Long Beach State University Athletics
Four Dirtbags selected on day two of the MLB Draft
6/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 7, 2011
Long Beach, Calif. - Long Beach State had four players selected during the second day of the Major League Baseball draft, encompassing the 2nd through 30th rounds of the draft. Andrew Gagnon, Branden Pinder, Mike Marjama and Kirk Singer were picked by the pros on Tuesday.
Gagnon was the first Dirtbag chosen, going to the Milwaukee Brewers with the 100th overall pick. Gagnon became the eighth Long Beach State player to be picked in the first three rounds in the last four years, and the fifth pitcher, joining Bryan Shaw, Andrew Liebel, Jake Thompson, and major leaguer Vance Worley.
A junior from Brentwood, Calif., Gagnon was the first player from the Big West to be taken in the 2011 draft. A second-team All-Big West selection, Gagnon ranked in the top ten in the Big West in ERA (2.81), opposing batting average (.225), and strikeouts with 84.
A second member of the team's rotation for the last two years was selected in the 16th round. Branden Pinder was tabbed by the New York Yankees with pick 509. Pinder threw 63 innings for the Dirtbags in 2011, making 11 starts and striking out 58 with just 15 walks. Moved to the bullpen at the end of the year, Pinder also had four saves for the Dirtbags.
Marjama was the third player picked from the Dirtbags on the second day of the draft. Chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the 23rd round with pick 711, Marjama was listed as a catcher, continuing the trade that he picked up as a junior this season. Marjama was second on the team with a .290 batting average, and led the Dirtbags with 63 hits on the season. He also started 29 games behind the plate, throwing out 13 runners on the season.
Singer, a two-year starter for the Dirtbags at shortstop, was selected in the 29th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 872nd pick. Singer started 50 games for the Dirtbags in 2011, all coming at shortstop.
The 2011 MLB draft concludes tomorrow, with the 31st through 50th rounds.
