UVA outfielder Joe McCarthy (Jr., Scranton, Pa.) and left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell (Jr., Houston, Texas) were selected Tuesday during the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The Tampa Bay Rays picked McCarthy with the 148th overall selection, while Waddell was taken just nine picks later by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Virginia has had four players selected through the first two days of the draft. Junior left-handed pitcher Nathan Kirby (Jr., Richmond, Va.) was taken 40th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, while Sborz was drafted 74th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The draft concludes Wednesday with rounds 11-40.
After being sidelined for the first 35 games following back surgery, McCarthy has proved to be a key cog in the Cavaliers’ lineup since returning. UVa is 18-8 in the 26 games since his return. McCarthy is batting .225 this season, although he is hitting .294 in the NCAA tournament.
A two-time All-ACC honoree and the 2013 ACC Freshman of the Year, McCarthy is a .303 career batter with 109 RBI. He owns a .431 career on-base percentage and ranks ninth in program history with 109 walks and 11th with 26 hit by pitch.
Waddell is 3-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 91 innings this season and owns a 19-11 career record. He has made 50 career starts at Virginia and will match former Cavalier Danny Hultzen for the most career starts in program history with his next start. Waddell has worked 293 2/3 career innings, which is fifth most in the UVa annals, and has a 3.43 career ERA.
Waddell was a third-team All-ACC honoree in 2014 and also was named to the All-College World Series Team. He was selected to the 2015 Lake Elsinore Regional Team after working 7 1/3 innings of one-run baseball in the Cavaliers’ 3-1 victory over San Diego State. He has pitched some of his best baseball in the NCAA tournament and is 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA in eight career tournament starts.
Virginia plays in the College World Series at 3 p.m. Saturday against Arkansas.
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Chris Graham
