Former Miner picked in 2nd round of MLB draft

PALMER — Mat-Su Miners head coach Ben Taylor had high expectations for former Mat-Su Miners right-hander Corbin Martin and his potential in the MLB draft.

“He’s got first, second-round stuff,” Taylor said of Martin last summer.

Taylor was right. Martin, a Texas A&M junior who pitched for the Miners in 2015, was selected by the Houston Astros with the 56th pick in the second round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday.

Martin enjoyed a perfect summer on the mound for the Miners in 2015. He didn’t allow an earned run with the Miners, and logged a 0.00 ERA in 16 appearances. He also fanned 27 hitters in 21 2/3 innings.

Martin continued his stellar summer ball play in 2016 in the Cape Cod League. He was named all-league after posting a 1.14 ERA in 14 games out of the bullpen.

Martin helped the Miners finish as the runner-up in the ABL in 2015 and the Falmouth Commodores finish second in the Cape last summer.

As a junior, Martin has helped the Aggies advance to the College World Series. He is 7-3 with a 3.35 ERA. Martin has made 23 appearances and a dozen starts. He has 94 strikeouts in 86 innings of work.

Martin made the start in the 12-6 win over Davidson in the NCAA Super Regional that punched the Aggies’ World Series ticket. Martin allowed eight hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings, while striking out seven and only walking one.

It’s the second straight year a former Miners player was selected in the first two rounds. Last season, Nick Senzel, a University of Tennessee infielder who played for the Miners in 2014, was taken No. 2 overall by the Cincinnati Reds.

Martin is one of eight former Miners to be selected in the top 10 rounds of the draft. Another Texas A&M right-hander, Brigham Hill, was taken by Washington in the fifth round. Martin and Hill were teammates with the Miners in 2015, and Hill finished the summer 2-3 with 40 strikeouts and a 1.84 ERA in 39 innings.

This season, Hill is leading the Aggies with an 8-3 record. Hill also has a team-best 107 strikeouts for a squad head to the College World Series.

Tennessee senior Jordan Rodgers, an infielder for the Miners in 2014, was taken by Atlanta in the sixth round. Rodgers hit .265 with Mat-Su, and finished with 26 hits and 14 RBI. Rodgers led the Vols during the 2017 college season, batting .322. He also led the team with 66 hits, nine home runs and 35 RBI.

Another right-hander from the 2015 Miners team, Gonzaga junior Eli Morgan, was picked by Cleveland in the eighth round. Morgan, a second-team All-American in 2017, led Gonzaga with a 10-2 record, 2.86 ERA and 138 strikeouts.

With the Miners, Morgan was 5-0 with 47 strikeouts and a 0.84 ERA in 42 2/3 innings.

Philadelphia grabbed New Mexico infielder Jack Zoellner, who played with the Miners in 2015. Zoellner was second on his team in hitting during the college season with a .368 batting average. He also had 12 home runs and 56 RBI.

Mat-Su’s batting average leader in 2015 was also taken in the ninth round. Pomona-Pitzer College’s Tanner Nishioka was taken by Boston. Nishioka hit .364 to lead the Miners.

Former Miners went back-to-back in the 10th. Kansas State junior Jordan Floyd, Mat-Su’s closer last season, was picked by Kansas City with the 300th overall selection. Former Tennessee right-hander Kyle Serrano was taken by Houston with the next pick. Serrano pitched for the Miners in 2014.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.