June 7, 2006
Right-handed pitcher Ben Pfinsgraff was selected in the 22nd round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by Philadelphia on Wednesday. The senior becomes the second Terrapin in the last three years to be drafted by the Phillies.
"Philadelphia is a fantastic organization with a rich history and I am very grateful for this incredible opportunity," Pfinsgraff said. "I love the game of baseball and having the chance to play professionally is a dream come true."
A native of Annapolis, Md. (Severn), he is the 667th overall pick in 2006 and third pitcher taken by the Phillies on day two of the Draft. Pfinsgraff expects to receive information regarding a contract later this evening and is still awaiting word on how the organization plans to designate him. The club's rookie league team based in Clearwater is an option, he said.
Standing 6-feet and 175 pounds, Pfinsgraff, 22, is a slender yet durable arm who boasts a four-pitch repertoire. In 2006, he compiled a 3-7 mark and 5.87 ERA with a team-leading 60 strikeouts in 14 starts on the mound. The highlight of his season came on April 1, when he allowed three runs over six strong innings to beat then-No. 3 Georgia Tech for the second year in a row (Pfinsgraff knocked off Tech in Atlanta when the Yellow Jackets were the top-ranked team in the nation in 2005).
As of Wednesday, he stands fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in innings pitched with 87.1 (6.24 per outing) and is tied for the league lead in complete games at two.
During his career, Pfinsgraff posted a record of 11-15 to go along with a 4.56 ERA in 41 appearances, including 35 starts. He spent one season at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. before joining the Maryland program his sophomore year. As a junior, Pfinsgraff led the Terps with a 4-3 record and 3.45 ERA in 11 starts. He ranked seventh in the ACC that year with a .234 batting average against and stood ninth in the conference in innings pitched at 62.2 (5.70 per game).
Pfinsgraff is the second Terp pitcher to be taken in this year's Draft, with righty Seth Overbey going in the 15th round to Toronto yesterday. His selection also marks the second time in three years that the Phillies have chosen a Maryland player in the 22nd round. In 2004, Philadelphia made Anthony Buffone, the school's all-time hits leader, the 662nd overall pick.
A pair of incoming prep standouts who have already signed with the Terps were also chosen on the second day of the Draft. High school seniors Anthony "A.J." Casario (6-1/180, L/R) and Nick Pearce (6-5/178, R/R) had their names called by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals, respectively. A left-handed swinging catcher out of Overbrook Senior HS in Southern New Jersey, Casario was tabbed with the seventh pick of the 27th round (803rd overall). With the 15th selection in the 40th round (1,201 overall), the Nationals grabbed Pearce, a DeMatha product who was recently named first team All-Met by the Washington Post after going 6-2 on the hill for the Mustangs this year.
