Oakland A's Draft Saint Aug's Shaw In 45th Round
June 11, 2009
The Oakland Athletics selected junior shortstop Anthione Shaw ( Chicago, Ill) of Saint Augustine's College in the 45th round of the 2009 First-Year Baseball Player Draft on Thursday (June 11). Shaw, the 2009 CIAA baseball player of the year, was the 1,353 player chosen.
The selection surprised Shaw, who worked out for the Athletics a
week ago.
"I am definitely shocked about it," said Shaw, who led the CIAA and ranked third nationally in NCAA Division II with a .479 batting average. "It still hasn't hit me yet. I have been working so hard to get to this point."
This is by far the biggest highlight in a season full of achievements for Shaw, who established himself as a budding star in his first season with the Falcons after transferring from Arizona Western College. He was a major reason why the Falcons won their first CIAA regular-season title since 2005 and produced their first winning season (26-13) since 2000. The 26 wins were the most since 1990 for the Falcons, who were CIAA tournament runner-ups for the second straight season.
A versatile player, Shaw also ranked second nationally in runs per game (1.47) and third nationally in on-base percentage (.569).
For his accomplishments on the field, Shaw not only was named the CIAA's best player, but he made the 2009 All-CIAA first team. He also was selected to the 2009 Daktronics All-Atlantic Region second team, and was an honorable mention selection on the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II All-Region team.
Baseball Head Coach Dr. Thomas Wood of the Falcons says Shaw was better than even he imagined.
"He has so much potential," said Wood, the 2009 CIAA baseball coach of the year in his second season as Falcons' coach. "He has tremendous range at shortstop, tremendous bat speed and a good strong arm. He knows the game and is a smart ballplayer."
Shaw will use the next few days to decide if he will remain a Falcon on sign with the Athletics. Coach Wood says Shaw could go even higher in the 2010 draft if he played next season at Saint Augustine's College.
"With another good year and the skills that he has, the possibility of moving up another 15 to 20 rounds is very good," Wood said. "I think that is very important for Anthione."
Added Wood: "We are very proud with what he has accomplished. With the facilities where we play at the USA Baseball Complex and now Shaw being drafted by a major league baseball team, other players will see that and may become interested in playing at Saint Augustine's College."
