Oklahoma State University Athletics
Five Cowboys Drafted By MLB
June 08, 2010 | Cowboy Baseball
June 8, 2010
SECAUCUS, N.J. - Five Oklahoma State Cowboys were chosen on the second day of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Tuesday.
Pitchers Tyler Lyons, Thomas Keeling and Mike Strong and catcher Kevin David were each drafted for the second time in their careers, with each improving on their previous draft status, while second baseman Davis Duren was also among Tuesday's draftees.
Lyons was the first Cowboy drafted when the St. Louis Cardinals selected the southpaw in the ninth round with the 289th overall pick.
Lyons completed his OSU career in May, going 3-6 with a 6.06 ERA in 14 games as a senior last season. He is a two-time MLB Draft pick as he was drafted in 2009 by the New York Yankees in the 10th round following his junior year.
A native of Lubbock, Texas, Lyons completed his standout OSU career with a 22-14 record, with his 22 wins tying for 10th on the program's all-time list. Lyons also ranks in the top 10 on the Cowboys' career charts in innings pitched (308.0), strikeouts (266), starts (41) and appearances (65).
Lyons was a two-time All-Big 12 Conference performer and was also named to a pair of NCAA Regional All-Tournament Teams (2008 Stillwater Regional and 2009 Clemson Regional).
The next Cowboy chosen was Duren, who was a 13th round pick (393rd overall) of Houston.
Duren enjoyed a breakout junior season for OSU in 2010. From his leadoff spot in the Cowboys' order he led the Pokes in hitting with a .383 batting average and topped the Big 12 Conference with 29 stolen bases. He also led OSU with 88 hits and 46 runs and ranked second in doubles (17) and RBIs (55).
Keeling, was selected in the 19th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. A year ago, the Ropesville, Texas product was taken in the 20th round by the Yankees.
A southpaw, Keeling has ranked among the top five in the NCAA national leaders each of the last two seasons in strikeouts per nine innings. In 31 career appearances, he has racked up 167 strikeouts in 117.0 innings.
Keeling is coming off a junior campaign in which he was 4-6 with a 5.74 in 12 starts and led OSU with 92 strikeouts.
Yet another Cowboy who improved his draft position over last year was David, who was drafted in the 19th round by Kansas City. OSU's junior catcher was a 35th-round choice of the Chicago Cubs in '09.
An honorable mention All-Big 12 pick each of the last two seasons, David is coming off a junior season in which he started all but one game for the Cowboys and hit .279 with six homers and 40 RBIs. He led OSU and ranked sixth in the Big 12 with 18 doubles and was also 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts. One of the top defensive catchers in the league, David threw out 27 percent of the runners who tried to steal against him.
In 119 career games, David sports a .293 batting average to go along with 12 home runs and 96 RBIs.
Rounding out OSU's Tuesday draft picks was Strong, a junior southpaw who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 22nd round with the 665th overall pick. Strong was 4-3 with a 4.48 ERA in his first season in Stillwater after spending two years at Iowa Western Community College.
A 25th round pick by the White Sox in 2009, Strong made 16 appearances for the Cowboys last season and collected 66 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.
With two days and 30 rounds now complete, the 2010 MLB Draft will conclude Wednesday with rounds 31-50.
2010 OSU Major League Baseball Draftees (through 30 rounds)
9th round - Tyler Lyons, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals (289th overall)
13th round - Davis Duren, Houston Astros (393rd overall)
18th round - Thomas Keeling, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers (549th overall)
19th round - Kevin David, C, Kansas City Royals (569th overall)
22nd round - Mike Strong, LHP, Oakland Athletics (665th overall)
