Seven former Thunder Bay Border Cats heard their names called Saturday on the final day of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.
Outfielder Justin Higley was the first player drafted, taken in the 13th round by the Oakland Athletics. A product of Sacramento State University, Higley hit two homeruns in 28 games with the Cats in 2012, a wonky knee ending his season after just 28 games.
Six-foot-eight southpaw Garrett Hughes was next to go, grabbed in the 19th round, 582nd overall, by the San Francisco Giants. Hughes was 3-1 with a 3.64 earned run average last season with the Border Cats.
The Giants dipped into the Cats past in the 20th round, snagging defensive whiz Brett Kay, who spent two summers in Thunder Bay.
A shortstop with Illinois State University, Kay hit .320 with a homerun and 30 RBI in 64 contests.
"Coolest feeling ever! What's up San Fran?" Kay wrote on Twitter.
A round later it was Adam Landecker’s turn, going 629th to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Landecker, a third baseman who hit .283 for Thunder Bay a year ago, also took to Twitter Saturday night to express how happy he was at the news.
"Thank you everyone for the continued support! I'm pumped to start my professional baseball career as a Pittsburgh Pirate," he said.
Second baseman Andrew Ayers, also from Sacramento State, was picked in the 30th round by the Kansas City Royals. Pitcher John Straka, a Northwoods League all-star in 2011 after posting a 6-3 record, was taken in the 32nd round by the Texas Rangers.
Last, but not least, catcher Danny Bethea became the sixth member of the 2012 Border Cats to get drafted, going in the 34th round to the Boston Red Sox.
Bethea hit .305 with two homers and 25 runs batted in a Cats uniform.
"Thank you for all the love today I really appreciate it," he said on Twitter.
