Day, Kibler Selected In MLB First-Year Player Draft
6/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 8, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Two Michigan State baseball players were among those chosen in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which concluded Friday. Sophomore catcher Kyle Day (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) was selected in the 19th round by the Chicago Cubs and junior left-hander Jon Kibler (Freeland, Md./Calvert Hall/Dundalk CC) was selected in the 30th round by the Detroit Tigers. In addition, Michigan State signee Kyle Kaminska (Naperville, Ill./Central) was selected in the 25th round by the Florida Marlins, Jonathon Roof (Paducah, Ky./St. Mary's) was selected in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox, and Tyler Newsome (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist) was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 49th round.
"Kyle Day and Jon Kibler - I am excited for both of these guys" Miichigan State head coach David Grewe said. "Neither of them had the year they were capable of, but at the same time, they were recognized as having superior talent out of all the players in the country. It's quite an honor because the dreams of so many kids is to play pro baseball. The fortunate thing for both Jon and Kyle is that they have another year of eligibility and that if the situation is not right for them at this time, they can get drafted in a better spot or into a better situation next year. They both can come back and make the situation more right next year."
"Having three guys drafted out of our incoming class shows what a strong recrutier Tony Baldwin is," Grewe said. "It sets the stage for this class to be ranked as one of the top 20 recruiting classes in the country. Again, these guys have superior talent in comparison to so many players across the country and even though they weren't drafted high, the college experience and the development as a young man will aid in their future development. They will be better draftees three years down the road."
Day, who was a Baseball America Preseason All-Big Ten and Collegiate Baseball Big Ten Player to Watch selection, was named one of the top prospects in the Jayhawk League last summer by Baseball America and is playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League this summer for the Harwich Mariners. He led the team with a .438 on-base percentage and drew 33 walks. In the final weekend of the regular season, Day hit .438 with two homers and nine RBI at Illinois. He finished the year with a .295 batting average, three homers and 26 RBI.
 Jon Kibler was selected in the 30th round by the Detroit Tigers.  | |
Kaminska, a right-handed pitcher, was rated in the Top 400 high school prospects in the country by Perfect Game Crosschecker and is rated as the No. 12 prospect in the state of Illinois by the Truth Prep Baseball Report. He has gone 20-5 as a varsity pitcher at Naperville Central High School while helping to lead his team to the 2006 Illinois State Championship with a 10-1 record.
Roof, a shortstop, hit .605 with 3 home runs, 12 walks, 17 RBIs and 13 stolen bases for St. Mary's High School entering the Kentucky Regionals. His father, Gene, played professional baseball and is currently a coach in the Tigers system. His brother, Eric, was a utility player for the Spartans this season while another brother, Shawn, played for the University of Illinois and also was drafted - in the 33rd round by the Tigers. Jonathan played for the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team at the East Coast Professional Showcase, one of the top recruiting events in the country. He is currently rated as a Top 1000 recruit by Perfect Game Crosschecker.
Newsome, a left-handed pitcher/outfielder, started his senior season 4-0 with one save on the mound and an ERA under 3.00. He also led Marist High in home runs and RBIs, helping him rate as the No. 27 prospect in the state of Illinois by The Truth Prep Baseball Report. His father, Tim Newsome, played eight years of professional baseball and his brother, Brett Newsome, currently plays for Western Michigan.
A total of 113 Spartans have been selected in the MLB draft.
