Former N.C. A&T Aggie Playing in the Pros

Burlington, Vermont - Xavier Macklin, former A&T outfielder and hitting machine, is slowly but surely beginning to prove he belongs in the big leagues.

The new professional was drafted in his junior season by the Vermont Lake Monsters, a Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. He was selected 376th overall in the 12th round of the 2011 First-Year Major League Baseball Player Draft.

"Playing with the Lake Monsters has been a great experience," said Macklin. "I've been meeting new people, getting to know my teammates, and playing a bunch of baseball. I love every minute of it."

The Vermont Lake Monsters currently have a 32-28 overall record, with Macklin playing in 41 of those games. He is averaging just .233 batting, and has 12 RBI total, 8 runs total, and no homeruns, but he continues to show gradual improvement ...

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Oakland Athletics select North Carolina A&T slugger Xavier Macklin in 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft

Xavier Macklin

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina A&T slugger Xavier Macklin is a member of the Oakland Athletics organization. On the second day of the First-Year Major League Baseball Player Draft, Macklin was selected in the 12th round as the 376th pick. Macklin is the first Aggie taken in the draft since the St. Louis Cardinals selected C.J. Beatty in the 26th round in 2009.

Macklin, a junior out of Rocky Mount, N.C., posted impressive power numbers throughout his Aggies career. He hit .357 with 49 home runs and 183 RBIs as he set school marks in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage. Macklin's reputation for power can be measured in his .705 career slugging percentage. He ends his collegiate career with three first-team All-MEAC honors.

Macklin said he was informed about being drafted at approximately 5 p.m. Apprehension and nervousness drove him away from following the draft hours before the Athletics selected him. Macklin received a phone call from a friend notifying him of the good news. A local A's scout who lives in Greensboro made the official call for the organization.

"I can't describe this feeling right now," said Macklin. "It's crazy. It's surreal. It's like I'm not even here right now."

The 2011 season solidified Macklin's status as a MLB prospect. He hit .355 with 22 home runs and 67 RBIs. Nationally, he ranks second in home runs and home runs per game. He owns the fourth-best slugging percentage in the nation and his RBIs per game ranks him 11th.

"He really deserves this," said N.C. A&T head coach Keith Shumate. "People recognize how much talent this young man has, but I don't think people know how hard he worked to get to this point. He had a legendary career at A&T."

Macklin is one of only two MEAC players who have been selected thus far. Bethune-Cookman catcher Peter O'Brien went in the third round to the Colorado Rockies. Macklin becomes the seventh player under Shumate to be taken in the MLB Draft. He is the fourth Aggie in the last five years to be selected, and earned the second highest draft position of any Aggie selected during the Shumate era. Duron LaGrande was drafted in the 10th round by the Montreal Expos in 2004.

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information