A day after selecting right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman with the fourth overall pick of the 2012 amateur draft, the Orioles were busy adding more pitching to their farm system in rounds 2 through 15.
Of the 14 players selected on Tuesday, scouting director Gary Rajsich drafted nine pitchers, including second-round choice Branden Kline, a right-hander from the University of Virginia and a Frederick native. Kline throws a fastball in the low 90s and possesses a hard curveball, and scouts envision him as either a closer or at least a successful arm in the back-end of the bullpen.
Two South Carolina teammates were chosen in the first seven rounds as fourth-round first baseman Christian Walker and seventh-round pitcher Matthew Price play for the vaunted Gamecocks program.
The draft will conclude on Wednesday with rounds 16 through 40.
To this point, the Orioles have selected four left-handed pitchers and six right-handed pitchers, one catcher, one first baseman, two shortstops, and one outfielder.
ORIOLES 2012 DRAFT SELECTIONS
ROUND PLAYER POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN D.O.B HT WT B T
1 (4) Gausman, Kevin RHP Louisiana State Univ. Centennial, CO 01/06/91 6’4 195 L R
2 (65) Kline, Branden RHP Univ. of Virginia Frederick, MD 09/29/91 6’3 185 R R
3 (99) Marin, Adrian SS Gulliver Prep School Miami, FL 03/08/94 5’10 165 R R
4 (132) Walker, Christian 1B Univ. of South Carolina Limerick, PA 03/28/91 6’0 220 R R
5 (162) Poche, Colin LHP Marcus HS Flower Mound, TX 01/17/94 6’3 185 L L
6 (192) Rutledge, Lex LHP Samford Univ. Tupelo, MS 06/28/91 6’2 205 L L
7 (222) Price, Matthew RHP Univ. of South Carolina Sumter, SC 09/08/89 6’2 215 R R
8 (252) Boss, Torsten OF Michigan State Univ. Lowell, MI 12/27/90 6’0 195 L R
9 (282) Wager, Brady RHP Grand Canyon Univ. Miami, AZ 11/17/90 6’1 205 R R
10 (312) Hutter, Joel SS Dallas Baptist Univ. Davenport, IA 02/28/90 6’2 205 R R
11 (342) Grendell, Kevin LHP San Pasqual HS Escondido, CA 8/22/93 6’3 185 L L
12 (372) Waltrip, William LHP Seminole JC Braggs, OK 7/1/92 6’1 215 L L
13 (402) Wass, Wade C Meridian JC Pensacola, FL 9/23/91 6’0 205 R R
14 (432) McAdams, Sean RHP Cardinal Mooney HS Sarasota, FL 11/17/93 6’6 215 R R
15 (462) Velasquez, Derick RHP Merced JC Los Banos, CA 11/28/93 6’3 180 R R