56 Players From The Big 12 Selected In 2011 MLB Amateur Draft

A total of 56 players from the Big 12 Conference were selected this week in the 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft, including nine in the opening five rounds.

Texas ace right-handed pitcher Taylor Jungmann was the first Big 12 player taken in the draft, selected 12th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers. The second Big 12 selection wasn't taken until the 88th pick in the second round, when the New York Yankees took Jungmann's Texas teammate, pitcher Sam Stafford.

Jungmann's selection at No. 12 overall is the fifth highest pick of a Big 12 student-athlete. The junior right-handed starter, the Big 12's top pitcher, has a record of 13-1 this season in 16 starts and an impressive 1.39 earned run average. Stafford is having an equally strong season with a 6-2 record in 16 starts and a 1.57 ERA.

The season is still going for both Longhorn pitchers, as fifth-ranked Texas is playing this weekend in the NCAA Championship Super Regional round and has a chance to move on to the College World Series with a series win over 11th-ranked Arizona State.

Oklahoma led all Big 12 schools with 11 players drafted, followed by Texas with nine and eight for Texas A&M. Oklahoma State had six players selected, and Kansas State was next with five. All ten conference schools that field baseball teams had at least three players taken in the draft.

Pitcher was the most dominant position chosen among the Big 12 players taken in this year's baseball draft. Thirty-four pitchers were selected, 28 right-handers and eight southpaws. The second most popular position among Big 12 draftees was third base, with seven overall selections.

A grand total of 1,530 players were chosen by 24 major-league teams in the three-day, 51-round selection process. The Houston Astros took six Big 12 ballplayers, the most of any team. The San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies each selected five players from Big 12 schools and the Cincinnati Reds and Yankees both took four. Six major-league clubs did not select anyone from the Big 12 (Pittsburgh and Washington in the National League and Boston, Cleveland, Minnesota and Texas in the American League).

This is the ninth consecutive year in which the Big 12 has had at least one first-round selection selected in the annual MLB draft, and 12 seasons overall. It is also the fifth year that 50 or more student-athletes from the conference have been chosen in the draft.

Players Drafted By Big 12 School

Oklahoma - 11

Texas - 9

Texas A&M - 8

Oklahoma State - 6

Kansas State - 5

Missouri - 4

Texas Tech - 4

Kansas - 3

Baylor - 3

Nebraska - 3

Big 12 Positions Drafted

Pitchers - 35 (R-27; L-8)

Third Base - 7

Outfielders - 4

First Base - 3

Catcher - 3

Shortstop - 2

Second Base - 1

Infield - 1