THUNDER BAY – Ten players who took the field last September at the Under 18 Baseball World Cup were taken in Wednesday’s opening round of the Major League Baseball draft.
Outfielder Jarred Kelenic was the first of nine members of Team USA to hear his name called, going sixth overall to the New York Mets.
The Waukesha, Wisc. high-school product had two doubles and two homeruns in 35 at bats for the tournament-winning U.S. team, driving in five runs.
Reliever Ryan Weathers, son of former big-league pitcher David Weathers, went one slot later to the San Diego Padres.
Weathers picked up a pair of wins coming out of the bullpen, not allowing a single run in 9.2 innings of relief.
Other Americans selected were southpaw pitcher Matthew Liberatore (Tampa Bay), third baseman Nolan Gorman (St. Louis), shortstop Brice Turang (Milwaukee), catcher Anthony Siegler, third baseman Triston Casas (Boston), right-hander Mason Denaburg (Washington) and pitcher J.T. Ginn (Los Angeles Dodgers).
Canadian Noah Naylor, a catcher who played third base for his country in Thunder Bay last September, was grabbed with the second-to-last pick of the opening round by the Cleveland Indians.
Team USA was also well represented in later rounds on Day 1 of the draft.
Star pitcher Ethan Hankins, who mowed down the opposition at Port Arthur Stadium, was grabbed with the fifth pick of the compensatory round by Cleveland.
Centre-fielder Alek Thomas was taken 63rd overall by the Anaheim Angels, while catcher Will Banfield was selected by Miami with the first pick of the second competitive balance round.
The draft continues on Tuesday and Wednesday.
