June 8, 2008

LUBBOCK, Texas - For just the second time in school history, a trio of Lubbock Christian University baseball players were selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, as Chris Holguin, Buck Britton and Gary Poynter were each selected by big league teams.  Commitments J.D. Alfaro and Sean Conner were also selected in the draft.

Holguin was the first player drafted that appeared in a LCU jersey last season.  He was selected in the 14^th round (429^th overall selection) by the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Chaps have never had a player drafted by Toronto, but former Chaps pitcher Brad Cornett signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays in 1992 and pitched in the big leagues.  Holguin completed his eligibility this season with an 11-1 record and 3.74 ERA.

The Lubbock native and Estacado High School product had a team leading 107 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched.  He ranked sixth in the NAIA in wins (11) and ranked tenth in batters struck out per nine innings (10.9). He had a string of six consecutive starts in which he struck out at least eight batters and was named the SAC Pitcher of the Week after shutting out Oklahoma City on April 4^th.  Holguin ended his LCU career with a 20-3 record in 28 appearances with 188 strikeouts in 167 2/3 innings pitched. 

Preseason NAIA All-American Buck Britton was chosen by the Baltimore Orioles in the 35^th round as the 1046^th overall selection.  The Weatherford native completed the 2008 season with LCU hitting .365 with nine homers and 44 runs-batted-in.  Primarily used as a lead-off batter, the Chaps second basemen was second on the club in hits (81) and was able to reach base as a lead-off batter 48.4% of the time.  Britton was 14 of 18 (77.8%) garnering a run-batted-in with runners in scoring position and less than two outs.

In the field, Britton was a Rawlings Gold Glove recipient after a 97.3% fielding percentage.  He only committed six errors on the season and he broke a school record for consecutive games with an assist (30), which had previously been held by Gary Hix and Randy Velarde.  Britton spent two seasons with the Chaps and combined for a .385 batting average with 18 home runs, 97 runs-batted-in, 155 hits and seven triples in 104 games. Britton is the first player drafted from LCU by the Orioles, but the Britton name is a familiar name in the Orioles organization.  Buck's brother Zach was a third round selection by the Orioles in the 2006 draft.  Zach currently pays in the Orioles organization with the Class A Delmarva Shorebirds.  

Poynter, a junior from Flower Mound, completed his first season with the Chaparrals after transferring in from the University of Arkansas. San Diego drafted him in the 39^th round as the 1,185^th selection.  The 6'3" right handed hurler completed the season ranked second in the NAIA in wins with a 14-2 record.  He matched Steve Hunter's 1982 school record of consecutive wins with 12. Poynter made 16 starts during the season and posted a 3.80 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings pitched.

Opponents batted .239 against Poynter this season. The two-time Sooner Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week registered the 14^th no-hitter in LCU history on February 1^st against Mid-America Christian University, which also marked the first LCU no-hitter in SAC play. Poynter is the second Chaps player ever drafted by the Padres.  San Diego selected former big leaguer and Lubbock native Steve Watkins in the 16^th round of the 1998 draft.

Alfaro was a ninth round selection (265^th overall) by the Kansas City Royals.  The 5'9" 170-pound shortstop orally committed to transfer to LCU from Grayson County College.  He was named the MVP of the JUCO World Series, leading the Vikings to a National Championship.  Heading into the World Series, Alfaro batted .366 in 51 games with 18 home runs and 76 runs-batted-in. Alfaro, a native of Fort Worth, hit .476 and drove in an additional 14 runs in the World Series. He is the younger brother of former Houston Astros shortstop Jason Alfaro. The brothers both attended high school at Western Hills, but J.D. did not play in high school and only played in summer leagues.

Conner, drafted in the tenth round as the 299^th overall selection by the Cincinnati Reds, had recently committed to transfer to LCU from Palm Beach Community College. The Lake Worth, Florida native batted .326 in 37 games this season and led the team with nine home runs, 43 runs-batted-in and 15 doubles.  The 6'2" 198-pound left handed right fielder attended Santaluces High School in Palm Beach, Florida and was on the Dick Howser All-Star Team.

It is the first time three players from LCU have been drafted in the same draft since Kendall Walling (California), Randy Velarde (Chicago AL) and Scott McLanahan (Philadelphia) were selected in the 1985 draft.  Since Poynter is a junior, he may opt to return to the Chaps for his senior season and reenter the draft next season.  Alfaro and Conner face the same decision, as they will now decide on the option to either sign with the team that they were drafted by or enroll to LCU for their junior seasons.

Prior to this season's draft, the last player drafted from LCU was David Wasylak in the 26^th round of the 2006 draft.  Wasylak was selected by the Chicago White Sox.  Twenty-nine players have now been drafted by Major League Baseball teams from LCU. Five of the draft selections have come under the tutelage of Head Coach Nathan Blackwood.