IUP shortstop Paul Bingham (left) and West Chester catcher Bob Stumpo (right).
Three PSAC baseball student-athletes were selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which was held over the last three days beginning on Monday and wrapping up today. One was picked on Tuesday, when rounds 2-30 were held, and two more went off the board on Wednesday during rounds 31-50.
The three selections makes it four straight years that the PSAC has had at least one player picked in the MLB draft. Last year, a total of six PSAC players were drafted, the most since 2000 when seven were picked. It also marked the 13th time in the last 14 years that the PSAC has had at least one draftee in the MLB draft and the 23rd time in the last 25 drafts. Since the 1986 draft, only two times has the PSAC not had a single player drafted - 1996 and 2006.
IUP shortstop Paul Bingham (Hanover, Pa./South Western) became the first PSAC player to be drafted this year as the Crimson Hawk senior and PSAC West Player of the Year was picked by the San Diego Padres with the ninth pick of the 20th round, the 604th pick overall, on Tuesday. Bingham is the first IUP MLB draft pick since Anthony Zambotti was taken in the 14th round in 2003. The native of Hanover, Pa. and hit .463 in helping lead the Crimson Hawks to a PSAC West title this year. He also broke a 17-year-old PSAC record by stealing 45 bases and tied the PSAC mark for triples with 12. Additionally, he set the PSAC career records with 28 triples and 98 stolen bases.
West Chester catcher Bob Stumpo (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) was the first PSAC player taken on Wednesday as he was selected by his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies, in the 34th round. He was the 26th pick of that round and the 1011th pick overall. The native of Wilmington, Del. hit .305 this year with eight home runs and 52 RBI to help lead West Chester to the PSAC East championship and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Regional. He is the first Golden Ram to be drafted since Frank Gailey was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 27th round of the 2007 draft. Stumpo recently earned a ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award for his work behind the plate, as he committed just two errors this year. He was a first team All-PSAC East selection in each of the past two years.
Kutztown left-handed pitcher Nate Reed (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley) was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 17th pick of the 40th round, the 1212th overall pick. With his selection, it marks the second straight year that a Kutztown southpaw has been drafted, following seventh-round pick Darin Gorski last year. Reed, a first team All-PSAC East selection this year, went 6-4 with a 2.60 ERA in 72.2 innings of work this year. He struck out 71 and threw a no-hitter against Bloomsburg in April and struck out a season-high 10 against IUP in the PSAC Tournament. Reed's efforts on the mound helped lead the Golden Bears to a runner-up finish at the PSAC Tournament and the NCAA Atlantic Regional championship and a spot in the Division II College World Series. The Oley, Pa. native tossed eight shutout innings against West Chester in the regional championship game last month.
For a complete list of the PSAC's all-time draft picks, click here.
PSAC Players Taken in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft
Paul Bingham, IUP (20th round, 604) - San Diego Padres
Bob Stumpo, West Chester (34th round, 1011) - Philadelphia Phillies
Nate Reed, Kutztown (40th round, 1212) - Seattle Mariners