D-backs select three players with Arizona ties on final draft day

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks concluded the final day of the 2011 MLB Draft selecting 20 players with three of them having connections to members of the organization.

Infielder Jacob Williams (49th round, 1474th overall) is the son of current D-backs third base coach Matt Williams.

The elder Williams was a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award winner with the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks throughout his 17-year big league career.

Arizona also selected right-handed pitcher Tucker Ward (47th round, 1414th overall) who is the son of Turner Ward, the current manager at D-backs affiliate Double-A Mobile and former Major League outfielder.

In addition, the D-backs took right-handed pitcher Raymond Hernandez (48th round, 1444th overall) who is the brother of current D-backs reliever David Hernandez.

On the third day of the draft, the Diamondbacks selected an additional nine pitchers, five infielders, four outfielders and two catchers in rounds 31-50 of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft today.

The D-backs completed the draft with 28 pitchers (20 right-handed and 8 left-handed), 13 infielders, seven outfielders and four catchers.

Of the 52 players the D-backs selected in the draft, 37 come from the college ranks.

“We came out of the draft with those two arms (Trevor Bauer and Archie Bradley) at the top and we feel good about what we were able to add behind them.” Montgomery said. “We feel very good about what we accomplished in the last three days. We tried to focus on pitching and middle-of-the-field-type guys because it takes pitching and defense to win. Now we are looking to get these guys signed, get their careers started and get them on their path to the big leagues.”

Other notable selections from Day three:

·Infielder Matt Jensen (31st round, 934th overall) was invited to USA Baseball team trials in 2009 and 2010.

·Left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda (33rd round, 994th overall) was named to the 2011 South Texas Pre-Season High School All-Star Team with Sinton High School.

·Right-handed pitcher Ross Gerdeman (34th round, 1054th overall) led all Bowling Green State relievers in innings pitched for the second consecutive season.

·Catcher Bryan Henry (36th round, 1084th overall) garnered Colonial States Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week honors on three occasions and was named First Team All-Conference during his senior campaign at Keystone College.

·Left-handed pitcher Elroy Urbina (37th round, 1114th overall) secured 11 saves this season to set the University of the Incarnate Word’s single-season saves record.

·Outfielder Chris Ellison (39th round, 1174th overall) tied for 10th among all Big 12 players with 16 stolen bases for the University of Oklahoma.

·Right-handed pitcher Seth Simmons (40th round, 1204th overall) was named to the 2011 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award watch list after establishing an East Carolina University record with 26 saves in his four-year career.

·Infielder Tyler Bream (42nd round, 1264th overall) is the son of Sid Bream, who was an All-American baseball player at Liberty University and went on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros during a 12-year big league career as an infielder.

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