French, Winker Picked Late on Day Two of 2011 MLB Draft

MACON, Ga. – A pair of Mercer baseball seniors were taken within a few rounds of each other on Tuesday evening on Day Two of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Starting pitcher Justice French was drafted in the 25^th round (775^th overall pick) by the Cincinnati Reds, while designated hitter Joe Winker was selected just a few rounds later in the 28th round (854^th overall pick) by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

"I am just so proud of Justice and Joey and glad to see that all their work put in here over their careers has finally paid off," head coach Craig Gibson said. "To have two players who were not drafted out of high school to now have a chance to live out their dreams of playing professional baseball as seniors says a lot about our program and I wish them both nothing but the best."

French and Winker are the second and third Mercer players drafted thus far in the 2011 draft, joining junior Jacob Tanis who was taken in the 13^th round (406^th overall pick) by the Oakland Athletics.

Mercer currently leads all Atlantic Sun squads with three draftees and has tied the school record for most players drafted in the same season, equaling the mark of three set in the 2008 MLB Draft. 

Winker was a four-year starter for Mercer and has proven himself as one of the best hitters in the A-Sun Conference. A Freshman All-American in 2008, the Orlando, Fla. native concluded his career with a breakout senior season that led to an Atlantic Sun All-Conference second team selection. Winker hit .359 this season and ranked third in the A-Sun with a .630 slugging percentage, tied for seventh with 13 home runs and ninth in the league with a .448 on-base percentage.

French was a weekend starter for the Bears over the past two seasons and has always been known as a big game pitcher. The Suwanee, Ga. native got the start in the Bears 4-2 win over then No. 6 Georgia Tech on March 29 and picked up the win after throwing four scoreless innings of relief at Georgia on May 11. French also had a career-best season as a senior, compiling a 6-2 record while ranking tied for second in the A-Sun with a 3.26 ERA. He struck out 59 and walked just 19 while holding opposing hitters to a .287 batting average.

Rounds 31-50 of the 2011 MLB Draft are still to come starting tomorrow at 12 noon. Several Mercer players are still considered draft prospects so stay tuned to www.mercerbears.com all day tomorrow for up to date coverage.