Three Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Selected in 2014 MLB Draft

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  For the 23rd year, a Bethune-Cookman player’s name was announced among those selected in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, with the Wildcats notching three players in 2014, the most for the program in a decade chosen to join the professional ranks. Pitchers John Sever, Montana Durapau and Keith Zuniga each earned selections on Saturday (June 7), in addition to one Wildcats signee.

“Any time the guys are rewarded with the honor of getting drafted after working so hard, they obviously have a lot of ability,” Head Coach Jason Beverlin said. “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to the whole team in addition to the great job those three guys did. That’s one thing we talked about all year is the deeper we go in the postseason, the more guys that will get drafted, and that really proved true today.”

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A junior pitcher, Sever became the first Wildcats’ player to be selected in the MLB draft since Rayan Gonzalez was chosen in the 21st round of the 2012 Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Sever was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 26th pick in the 20th round (611th overall). At 6-5 and 190 pounds, the B-CU left-hander from Travelers Rest, S.C. was a first-year player for the Wildcats and finished the season with a 3-5 record and team-best four (4) saves, logging a 4.27 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 59 innings in the Maroon and Gold.

“I’m just ecstatic and it’s a dream come true; I’m happy to be a Pirate,” Sever said. “And to have an opportunity to play on the same team as a college teammate, that’s just the best, that would be awesome.”

Joining Sever in the organization and picking up the Wildcats’ second selection in the 2014 Draft, fourth-year senior Montana Durapau was also chosen by Pittsburgh, with the 26th pick in the 32nd round (971st overall). A native of nearby Deltona, Fla., the 5-11, 175-pound right-handed pitcher accumulated career program-record marks of a 25-15 record and 287 strikeouts in a record 350.1 innings pitched, logging a 3.19 ERA across 66 games for the Wildcats.

“I’m just excited right now,” Durapau said. “Being a smaller guy, you’ve got to give everything you can and hope that somebody rolls the dice on you. I’m glad that Pittsburgh did that with me and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to show them they made the right choice, and to represent B-CU and my family and see how far I can go.”

At the time of initial release, the first destinations for Sever and Durapau in the Pittsburgh organization have not yet been determined.

Rounding out the trio of current Wildcats in the 2014 MLB Draft, junior Keith Zuniga was chosen by the Miami Marlins with the second pick in 35th round (1,037th overall). The 6-0, 185-pound right-hander from Nogales, Ariz. was also a first-year player for the Wildcats and earned a record of 8-4, picking up the decision in B-CU’s win over Columbia, the first NCAA Regional victory since 2002. In 100 innings pitched in the 2014 season, Zuniga logged a 2.70 ERA and 57 strikeouts.

“It’s always been a goal of mine,” Zuniga said. “Finally being able to make it happen in my junior year after winning a championship and being able to win a Regional game with Cookman, I think all the pieces came together and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Zuniga is expected to begin his professional career in the Miami organization at the Advanced-A affiliate Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League South Division.

In addition to the current Wildcats, 6-2, 215-pound catcher signee Dominic Blanco out of Gulf Coast High School (Naples, Fla.) was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the sixth pick in the 28th round (831st overall).

The three draftees are the most active Wildcats selected in the same season for Bethune-Cookman in 10 years, tying for the most in one season in program history. In 2004, Sebastien Boucher was selected in the seventh round by Seattle, Mumba Rivera was selected in the 21st round by Seattle and Juan Figueroa was chosen in the 37th round by the then-Florida Marlins.

In a pitching-heavy draft, having three pitchers chosen is evidence of the benefits of having two experienced pitching coaches at the ready for the Wildcats’ pitching staff.

Beverlin was selected in the fourth round of the 1994 draft by Oakland and went on to play 13 years professionally, while first-year pitching coach Jason Bell was drafted by in the second round of the 1995 draft by Minnesota and played seven years professionally. Under the guidance of the tandem, the Wildcats’ team ERA improved to 3.63 from 4.16 a year ago.

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (27-33) concluded the 2014 season in the NCAA Coral Gables (FL) Regional with a 1-2 postseason record after collecting the program’s 17th Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title in Norfolk, Va. at the conference tournament.

For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow the official Twitter feeds, @CookmanBaseball or @BCUathletics, or "Like Us" on Facebook at BCUathletics.

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