June 6, 2008

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--Three Yale players were selected in Major League Baseball's annual First-Year Player Draft on Thursday and Friday. Junior catcher Ryan Lavarnway was the first Yale player selected, going to the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round (202nd overall). Senior pitchers Brian Irving and Steve Gilman were also drafted. Irving was a 17th-round pick by the San Francisco Giants (507th overall), while Gilman was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in round 36 (1,093rd overall).

"I'm really happy for and proud of all three of these players," Mazzuto Family Head Coach for Baseball John Stuper said. "I'm thrilled that they're getting a chance to play professional baseball because it's something that they all really wanted to do."

Lavarnway was chosen with the final pick of the draft's first day. A Second Team All-Ivy and First Team All-New England choice, the Woodland Hills, Calif., native led the Ivy League with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs despite missing the last 11 games with a broken left wrist. He also led the Bulldogs with a .398 batting average. Last season, he earned Third Team All-America honors after leading the nation in batting average (.467) and slugging percentage (.873) while setting school records for home runs (14) and RBIs (55). Lavarnway is the Ivy League's all-time leader with 33 career home runs. He will report to Boston's facility in Fort Myers, Fla., but his playing status is uncertain because of his injury.

"I'm obviously excited," Lavarnway said. "This is something I've worked so hard for my entire life. It's a tremendous honor to get the opportunity to play professional baseball."

"Ryan was closely watched the entire year after having just a phenomenal sophomore year," Stuper said. "He backed it up this year and was better in many ways. If he didn't get hurt, there's no way he would've still been on the board in the sixth round. I'm really proud of his development and advancement he's made. Ryan's one of the best we've ever had. He's the highest-drafted position player I've ever coached, which I think is saying something."

Irving went 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA and a league-leading 59 strikeouts en route to a Second Team All-Ivy selection as a senior. He will report to the Giants' spring training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., and will most likely play for either the Rookie League Arizona Giants or the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the short-season Class-A Northwest League. If Irving remains in the Giants system through Double-A, the Hamden, Conn., native will get a chance to play for the Norwich-based Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," Irving said. "I've dreamed of playing professional baseball since I was a kid, but the possibility only came about late in my college career. The entire experience has been a real whirlwind."

"Last year Brian asked me if I thought he had a chance to pitch professionally, and I told him that I thought he did," Stuper said. "He's very competitive and has the best curve ball I've seen in 16 years at Yale. He also throws it for strikes, which is obviously a key. He has a chance to do something professionally."

A unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection in 2008, Gilman posted a 4-0 record and five saves in 17 appearances. The Annandale, N.J., native had an impressive 1.00 ERA, allowing just three earned runs all season, and recorded 27 strikeouts in 27 innings. Detroit's Rookie League team, the Gulf Coast Tigers, is based out of Lakeland, Fla. If he is assigned to short-season Class-A, Gilman will play for the Oneonta Tigers of the New York-Penn League.

"When you're at Yale, the only thing you concentrate on is college baseball," Gilman said. "This is the culmination of those four years. It reinforces everything you're doing it for."

"I couldn't be happier for Steve," Stuper said. "He's one of best quality kids ever coached, and I'm thrilled he's getting a chance to play. He just did a great job this year and absolutely flourished in the closer role."

Yale has now had at least one player drafted in each of the last four years. Marc Sawyer was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round last year, Jon Hollis was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 38th round in 2006, and Josh Sowers was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 10th round of the 2005 Draft. A total of 25 Yale players have either been drafted or signed a pro contract in Stuper's 16-year tenure. Former Yale captain Craig Breslow '02 is currently a member of the Minnesota Twins.

Report filed by Joe Clifford, Yale Sports Publicity

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