Culver Taken In 1st Round Of MLB Draft
6/8/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 8, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland baseball signee Chris "Cito" Culver was selected by the New York Yankees with the 32nd overall selection of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday night.
Culver signed a National Letter of Intent in April to play at Maryland.
"In order to compete in the ACC and to go to Omaha you have to recruit the very best players in the nation," said head coach Erik Bakich. "With that comes the risk that your recruits will be selected very high in the draft. Cito is an extremely talented player and it's no shock that he was drafted in the first round. We're very happy for him and this is a testament not only to his ability but to his work ethic."
A switch-hitting shortstop from West Irondequoit High School in Rochester, N.Y., Culver is an Under Armour All-American and was ranked as the No. 98 overall high school prospect in the nation by pgcrosschecker.com.
"We were able to draft a very athletic kid who can play a good shortstop," Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' vice president of amateur scouting, told MLB.com. "He has a plus arm, is a solid runner, and is an excellent hitter. He's a player we are happy to have. It was an easy decision for us."
The draft continues on Tuesday and concludes on Wednesday. Teams will have until August 15 to sign players drafted.
