Poulk, from Fayetteville, earned first-team All-ACC honors and batted.360 with 23 doubles, 11 home runs, 80 runs scored and 60 RBIs. He finished sixth in NC State history for career at-bats with 868, seventh with 281 hits, tied for seventh with 11 career triples, 10th with 111 walks, and seventh with 184 runs scored. His 80 runs scored for the 2010 season ranked third in school history for most runs in a single season.
Kyle Wilson, from Crystal Lake, Ill., led NC State with a .368 batting average. He hit nine doubles and seven homers while driving in 34 runs and scoring 61. He also stole 10 bases and would have stolen more if not for a lingering groin injury. He finished his career with 42 career steals, good for sixth in school history. His 30 steals as a junior in 2009 set an NC State single-season record.
Sogard, from Phoenix, Ariz., made a late-season emergence after struggling much of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He finished with a 2-2 record and a 5.26 ERA in 15 appearances, including 11 starts. He went 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA in his last four appearances, three of which were starts.
