Three MSU baseball players were drafted in Major League Baseball’s 2002 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday.
Junior right fielder Bob Malek headlined the list as the first Spartan selected.
He was drafted in the 4th round by the New York Mets. Senior shortstop Jared Koutnik and senior pitcher Nick Bates also were selected.
Malek said he was keeping track of the draft in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center and was thrilled to hear his name.
“When my name got called I got real excited,” Malek said. “It’s real exciting.
“I’m not so sure what to do right now.”
His selection at No. 117 overall will likely mean the end of his career as a Spartan.
“Part of me doesn’t want to say it, but I think it’s time for me to make the next step,” Malek said. “But more than likely this is probably it.”
Malek said he expected to go between rounds two and five, but was unsure because of an injury to his right elbow.
“I didn’t necessarily know how the arm injury was going to affect my draft status,” Malek said. “Fourth round is pretty good. I can’t complain too much about that.
“I feel real good going to them. Hopefully, things work out and I’m up in a Mets uniform real quick.”
Malek also was named to the Louisville Slugger All-American Team on Tuesday.
With the honor, he became the first Spartan slugger to garner first-team honors since Kirk Gibson in 1978.
“It’s a huge honor and I’m real proud of it,” Malek said.
“It’s definitely a good way to go out.”
Last month, Malek was selected as the Tri-Big Ten Player of the Year.
He led the conference in total bases and tied for the league lead in home runs, collecting 163 and 16, respectively.
In just three seasons, Malek collected 245 hits and 162 RBIs - both MSU career records.
This season he batted .402 with 66 RBI.
Malek was not the only Spartan to take a step closer to fulfilling a dream.
After hours of watching the computer screen and seeing 485 names flash across it, Koutnik saw his name.
The New York Yankees selected him in the 16th round as the 486th pick overall.
“It’s overwhelming right now,” Koutnik said. “I’m just honored to be a senior and for someone to give me a shot.”
Koutnik said he was not sure whether he would be a first or second day selection.
“I was hoping,” Koutnik said of his position. “I had a workout Saturday and I was worried about my finger.”
Koutnik was scouted by the same person that brought Derek Jeter and Drew Henson to the New York Yankee organization.
This season Koutnik posted career highs in batting average (.375), home runs (11) and RBIs (42).
After hours of watching other players being drafted, Bates was chosen by the Kansas City Royals as the 648th pick overall in the 22nd round.
“It feels good,” Bates said. “A chance to play professional baseball has always been a dream of mine.
“It’s a good opportunity. They’re looking for new people to turn things around.”
In his final season, Bates posted a 9-3 record with a 2.97 ERA. He led the team with 100 strikeouts and 7 complete games.
The draft, which is conducted through conference calls between the 30 MLB teams, will resume at noon today in the 23rd round. It is scheduled to go 50 rounds, but could end earlier if the teams decide to discontinue selecting players.
Senior center fielder Chris McCuiston is expected to be selected sometime today. McCuiston had a career senior campaign. He batted .404 with 15 home runs and 71 RBIs.
