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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University junior RHP Kurt Yacko was selected by the defending National League champion Colorado Rockies in the 8th round of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft on Friday. The two-time All-American selection was the 257th overall pick and becomes just the second Panther to be drafted in the first 10 rounds since 1994, joining former Chapman RHP Andrew Tisdale in 2002. Later on Friday, senior OF Mike Vass was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 35th round. He was the 1,058th player taken overall and the second Chapman position player drafted since 1994. The last time the Panthers had two players taken in the same Major League draft was 1992 when Larry Stahlhoefer (Pirates) and Cliff Anderson (Dodgers) were both drafted.
The junior is also Chapman’s career leader in saves (26) and ERA (1.22 in 154.2 innings) and is ranked among the school’s top-10 in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. Despite his talents as a strong offensive infielder, he has been drafted as a pitcher. Vass was drafted after setting a school record with 14 home runs this season. He also led the Panthers in RBI (54), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.691) and stolen bases (18). He became just the second Chapman Division III player to hit 10 home runs and steal 15 bases in the same year and was named to the ABCA All-America team. According to D3Baseball.com, Yacko was the second Division III prospect drafted overall behind Ryan Kulik from Rowan University (N.J.), who also went in the 8th round and 245th overall. Yacko (Mater Dei HS) and Vass (Villa Park HS), become the eighth and ninth Chapman University products drafted by a Major League club since 1999.
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