Two UNCW players selected by Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday

WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW)  — After having Eric Jenkins, an incoming recruit selected in the second round by the Texas Rangers, two current Seahawks were picked by the Cincinnati Reds as Jordan Ramsey and Zach Shields heard their names called in the seventh and 10th rounds, respectively.

The draft resumes on Wednesday with the final 30 rounds.

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WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — UNCW reliever Jordan Ramsey was selected in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday with the 205th pick overall. For Ramsey, it was the third time in his career he was drafted.

Ramsey made a successful move to the bullpen as a senior following three seasons as a member of the Seahawks’ starting rotation. In 2015, Ramsey led the staff with a career-high eight wins and seven saves. The righthander earned first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors and later earned CAA All-Tournament honors as UNCW won its fourth conference tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Regionals for a seventh time.

In a conference-leading 28 appearances, Ramsey finished with a record of 8-2 and compiled a 1.69 earned run average over a total of 48 innings. He struck out 62 batters (11.6 per nine innings) and walked just 11 while limiting opponents to a .193 batting average. His seven saves also tied for the conference lead.

As a sophomore Ramsey led the CAA in ERA, allowing 2.34 earned runs per nine innings.

Ramsey was selected as a junior in the 32nd round by the New York Yankees and was also drafted in the 28th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2011 draft. He becomes the first Seahawk to be drafted by Cincinnati. Bryant Balentine signed with the Reds as a free agent in 1990.

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WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) —  Junior outfielder Zach Shields became the second Seahawk drafted on the second day and the second one taken by the Cincinnati Reds after the organization selected him in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday.

Shields joins teammate Jordan Ramsey as being selected by the Reds after Ramsey was selected earlier in the day in the seventh round.

Shields was a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection in his first season with the Seahawks. He hit a team-leading .355 with 32 runs batted in while hitting .383 in CAA play. Shields played in 57 games, including 55 starts, and finished fourth on the team in runs scored (44) and second with 17 stolen bases.

In the postseason, Shields earned Baton Rouge All-Regional honors while helping the Seahawks reach the regional championship round for the first time since 2008. He led the Seahawks with a .438 average in four games in Baton Rouge.