Erik Morris Chosen In Major League Baseball Draft
6/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 9, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State junior Erik Morris (Orchard Lake, Mich.) became the second Spartan to be picked in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, when he was chosen in the 44th round (1,319th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies late Tuesday.
Morris, the son of former major league pitcher Jack Morris, batted .321 for the Spartans in 2004, belting a team-leading 71 hits and sharing the team lead with 50 runs scored. Morris ranked third on the team in home runs (10) and RBI (44) and tied for third on the squad with nine stolen bases. He had a fielding percentage of .986 while splitting time between catcher and first base, and threw out 20 of 56 base stealers. Morris tied for fifth in the Big Ten in home runs and runs scored.
Morris became the first Spartan to be drafted by the Phillies since Rick Carrow in 1972. He joined Travis Gulick as Spartans to be chosen in this year's draft, following Gulick's 23rd-round selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
