June 5, 2008
Columbia, S.C. – Three South Carolina players were selected on the first day of the 2008 MLB Draft with Justin Smoak and Reese Havens drafted in the first round and James Darnell going in the second round. Smoak was the No. 11 overall pick to the Texas Rangers, Havens went No. 22 to the New York Mets and Darnell was No. 69 for the San Diego Padres. The MLB Draft continues on Friday with rounds 7-50 beginning at 11:30 am ET.
A first team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball this year, Smoak was Carolina’s leading hitter with a .383 batting average (90-for-235) to go along with 23 homers and 72 RBI. For the second consecutive season, Smoak was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award presented by USA Baseball. He is also a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy presented by the NCBWA to the top college baseball player in the nation.
In his three-year career at Carolina, Smoak set school records for home runs (62), runs batted in (207), bases on balls (151) and total bases (485). He is fifth on the SEC Career list for home runs and is of only seven players in SEC history to record 60 or more round trippers. Smoak twice earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the NCAA Regionals, receiving the distinction this year in Raleigh and last season in Columbia. He started every game at first base for three straight years with 194 consecutive starts on the corner.
Reese Havens earned third team All-America honors and second team All-SEC honors at shortstop for the 2008 season for the Gamecocks. Havens started all 63 games for Carolina and batted .359 with 18 HR and 57 RBI to go along with 13 doubles and two triples. In his three-year career, Havens tallied 215 career hits. He was named to the 2008 NCAA Raleigh Regional All-Tournament team as well.
South Carolina junior third baseman James Darnell has been selected in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Darnell is the No. 69 overall pick and one of three Gamecock players to be selected in the first two rounds of this year’s draft.
A second team All-SEC selection, Darnell hit .306 on the year with 19 HR and 81 RBI. His RBI total is the fourth highest in a single-season by a Gamecock player. He started all 63 games this year at third base for the Gamecocks. Darnell also led the conference in RBI in SEC games with 40 RBI in 30 conference contests. Darnell recorded 41 career homers in a three-year career with the Garnet & Black, tied for ninth on the USC Career List. He also had 19 homers as a sophomore in 2007 when he was a second team All-SEC selection.
Smoak, Havens and Darnell played on three NCAA Regional teams and twice made it to the NCAA Super Regional.
