Pair of Blazers Taken in MLB Draft

Graves, Costello selected in 35th round

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A pair of Valdosta State Blazers were selected in the 35th round of the Major League Baseball draft Thursday.

Brandon Graves, a left-handed pitcher from Crawfordville, Fla., was taken with the 1,047 overall pick by the San Francisco Giants. Graves led Valdosta State in wins (11), earned run average (3.04), saves (7) and strikeouts (85) during the 2009 season. A senior, Graves held opponents to a .260 batting average as he allowed 81 hits in 80.0 innings pitched on the season. After beginning the year as the VSU closer, he moved into the starting rotation and recorded two complete games and tallied an 11-2 record on the year. He was honored as the Gulf South Conference's top relief pitcher at the end of the season while also earning All-America honors from Daktronics.

Matt Costello, also a left-handed pitcher, was taken with the 1,066 overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers. Costello, who was named the South Region Player of the Year while earning first-team All-America honors from Daktronics and second-team recognition from both Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The West Barnstable, Mass. Native was 9-3 on the mound during the year while tallying a 3.67 ERA. He recorded two complete games on the year while allowing 98 hits and striking out 83 batters in 98.0 innings. Costello was just as affective at the plate as he batted .462 on the year while scoring 65 runs and driving in 69. Costello collected 22 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs on the year for a .733 slugging percentage and tied a NCAA Division II record by hitting safely in 13 straight at-bats in March.

Graves and Costello are the first Blazers to be selected in the MLB draft since Robert Wachman was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in 2004.

Current News >>