Senior left-handed pitcher Matt Stabelfeld was the only Lewis-Clark State College player selected on the third day of this year’s Major League Draft as he was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.
Tampa Bay made the Turlock, Calif., product its pick in the 41st round of the 50-round draft. Stabelfeld was the 1,249th player chosen in the draft.
LCSC wound up with three players being selected in the three-day draft. On Wednesday, infielder/outfielder Sean Halton was selected in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 406th pick overall, while right-handed pitcher Tom Peale was the 23rd round pick of the Florida Marlins, and the No. 698 pick overall. All three players are expected to sign minor league contacts with their respective organizations.
Stabelfeld posted a 4-0 record with the Warriors this season with a 4.09 earned run average. He made 14 appearances and tied for the team-high with 12 starters. He threw a team-high 61.2 innings and allowed 54 hits and 36 runs, 28 of which were earned. He struck out 60 and walked 29 and the opposition hit only .236 off him.
During his junior year, he made one start and 14 relief appearances. He posted a 2-1 record with two saves, but the highlight came when he earned the win the championship game of the Avista NAIA World Series, helping the Warriors capture the title.
Tampa Bay has minor league Class A affiliates in Princeton, W.V., Wappingers Falls, N.Y., and Bowling Green, Ky.
LCSC has now had 110 players selected in MLB draft since 1975.
