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Peterson leads contingent of D-9, 10 players taken in MLB draft

Wednesday was a big day for former District 9 and 10 standouts, with five of them hearing their names called on Day 3 of the 2017 Major League Baseball amateur draft.

Prominent among those was St. Bonaventure shortstop Cole Peterson, a 13th round selection (395th overall) of the Detroit Tigers.

Peterson’s selection came four years to the day after he threw a complete game shutout for Johnsonburg in the PIAA Class A state championship game against Canton as a high school junior.

Peterson had this to say via his Twitter account shortly after being drafted: “Dream come true! Professional Baseball Player for the Detroit Tigers – Couldn’t thank my family and friends for the support since day one!”

There may have been a bit of foreshadowing, when Bonnies head coach Larry Sudbrook had this to say when I asked him about Peterson for a story in 2015, Peterson’s freshman season: “I’ve had two shortstops drafted professionally and I’ve had two other shortstops named first team Atlantic 10 and defensively, Cole has been as good or better than any of them his freshman year. He has very good hands, good lateral movement and a great, accurate arm.”

While his defense is the best part of his game, it was his improvement with the bat that helped him get drafted. This season, he hit .335 with a .409 on-base percentage and .482 on-base percentage while swiping 24 bases in 28 attempts.

Peterson became the second player drafted for St. Bonaventure, joining pitcher Aaron Phillips, who was taken in the ninth round on Tuesday by the San Francisco Giants. Sudbrook’s right-hand man is assistant coach B.J. Salerno, a 2005 Warren Area High School graduate and former Dragon and Bonnie standout catcher.

Casey Vincent, a 2016 Eisenhower graduate, became a regular in the St. Bonaventure starting rotation this season, posting a 4.99 ERA in his first collegiate season. He is currently pitching for the Jamestown Jammers of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

Next off the board was Dylan Cyphert, a left-handed pitcher from Cranberry H.S. who pitched this past season at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, FL.

He was selected in the 17th round by the Miami Marlins, No. 509 overall.

Cyphert had this to say via his Twitter page after being selected: “So thankful and excited for this opportunity!!! Gonna be a Marlin!”

He posted a 6-4 record in 63 innings pitched this season.

In the 19th round, Isaac Mattson, a Pitt right-handed pitcher by way of Harbor Creek was taken in the 19th round, No. 565 overall by the Los Angles Angels. He hit .464 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in his senior season for the Huskies in 2014, while posting a 5-1 record and 0.66 ERA, striking out 61 in 32 innings pitched.

This season for Pitt, Mattson posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 21 relief appearances, striking out 41 in 31 1/3 innings pitched.

In the 22nd round, his Pitt teammate, left-handed pitcher Josh Mitchell was selected with the 660th overall pick by the Kansas City Royals. Mitchell is from Ridgway High School and played for current Warren football coach Mark Morelli. For Pitt this season, he had a 4.61 ERA and struck out 65 in 70 1/3 innings pitched.

The day was rounded out with former Titusville standout Adam Bleday, a right-handed pitcher who started his career at Virginia, transferred to Gulf Coast C.C. and played his last two seasons for the University of Pennsylvania. He was the 2013 District 10 Player of the Year, posting a 0.18 ERA. He had a 2-5 record and 4.77 ERA for Penn this season, striking out 74 in 60 1/3 innings pitched.

Other notable players to be selected included right-handed pitcher Jacob Belinda of Lock Haven, taken in the 10th round by the Atlanta Braves, Millersville outfielder Chris McCormick, taken in the 21st round by the Astros and Mercyhurst infielder Cam Balego, selected in the 30th round by the Cubs.

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