Record eight ‘Eaters drafted

Bryan Petersen was the first UC Irvine player to get plucked in the Major League Baseball draft Thursday, prompting the Florida Marlins’ pick to send the Daily Pilot an e-mail the following day.

“Hopefully you’ll have a couple of more to write [about],” wrote Petersen, who knew by the time he sent the message on Friday night that seven other Anteaters were drafted in the second day of the draft.

In all eight Anteaters were selected, making it the highest number in the baseball program’s history. The previous high was six and it happened in 2005, 1988 and 1983.

To Petersen it makes sense for eight players to get chosen with UCI’s success this year. Fourth-ranked-UCI (43-15-1) opens a Super Regional best-of-three series at No. 8 Wichita State (53-20) today at 9 a.m., which will be televised by ESPN2.

Petersen, a right fielder and occasional pitcher, was glad some of his teammates got drafted, too. The junior, who was the 136th pick, hit .312 with 41 runs and was 27 for 32 in stolen bases.

Teammates being picked on the second day were senior second baseman Cody Cipriano (.344, 12 HR, 57 RBIs), who went in the ninth round as the 275th pick to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, followed by senior right-handed pitcher Blair Erickson (2.95 earned-run average, 13 saves, NCAA career saves leader with 53) in the 10th round as the 332nd pick to the Minnesota Twins.

Junior right-handed pitcher Wes Etheridge (12-4, 2.67 ERA, 107 strikeouts in 118 innings) in the 12th round as the 371st pick to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Junior utility player Taylor Holiday (.354, 41 RBIs, 65 runs, 22 doubles, nine triples) in the 19th round as the 604th pick to the New York Yankees.

Junior third baseman Tyler Vaughn (.337, 36 RBIs, 10 doubles,) in the 22nd round as the 693rd pick to the New York Mets.

Senior outfielder Matt Morris (.328, 51 RBIs, 17 for 21 stolen bases) in the 23rd round as the 724th pick to the New York Yankees and senior right-handed pitcher Dylan Axelrod (4.15 ERA, 4-4, 70 strikeouts in 65 innings) in the 30th round as the 927th pick to the San Diego Padres.

“Last year, I paid a lot of attention to it, but the success we’re having right now is really the only thing on my mind,” said Erickson, who for the second straight year went in the 10th round. “Whenever it ends, then I’ll start thinking about it, but this [super regional] is more important right now.”

— Barry Faulkner contributed to this staff report